18th August - Old Winchester Hill, Hampshire

It poured with rain first thing in the morning, so much so that I never thought it would be possible to get out today at all.  After the success of yesterday's butterfly trip to Shipton Bellinger I was keen to add too more special late summer butterflies to the year list.  It was also a chance for Helen and I to have a walk in an location that despite its relative closeness to Four Marks, we have not spend time at.  I think we are pu off by the steep inclines and slopes for walking on.

The rain though eased away and was replaced by clear blue skies, that became blue skies with white fluffy clouds.  Everything was back on, so late morning we set off on the short journey to Old Winchester Hill.

Old Winchester Hill is a chalk escarpment surmounted by an Iron Age hill fort and a Bronze Age cemetery. It is a Site of Special Scientific Interest and a National Nature Reserve.  A circular footpath takes in steep slopes and woodland, or you can keep on level ground by following the hill fort route at the top of the hill.  We opted to take the main path that follows the level ground.

As you come through the trees the view out across Hampshire away to the south west never fails to impress

It is also so much better on a day of white fluffy clouds as it seems to lift the sky higher, and stretch the horizon.

As we walked the main path with wild flowers and grasses on either side there was a wealth of butterflies, Meadow Brown, Gatekeeper, and Small and Large Whites, but the stand out was the Painted Lady, at last I was seeing them in the numbers that had been forecast following the influx this year.  As you passed the flowering knapweed and wild carrot, Painted Ladies would fly up with that strong powerful flight that characterises them, no wind seems to hold them back, they are able to power their way through it.  As well as the flower heads they would be flushed from the open ground where they would settle with wings laid flat.

A pristine individual, probably one of the season newly emerged butterflies.Walking around to the Iron Age Fort we came across a lot more Painted Ladies.

The Solent Way drops down along the side of a field, but there is also a footpath that crosses the field to meet up with the Solent Way.  We only wanted to walk through the field so set off down the footpath and immediately came across Chalkhill Blues and a few Silver-spotted Skippers.  

The skippers were very difficult to find, and when I did find one it was gone before I got the chance to photograph it.  This was the only credible picture I could get.

This rare skipper is restricted to chalk downs in southern England one of the problems I had with getting close to them today was their habit of darting low over the short turf, and stopping only to bask on bare ground for a short time.  The skipper can be identified by the numerous silver-white spots on the undersides of the hind wings, which can be seen quite easily when it rests with wings in a characteristic 'half-open' posture, and it did, but not when the camera was close

The Silver-spotted Skipper has declined rapidly over the last 50 years but has re-expanded partially since 1980, and Old Winchester Hill and the other Chalk downland sites in Hampshire such as Broughton and Oxenbourne are reliable places to see this lovely butterfly.

The other butterfly present in good numbers was the Chalkhill Blue.  This butterfly proved a little easier to catch up with.

As its name suggests, the Chalk Hill Blue is found on chalk downland, although limestone downland is also used. The adult butterfly is most-often seen in bright sunshine, where the ground may appear to shimmer with the activity of hundreds, if not thousands, of males searching for a mate just a few inches above the ground. The distribution of this species follows the distribution of Horseshoe Vetch which, in turn, follows the distribution of chalk and limestone grassland. This species is therefore restricted to England, south east of a line running from West Gloucestershire in the west and Cambridgeshire in the east.

Females are similar to Brown Argus, which lack blue dusting near body, and to female Adonis Blue, which have dark veins extending into white fringe on wing edges. The male Chalk Hill Blue is paler and, apart from the Large Blue, larger than other blue butterflies seen in Britain and Ireland.

We wandered back up the hill, and up on to the old Fort.  In amongst the flowers on the side of the fort were one or two newly emerged Adonis Blue, and several Common Blue butterflies.

