The Gremlins remain...

 

Ostrog Monastery

So we left on Good Friday and then we returned.  We had no sooner reached the end of Kotor Bay and entered the Adriatic when our wind instruments stopped working.  All of our electronics were replaced at Navar boatyard in Tivat and are under warranty ... so we thought it best to just turn around and have Navar come and take a look.

Ostrog Monastery - blankets for sleeping outside

Since it was the start of Easter weekend Navar folks would not be by until Monday.  As the saying goes when life gives you lemons, make lemonade.  Well our version of that was "well we may as well fix a big Easter dinner".  So I started baking bread and planning a big feast.  It was only Michael and I, along with a new friend from Rhode Island (John) who ate but we enjoyed the meal and the day. 

Ostrog Monastery

On Monday, Borko from Navar came by and found that the new wind instrument is defective.  On Tuesday he will take it down and on Wednesday hopefully put up a new one.  On Thursday the wind comes again so we will likely wait until next week and then just go straight to Italy.  

From the top of the Monastery mountain

We didn't really expect that the installation of all new electronics would be completely problem free.  And truly everything else works fine.  Apparently, the new WS310 wind instrument has been an issue, a lemon perhaps?  Borko says there are many that he has installed that have failed.  We are crossing back over the Atlantic later this year and really need everything to work properly.

Durmitor National Park

So to explain the photos, Michael and I did take a day to go on a tour of Montenegro before our first departure.  It was a 14 hour day but we felt we got a good look at most of the country.  In particular, I wanted to visit the Ostrog Monastery which is built into the side of a mountain.  The monastery is an Eastern Orthodox Monastery and most Montenegrins will do a pilgrimage there at least once in their lifetime.  Some of the more dedicated believers will walk there, even from as far as the coast.  The more extreme walk the whole way barefoot.  The monastery itself has space for 40 people to sleep, so the rest sleep outside.  The drive up to the Monastery is a downright scary ride.  Way, way up the mountain the road hugs the mountain on one side and there is nothing on the other - just a potentially deep fall with absolutely nothing to break that fall.  You just have to close your eyes and trust the driver.  Unbelievably cars will try to pass on the wider hairpin turns - inshallah. The monastery was amazing to see however so we were so glad we braved the drive up.

Tara River

 We also went to see the Tara River and the bridge that crosses the Tara river canyon.  North and south Montenegro are separated by the 4300 feet deep canyon that stretches over 50 miles.  The Tara river bridge is the only way to get across that canyon.  This fact became very important in WWII as the Italians had crossed into Montenegro and wanted to reach the other side of the canyon.  The architect of the bridge was sought and he told the Montenegrins to take out the center arch.  That would keep the Italians from bringing  heavy artillery across and foot soldiers would just be shot as they tried to cross.  And it would preserve the bridge.

Tara River Bridge

Eventually the Italians were able to get enough soldiers across and when they did they went on a hunt for the architect.  When they found him they brought him to the bridge and killed him.  It had rained off and on all day that day so while the young folks went zip lining across the canyon, Michael and I had a cup of hot tea in the nearby restaurant.  But now we are done - we feel like we have seen quite a lot of Montenegro.  It is beautiful but we are ready to move on.  Hopefully by the end of the week we will reach Italy.