June 29th: Montenegro or Bust!

This morning began with an overcast sky & possible threat of storms as we gathered after breakfast to depart for our day trip to the tiny small neighboring country of Montenegro, just a short journey south from Dubrovnik.  The clouds soon receded & it turned into a sunny & blisteringly hot day.
From Dubrovnik we drove south, pas the airport, to the border with Montenegro - Europe's newest nation, independent since just 2006.  Today we were lucky with a fairly quick border crossing, so it wasn't long before we stopped to pick up our local guide, Ivan, an enthusiastic young Montenegrin.
We drove around the outside of the spectacular Bay of Kotor, stopping for views around the bay at it's closest point, then continuing to the picturesque village of Perast form where a private boat transfer took us to the island church of Our Lady of the Rocks.
Later we traveled onward to Kotor itself, the Old Town center surrounded by incredible city walls.
After a short introductory tour we enjoyed free time to explore Kotor at leisure - whether it be climbing the walls above the town for incredible views over the city, shopping for souvenirs or local crafts, or sampling the local mussels & wines in the picturesque restaurants.
Our return journey followed a shorter route, crossing the bay by ferry & then returning to Dubrovnik after saying goodbye to Ivan close to the border.
After time to freshen-up we returned to the Old City of Dubrovnik for dinner by the Old Port, a memorable end to a memorable day.