Old Winchester Hill occupies one of the most beautiful landscapes that the chalk ridge of the South Downs offers.  Away to the south, the Isle of Wight rises beyond a shimmer of sea.  While the vantage point over emphasises the beauty of the clouds against the patterns of the fields

Looking down the harvested fields create their own unique pattern on the landscape.

We walked around the ramparts of the old fort . The ancient occupiers of this site chose well, visitors, friend or foe could be seen in all directions. Situated on a spur it has well defined entrances where the ramparts rear upwards to give maximum defence.  The fort itself is encompassed by a bank and ditch and inside the fort, dips left from flint excavations and the rounded mounds of Bronze Age tumuli can be seen. Platforms on which huts and animal enclosures are still evident, although we did not go and investigate.

Some of the views along the ramparts and down over the surrounding slopes.  Looking down in the direction of the village of Exton

Notice the wealth of wild flowers growing amongst the grasses.  These were full of Meadow Browns, Small and Large Whites and of course Painted Ladies.

A close up of the wild flowers

Finally the view looking to the north west.  We were actually looking down on a juvenile buzzard calling repeatedly for its parent to feed it.

From the fort we returned to the car park by the way of the level main path, and then down to Exton where we had a drink in the Shoe Inn.  A very pleasant way to spend a late Sunday morning.  We should really come here more often

17th August - Keyhaven, Pennington, Oxey and Normandy Marshes, and Shipton Bellinger, Hampshire

I am not usually in the United Kingdom at this time of year, and with the recent weather we have been having it is understandable.  But this year has been slightly different so I was pleased to see clear skies and a rising sun as I set off to meet Ian at Pennington.  As I pulled into the car park there was a steady stream of Sand Martin and Swallows, all heading west towards Efford Lake, while in the surrounding bushes there were several Whitethroats diving in and out of the bramble.

This Whitethroat appearing in the bramble briefly just gave me the opportunity to use the new camera in anger for the first time, a bit grainy though to start

Swifts could be seen over Efford Lake so we walked along the cycle path to get a better view.  There were at least six Swifts hawking across and over the lake, and they were joined by Sand Martin and Swallows.  As always the Swifts were a challenge to photograph.

On the far shore of the lake there was a feeding Common Sandpiper, this always seems to be a regular spot for them in the late summer.

There was a lot of activity in the surrounding bushes, and also a lot of inactivity as birds sat in the open taking in the sunshine.  Little blobs of white and cream would turn out to be Whitethroat following closer inspection.

The warmth from the sun after the heavy rain of Friday was proving to be a strong attraction, and allowed us to get quite close, another Whitethroat.

And a Chiffchaff that was calling.

With the amount of activity in the bushes we considered it a good idea to walk the track into Keyhaven.  Various calls from the bushes and trees were heard, and across the marsh more calls which turned out to belong to young Linnets.

Unfortunately despite the activity there was nothing unusual to be found.  We took the opportunity to view the lake at the other side of Keyhaven harbour.  There was a little mud showing, and here we disturbed a Common Sandpiper that flew off across the water and out of sight.

Just as we turned to walk to the sea wall I picked up a large swift that turned out to be a Hobby flying over the houses and then heading towards the west and the outer harbour.

There was a large roost of Black-tailed Godwits in the harbour along with Redshank and several Turnstone.  We walked along the sea wall where young Pied Wagtail patrolled the edge of the water and juvenile Linnets called from the grass.

Keyhaven lagoon was extremely quiet, dominated by Black-headed Gulls and one immature Great Black-backed Gull.  There was no sign of any waders at all on the lagoon, but out on the saltmarsh there were many Curlew.

As we reached the west end of Keyhaven Lagoon a Wheatear was present on the far bank.

Fishtail was as equally quiet, with plenty of mud that should be attractive to waders but no one seems to have told them.  There was a lone Common Sandpiper on the shingle island.  However from the back of Key haven a skein of around 150 Canada Geese could, at first, be heard but ten seen as they flew low over the marsh and then turned to land on Fishtail.  The Common Sandpiper then became engulfed by honking Canada Geese.

