Gordich Gate 
Bay of Kotor
Sheila has become our Accommodation Officer. She did very well in Kotor booking us a marvellous room just one minute from the Square of Arms. We spent two nights there in comfortable surroundings.
We did the mandatory city walk. This one was short by city walking tour standards at just one hour. The Guide (his name escapes me) was not very well, he looked ill and I think he wanted to get it over. With that said, he did a good job. I came away with as much background knowledge of the history of Kotor as I needed.
The highlight of our visit was the climb out of Kotor’s Stari Grad (Old City) up to the Castle di San Giovanni.
We had read that it was a tough one hour climb and to allow three hours for the climb and descent. The Guide and others reaffirmed this message. In the circumstances, with the temperature in the mid 30°’s, we decided to set off at 7am in hiking footwear before it got too hot.
You can imagine our surprise when we reached the fortified castle in just over 30 minutes with no problem whatsoever. We found the 1,350 steps, 1,200m climb, if not easy, definately not difficult. I think they make it sound like it”s difficult for the cruise ship visitors who may not be in the habit of walking any distance or possibly not hiking
View from the City walls
The view of Kotor Bay from the top was wonderful. It was reminiscent of a Norwegian fjord. We took the alternative path down along a path with lots of switchbacks. A lovely walk. Near the top we stopped to speak with a couple who had camped there overnight and asked us for directions to the fortress. I noted that there would be few camping spots anywhere in the world with a better view. It reminded me of the time I camped on top of Machu Picchu but thats a story for another time.
Our favourite spot in the Old City was a square, which nobody could tell me the name of. It has two restaurant’s and a reasonably priced bar. In the evening the Bar organises musicians to play for the customers of the three establishments. The music was relaxing and the atmosphere vibrant. I will remember it for a long time as one of my favourite places to relax.
Tourist tip of the day. If you want a long weekend of the east Adriatic, skip Dubrovnik and visit Kotor.
From Kotor we plan to take a bus south along the beguiling Adriatic coastline to Shkoder (Shkodra), Albania.
Wandering Boomers 