UPS AND DOWNS OF A SEASIDE HOLIDAY - Herceg Novi, Montenegrin Coast

 ......previously, our tootling around Northern Serbia enjoying the springtime........

Walking around beautiful Herceg Novi

Excited to head to the beach and take some sun on our bodies after so long in the Middle East, we headed to the new and shiny train station in Belgrade for the trip down south. Whilst it was very grand and spacious, we much preferred the daggy, quiet version we had encountered on our previous visits to this train station. No doubt travellers before us also preferred when the train station was in the central part of Belgrade before being moved out to a woop woop suburb.  

As we waited for the famous Belgrade to Bar train to arrive, we nervously looked around at the hoards of people continuously arriving on the platform. We had been advised that this was still the quiet time of the season (early in June), and the train would probably be nearly empty. Not the case! As the train pulled in, a bit of a scrum occurred in a rush to board. 

On the train, we found ourselves in a tiny cabin without much room to turn, sit or stand, with four Russians. As the day train for this route hadn't begun yet, the beds were set up for sleeping, and all we could do was lie down. The heat was intense and we couldn't see out the windows. It was dark anyway, and the Russians kept closing the door and windows for the entire journey. It was quite an unpleasant trip with no air, and not much sleep was had. When the conductor came around shouting out the arrival at Podgorica station in the morning, we spilled out into the fresh morning air, bleary eyed and with some relief.

As tired as we were, we couldn't help but marvel at the lovely scenery on our bus trip along the coast to Herceg Novi. Passing by several famous and extremely busy-looking resort towns, we were glad we had chosen our destination. Tall green mountains came right down to the shores of picturesque Kotor Bay, and town after town stretched up the hills overlooking the water. The traffic was intense in places, with jams and roadworks, we certainly weren't expecting that so early in the season. Seems everyone was keen on an early beach holiday this year!

Finally reaching our destination, we easily found our little apartment with a view down to the sea, unpacked and flaked out. 

Herceg Novi town was like no other place we had visited. It brought to mind some fictional idyllic version of summer Mediterranean coastal life seen in a lush movie. The town was dramatically set into hills that ran down to Kotor Bay, steeply stepped paths took us to the old town center, with it's pretty umbrellaed cafes, cobble stone streets, fountains and charming churches. Not one, but three castles sat strongly and looked out at the glorious blue water of the bay- a perfect vantage point for spotting incoming ships. Around every corner was a lovely scene of flowering vines draped over wrought iron balconies on aging buildings, and stone steps leading down and around inviting corners. The fragrance of jasmine and other flowers from the beautiful gardens in the grounds of bigger villas followed us through the winding lanes. Footpaths were speckled with shade and bright bougainvillea and oleanders, and made walking a sheer delight. The ever-present views of the sea sparkling in the dazzling sunshine with small yachts and the occasional huge cruise ship entering from the Adriatic Sea could be seen from all over town.

A town of steps, Herceg Novi

Tunnel under the fort, Herceg Novi

Character filled laneways, Herceg Novi

Overlooking Kotor Bay from Herceg Novi old town

Color and fragrance, Herceg Novi

A hero amongst the greenery, Herceg Novi

What's behind the green door, Herceg Novi

Ornate water pump in town square, Herceg Novi

Herceg Novi old town square

Then there was the trudge back up the hill! Even though our wee apartment was not terribly far from the sea, the 342 steps (yes, Rich counted them!) was tough on our legs at first. After a week or so, however, we became used to the walk and it became somewhat easier. 

The steps were a killer coming up!

Warm colours around Herceg Novi old town

During our month stay the weather slowly changed from nicely warm to fiercely hot, and as the school holidays started, many more visitors arrived. It didn't really impact on us, we still enjoyed strolling about the town and the waterfront promenade, taking some sun on the pebbly beaches, braving a dip in the refreshingly cool and clear sea and relaxing on our balcony at home. The view of the sunlight reflecting on the sea, and listening to the church bells ringing gently every hour was delightful.

Strolling along the waterfront, Herceg Novi

Herceg Novi seafront

Remnants of a fortified part of the town

Early morning reflections, Herceg Novi

We love the vibe of a European beach holiday, and find it interesting watching Balkan culture at the coast. Balkan holiday makers are very tolerant with the sun, some spending hours on the beach soaking up the rays. We weren't quite so intense, but still felt the huge benefits of some sunshine on our bodies, and felt healthy and happy as a result. 

Our favourite beach, before the crowds came!

Tourists loved the waterfront and old town cafes, and the busy atmosphere and people watching were wonderful. We had our favorite café by the St Michael Archangel Orthodox Church, particularly interesting on a Sunday when people streamed in dressed modestly to pray, a big difference from the scantily clad outfits the rest of the time! One lazy Sunday afternoon, we must have looked relaxed and happy, as the waitress offered us a rakia on the house! Of course we accepted.

Beverages at the church, Herceg Novi

The tiny central market, while cute and inviting, with its little stalls and attractive produce, turned out to be most disappointing. The small amount of fruit available was ridiculously over priced- we found it cheaper to buy from the less atmospheric super market. We did, however, admire the cured meats and cheese section, the smell alone was worth a visit!

We enjoyed a few trips along the coast to nearby towns, each with its own character. Igalo in particular had a great, old style vibe, with communist-era high-rises, retro municipal buildings and shady local parks. Bijela, in the other direction was a cute and ramshackle beach holiday place catering to many families, also with a lovely atmosphere. 

Incredible abandoned swimming pool, Igalo

Retro vibes in Igalo, near Herceg Novi

We experienced a relatively minor drama when our laptop decided to stop working, and we upsettingly lost a load of photos, videos and information files from our Middle Eastern travels (not to mention having to buy a new laptop). 