In amongst the Canada Geese were three Barnacle Geese, two of which took a liking to the Sandpipers place on the shingle island.

On the eastern end of the island were two Avocet, and adult and juvenile.  We headed off to Butts Bay where there were plenty of Redshank but very few other waders, a Dunlin called and flew past, but that was it.  Off the salt marsh there were five immature Eider, and Ian picked up a Peregrine heading east high over the water.  On the lagoon there were several Coot,and a few tatty Mallard.  There was a sizeable roost of Redshank, and sheltering from the increasing wind at the end of one of the reed islands was a single Black-tailed Godwit and two Spotted Redshank.

At Pennington Lagoon there were more Redshank and Curlew, and a single Greenshank.

On reaching the end of Pennington Lagoon a dog on the beach flushed a Wheatear from sea weed on the beach and it flew across the water and settled on a small mound on the far side.  This time the Wheatear was a little closer to us.

We walked around the sea wall with very little about.  Out on the water a single Great Crested Grebe, and on one of the spits the usual roosting Eider.  On Oxey Marsh there was a Greenshank roosting with a Redshank, while a dog decided to ignore the shouts of its owner and leapt into the water to chase off a Little Egret.

We were heading for Normandy Marsh, and as we passed Eight Acre Lake there were quite a few waders on the rocks and sea weed.  The most dominant were Redshank, they seemed to be everywhere today, thank goodness they were because if they hadn't been about  there would have been no birds at all.  There was a count of 24 Ringed Plover and 16 Dunlin feeding on the mud.

It was not much better at Normandy.  We scanned the open water finding small numbers of Dunlin and Ringed Plover.  There were two Greenshank, but  once again it was the Redshank that was present in good numbers.

We headed back taking the footpath past the boating lake and four Little Grebe out in open water.  The path led to Lower Woodside Lane.  On the wire above us was a Swallow.

A little further along, looking out into the fields I saw a small bird drop from the hedge onto the ground.  I thought it might be a Robin, but decided to check which was a worthwhile exercise as the "Robin" turned out to be a smart male Redstart.  It was distant, and this is at best a record shot of the Redstart.

Coming out onto Lower Pennington Lane we came across more Whitethroats, today has been dominated by Whitethroats and Redshank.  Back in the car park we had lunch and debated where to go next, the outcome was a trip to Shipton Bellinger on the Hampshire - Wiltshire border.  Our quest were two special butterflies, and we hoped that the sun would stay out to encourage them to show.

It took just over an hour to get to Shipton, I had been once before a couple of years ago and had to try and recall exactly where to park.  This was in a small car park close to the Village Hall and alongside the re-cycling bins.

The sun was out as we set off along the bridleway north from the car park.  We came across someone who informed us that both target species had been seen, however the one that Ian was more interested in appears to have a window when it can be seen low down in the scrub.  That window closed at 14.30, it was now 13.20, so time was of the essence.

Walking along the bridleway there were both Large and Small Whites, Speckled Wood, Gatekeeper and Meadow Brown, on reaching a crossroads I picked up a Holly Blue that was settling on the bramble flowers.

The chalk path then opens out into a large field, and ahead of us was a bank of mixed trees including Ash trees, and below it plenty of scrub including Hawthorn, Blackthorn and Bramble.  It was along here two years ago that I had found the butterfly we were initially searching for.

Once again there was plenty of Meadow Brown about, and the slightly smaller Gatekeeper that would set the heart racing as they are similar to the target species.  Brimstones were also around in plenty, posing nicely on the small purple flowers.

Both male and female were present, the shape of the wings very similar to taht of a leaf.

Unintentionally Ian and I had split up, it happens when you wander with your head down staring into the scrub.  Ian then shouted for me and I ran back to the main path.  He had found a Wall Brown, one of our targets here, but in turning to call for me had lost sight of it.  We waited and after what seemed an age it re-appeared and settled on the chalky path in front of us.

