Dubrovnik - Montenegro - Dubrovnik

Dubrovnik
A day trip to Kotor
Grand Hotel Park
Sunny and hot day

The early bird gets the worm and today we set off just before 7.15am to reach the border control into Montenegro before the other tourist buses.  We only had one stop before the border which was much simpler today and we could stay on the bus.
The coastline was picture perfect and we skirted the Bay of Kotor the longest and deepest fjord in Southern Europe.  We stopped at Perast and caught a boat to view the man-made island of Our Lady of the Rocks.  Two small islands sit beside each other however the island of St George has been closed since the 1979 earthquake.  The islands make a pretty picture in the bay.

Our Lady of the Rocks built by fisherman returning from each successful voyage would add rocks into the sea.  Each year the tradition continues on July 22 when local residents return to throw rocks into the sea and widening the island’s surface.

The beautiful island of St George.

We then rode to the walled medieval city of Kotor which has UNESCO protection and enjoyed a walking tour before lunch.
The city includes the cathedral built in 1166.  It was originally a Romanesque church however the earthquake of 1667 necessitated it being rebuilt.  The Baroque bell towers stand tall over the square however one is incomplete due to a lack of funds and sits shorter than the other one.
Kotor is a pretty town and was becoming hot and busy but apparently it gets much hotter and will be wall to wall tourists in a matter of weeks.

The fortified town of Kotor.

Entering the main gate...business as usual. 

The first main square...the clock has a lean from a recent earthquake.

The Baroque church showing the unfinished bell tower. 

We enjoyed a lunch in a shaded area before heading back to Dubrovnik.
The trip back was very picturesque and included a quicker ferry ride before once again crossing the border back into Croatia.  Fortunately that was a quick process once again.

Catching the ferry back across the bay. 

A stop at a fruit market on the return to Dubrovnik and we bought some lovely figs and candied orang peel.

A beautiful view of the bridge from the bus that takes you into Dubrovnik. 

That evening as we’d had a large lunch and felt that we had been doing a lot of eating we decided on a late evening walk and followed the scenic track around from our hotel to enjoy a wine and a beer. We enjoyed looking back on the bay as the lights lit up the area and the waves washed onto the area below the bar.  It was a fascinating day.