One of three forts in Herceg Novi, Fort Mare

Sal's new discovery, surutka, great for the gut!

We absolutely loved our month on the Montenegrin coast, and it was exactly the Balkan summer break we had envisioned and hoped for. Sadly, towards the end of our stay, Sal's Mum passed away, which saw us rapidly changing our plans to get her back to Melbourne to be with family as soon as possible. 

Sal in a charming lane in Herceg Novi

Rich with a giant anchor, Herceg Novi

More steps and a bike, Herceg Novi

.....coming next, more travels to random and engaging Serbian towns.........

THE MOST BEAUTIFUL STREET IN SERBIA! - Springtime in Northern Serbia

.........our last post was from Amman, capital of Jordan, where we spent some time exploring Roman ruins and chilling with sheesha!......

Unsure whether to write a blog post about our happy travels since we returned to Europe from the Middle East, we decided it might be a pleasant little update, albeit missing the exoticism of the early part of our year!

Wizz Air got us back to Budapest without fuss, something of a miracle, and we spent a short couple of days recovering and resting before the next part of the trip. As seen on previous visits to the city, we are not the biggest fans, although we always find something stimulating to do, and it may just be growing on us!

There's no denying, Budapest is a beautiful city in Springtime

Hungarian architecture of Vajdahunyad Castle

With ten days or so to spare before we had to be in Belgrade, we found an appealing series of random trains to small towns in the mostly agricultural Vojvodina region of northern Serbia. It's an area we had appreciated before, with an obvious link to a Austro-Hungarian past in the architecture, and many towns having a large population of ethnically Hungarian people. Being a farming region, it was also a perfect place for us to take advantage of the myriad of fresh fruits and vegies we loved in Serbia. Particularly exciting was the ongoing plentiful and cheap strawberry season. The fresh markets were saturated with the tasty and juicy fruits, and we were in heaven!

Ongoing works with the Hungarian and Serbian trains at the border make it slightly easier every time we travel through this route, and this time, we were effortlessly able to cross all the way from Budapest to Subotica, in Serbia in an easy day. Having visited Subotica a couple of times before, this time we were happy to wander the beautiful streets, admire much of the Art Nouveau architecture and relish the street cafe culture we had missed so much. 

Serbian cats with attitude, Subotica

Classic Subotica, Serbia

Zastava car, an oldie but a goodie!

Three more towns followed - tiny Senta, Kikinda and Zrenjanin. Streets cafes with strong Serbian style coffee and local rakija sat beside rustic pijecas (markets) with little piles of seasonal homegrown goods. Rivers were high with rain and central parks sparkled with that bright green that comes with spring. 

Kikinda was probably the highlight, with an absolutely charming little town center, plenty of classic Yugo architecture and what was touted as the most beautiful street in Serbia! 

Shady streets of Kikinda, Serbia

Elaborate decorations on Kikinda town buildings, Serbia

Fountain in Kikinda town center, Serbia

Orthodox church in Kikinda, Serbia

Funky style war memorial, Kikinda, Serbia

Daggy garden at our Kikinda accommodation

Could it be true?!

General Drapšin Street was definitely lovely, Kikinda

A deserted train took us to Zrenjanin, a larger place, and quite different from other Serbian towns we have visited. There was quite a run down and rough feel to much of Zrenjanin, but also some kind of alternative edgy vibe at the same time. We weren't sure what to make of it, but loved the contrast. An absolutely enormous weekend flea market saved the stay for us, and we spent most of the morning poking around and not buying anything, as per usual!

Calm inside an orthodox church, Zrenjanin, Serbia

Slightly underwhelming spomenik, Zrenjanin

Had to have just one šampita to celebrate being back!

The best part for us, of course, was riding the small lines on Serbian trains, always on time and clean and cool. The trains are slower than the buses, but we love the scenery and the comfort. Rows of bright green crops stretched into the distance, and ramshackle farmhouses sat amongst fields of bright red and purple poppies. Rich even spotted the odd hare, pheasant and deer with his eagle eyes. 

Cute little Senta railway station, Serbia

Inside great Serbian trains

Waiting for train to from Kikinda to Zrenjanin

Having reached Belgrade, we stayed a week on our way down to Montenegro, mostly hanging out and catching up with friends from the wonderful Sun Hostel, a favourite of ours on and off for five years now. We finally set out on a day trip Sal had been desperate to do for years - Avala mountain, a gorgeous green area close to the city. Taking advantage of the currently free buses in and around Belgrade, we spent about one hour to reach the bottom of the mountain. There were a multitude of small paths leading into the forest immediately from the bus stop, and we quickly found ourselves in wonderful nature. The walk to the top and exploring was a bit of a slog for our bodies, after all our quiet time in Amman, but we loved the fresh air, birdsong and quietness of the woods.

Trails around Avala mountain, Belgrade

At the top there were various monuments and buildings from Yugoslavian times, and earlier, and we loved the Grecian style 1920's Monument To The Unknown Hero and the intriguing monument to the friendship and teamwork of Russian soldiers during World War Two. Avala TV tower was also worth the trek. Bombed by NATO in 1999, it was rebuilt exactly in replica years later as a defiant "F**k you" signal to those who thought they could destroy the spirits of the Belgrade locals. A quintessentially Serb gesture. The tower can be seen at a great distance from many parts of Belgrade and it very symbolic to much of the population. 

Strange Art Nouveau style monument at Avala

Monument to Russian fighting friendship, Avala, Belgrade

We love a good spomenik

Avala TV tower, a symbol for the city

After a relatively quick stay in Belgrade (for us!), we were looking forward to heading to the coast for our beach stay in Montenegro for the beginning of summer.

Smiles on our faces, back in Serbia

.....what's next? Some beach time in Montenegro, and travels through Republika Srpska....