The Wall Brown is one of the rarest, if not the rarest of Hampshire's butterflies.  I have seen plenty outside of Hampshire, but this was a county lifer for me.  Then as quickly as it appeared it was gone.  We looked na waited, but couldn't locate it.  We had been told that they were also seen on the main path, so we decided to return to the hedgerow in search of the other butterfly.

We wandered slightly apart once again, but then suddenly I saw a splash of orange on a leaf about a foot above the ground.  I call Ian, he came running and the butterfly stayed put.  A Brown Hairstreak, a first for Ian, and a quality butterfly for me.

As it sat in the sun it opened its wings fuller.

The brown hairstreak is the largest hairstreak in the united Kingdom and has brown upperwings and small 'tails' protruding from the hindwings.  The female, seen here, is particularly beautiful, with forewings that contain large orange patches, and was once considered to be a separate species known as the "Golden Hairstreak".  The male has brown upperwings.  In both sexes the underwings are a distinctive bright orange, with two white lines streaked across them.

She was moving slowly across the leaves, and would fly out only to return closer into the scrub.

The brown hairstreak is an elusive butterfly that spends much of its time in the treetops feeding on aphid honeydew. It is found in woodland and along hedgerows where Blackthorn grows.  It is a local species that lives in self-contained colonies that breed in the same area year after year. 

The males are the more-elusive of the two sexes, congregating high on ash "master trees" that are positioned around the breeding area, where they feed on honeydew. They occasionally come down to feed on various nectar sources, such as Hemp Agrimony, probably when honeydew is scarce. Mating occurs without any discernable courtship, typically high in a tree.

Females also spend their time on the master trees until the eggs have matured and they are ready to lay. They then disperse and alternate between basking in the warm sunshine, feeding from nectar sources, and egg-laying. Egg-laying sites are typically in sheltered areas at the edges of woodland or hedgerows where younger growth that is south-facing is favoured. The female will crawl among the branches of the foodplant, feeling the branches for appropriate sites, when egg-laying, which is what this one was doing here.

As she sat she would slowly open the wings to show the orange flash on the upperwing

A beautiful butterfly, and if the Wall Brown is the rarest in the county, then the Brown Hairstreak is close behind it.

We left her to find suitable sites within the scrub to lay her eggs and turned the attention back to the Wall Brown.  A member of the "brown" butterfly family, it is arguably the most attractive marked.  In hot weather they will patrol fast and low looking for females, but in cooler weather they will look to bask on the ground in sunny spots, and then fly up to either intercept a female or to drive other males away.

The hope was that the Wall we had seen earlier was still about, and as we walked back we quickly found it basking on the ground.  Te delicate patterns of the underside providing good camouflage against the dry chalky soil.

Members of the "brown" family aside from the Marbled White have this combination of orange brown colour with an eye spot.  However only the Wall Brown has a combination of one large eyespot on the upper wing, and four smaller eyespots on the hindwing.

The Wall Brown is on the wing in two or three broods between April and October.  It likes hot sunny sites such as open grassland, sand dunes , rocky foreshores and quarries, where it can be found taking in the warmth from the sun on either walls, rocks and the open soil.

The Wall Brown has become one of Hampshire's rarest butterflies, and over the past year's the only confirmed colony was along the sea wall at Keyhaven.  There have been other sightings such as Portsdown Hill, but these are considered to be wanderers from Sussex colonies.  Numbers in the county have reduced by up to 90% since the mid seventies, with distribution reducing in very much the same percentages too

Shipton Bellinger though provides a hope, there have been several sightings of more than single butterflies for the last few years.  With the site close to Salisbury Plain, where there are several colonies, the thought is that wanderers from there are beginning to set up a colony.  Only time will tell if this is successful.

Then it shot up, and away and we lost it.  We searched, finding male and female Common Blues, but not the Wall.  After a time we decided to walk back down the bridleway.  They had been reported there recently, but we could find any. 

Back at the Village Hall there was a flowering buddleia playing host to a Red Admiral and Painted Lady.  The Red Admiral did not hang around but the Painted Lady did stay for photographs.

The upperwing has the colour, but the underwing shows some delightful patterns.

And so a day that started off with high hopes and expectations that suddenly disappeared with the distinct lack of birds was rekindled on the Hampshire-Wiltshire border delivering two of the counties rarest butterflies.  These types of days remain in the memory for some time.

1st - 3rd August - Bar to Tivat, Montenegro

It was now becoming the norm, waking to clear blue skies and warm sunshine.  This morning we were docked in the marina in Bar.  Up on deck early there were some more lovely reflections cast i the still quiet waters of the marina.

The town, or municipality of Bar is the fifth largest area in Montenegro, and the name BAR is a shortened form of Antivari, which is derived from the town's location across the Adriatic Sea from Bari, Italy.  The port of Bar is the most recognised feature of the area, and is the main port of Montenegro.  The town of Bar was constructed after the 1979 earthquake.  Prior to that the main settlement was at Stari Bar, or "Old Bar" situated about five kilometres inland, the earthquake destroying the aqueduct, and forcing the changes.


Before leaving Bar we were to visit Stari Bar and after breakfast we were taken by coach and deposited just outside the town.  Looking up we could see the Old Town at the top of the hill.

The town of Stari Bar (Old Bar) sits high up on Londša hill, at the foot of Mount Rumija. From the car park outside the town we walked up the hill passing many cafes and bars, and endless tourist shops selling amongst everything, Sailing caps!  We entered the old town through the main gate in the old fortifications.  On doing so we entered an area of destroyed buildings and rubble that overlooked to town of Stari Bar, and beyond it the new port town of Bar in the distance

It was very difficult to follow the guide that took us around and eventually the group started to break up, and we set off to explore the ruins by ourselves, from what we could understand it has a tumultuous history of ownership, explosions, and earthquakes, which all but destroyed the town. During the Montenegrin–Ottoman War (1876–78), the old town of Bar was bombarded with heavy artillery, destroying most of the town. The Montenegrin’s then detonated an explosive in the Bar Aqueduct which cut off the town’s water supply, causing the Ottoman’s to finally surrender.

In recent years, restoration work has begun on the old town, although, with more than 240 buildings still in ruins, the city will never be inhabited again. Instead, it will be preserved as an open-air museum for people like us to wander its cobbled lanes, imagining how life played out in these streets hundreds of years ago.

Bougainvillea dominates the walls, adding colour to the drab greys of the limestone walls.

Here the Aqueduct that has had such an important influence on the history of Stari Bar.

Churches and chapels still remain.

With stunning views of the slopes around the area.

And limestone cliffs.

For the first time on the trip I was able to see some wildlife.  There were of course the cats and kittens, but today there were some butterflies.  Several "blue" butterflies whizzed past, While Painted Ladies were also active and busy around the waste ground.  The only butterfly to stop though were this pair of Spotted Fritillaries.

Clearly they were preoccupied which allowed me to get quite close with the new camera, and I was pleased with the result.

I was though more surprised to see a dragonfly.  Not sure the exact species but it looks like some species of Darter.

It was now very hot, and time to head back to the marina in Bar, where we left for the journey north, eventually back to Tivat.  We did though have three full days to go so plenty of time to see more of Montenegro.  As we left Bar there were views back across the marina, and of the Church which dominates the port are with it gold roof.

As was now the way, the gulets left in a procession, all heading north.

We stopped to swim in a couple of bays, but the highlight of the cruise today was the raising of the sails.

From this 

To this

But unfortunately not enough wind to remove the need for the engine, but enough to enjoy the sight of the sails in the wind.

After our last swimming stop we cruised into the village of Begova where we would be spending the night.  From the porthole in our cabin the sea sparkled as the sun dropped lower in the sky.

Bigova is situated just to the south west of the entrance to Kotor Bay, and sits at the head of Bigova Bay.  The main occupation of the inhabitants of the village is fishing, and we were reliably informed of an excellent fish restaurant just on the dock.

It clearly though is a sort after location, with some lovely houses and apartments situated on the side of the bay as we cruised into the port.

With the sinking sun the bay became a different place.

The restaurant had a lovely terrace that overlooked the bay.  With the sun finally set behind the distant hills a golden light took over the sky producing a lovely scene that was as welcome as the food we were eating.

Helen and I shared a Sole which was fresh and amazing, a wonderful end to yet another lovely day.

Once again a beautiful calm morning greeted us as we woke up.  Up on deck the morning light was in strict contrast to the golden colours of yesterday evening.

The purpose for stopping in Bigova aside from the wonderful restaurant was for a visit into the Lovcen National Park, and the Mausoleum of Serbian Cyrillic, Njegos.  However it was described as a one and half hour trip each way, with a view out over Kotor bay.  As a result we opted to stay in Bigova, and to explore the village and do, yet again, more swimming.

So after breakfast when most were climbing into the coaches, we decided to walk around the village.  Needless to say this did not take too long, it was not a very big place, and as we didn't want to walk along the road we followed the shoreline, but were only able to get as far as the head of the bay, but this afforded a lovely view back across the bay

As we walked along the shore we disturbed a Greenshank, which was a surprise, and came across a family party of shrikes, but I could not get close enough to be able to get a definite identification.

It became clear that we could not get any further walking along the shore, so we decided to head back to the boat.  I stopped on the dock to take some photographs of the bay and the gulets at dock in the distance.

Here a view of the dock, the gulets, and the restaurant we ate in the previous evening.  It is situated to the left of the yellow building.

I was also fascinated by this fisherman untangling his nets on his boat.  What you can't see here is his white beard.  The sun is strong here in Montenegro, and it pays to use the appropriate sun block, the fisherman though doesn't seem to have done too badly.

The coaches returned just after one o'clock and we set sail almost immediately.  We had lunch and two further swim stops before we sailed into Herceg Novi, a town at the entrance to Kotor Bay.

Herceg Novi has a lovely green feel to it, with trees seen growing on many of the slopes and between the buildings.   From the dock we were able to walk into the town, although this did involve climbing many flights of steps.  Herceg Novi is not called the city of steps for no reason.

We followed a very nice promenade to a restaurant that had a terrace overlooking the water front.  Once again we enjoyed a lovely meal, made all the better by the company.  As we walked back we also took the opportunity to try the local ice cream.  Tomorrow would be our last day and would be spent sailing around the Bay of Kotor once again.

All of the docks have taken on a different image in the morning after the night before.  We had docked just outside a bar-restaurant, and when I came up on deck this morning I noticed three beer bottles lined up neatly on the dock wall.

These clearly were Corona bottles, and imported beers were available, but the local beer, or piva as it is in Montenegrin, was very good and cheap, €1.50 for a beer is very welcome.  I drank the local beers Nikšićko Gold, a pilsner lager, and Nikšićko Tamno, a dark lager.  The brewery, incidentally, is owned by Coors Molsom.

Looking around the harbour you can see why Herceg Novi has so many steps and the amount of trees, mostly Mimosas.

The surrounding yachts were sending more weird and wonderful reflections into the water.

After another breakfast aboard we set off once again, leaving the interesting town of Herceg Novi behind as all the gulets motored out into the open water of the bay.

It is always the simple things that stick with you, and remind you of the good times, for me on this trip, one image that stands out is the washing line and the pegs, don't ask me why, they just do.

A short way into our cruise and Miljos, came and informed us that the sister ship, the Satri Usta 1 that had left before us had seen dolphins in the bay, so all eyes were focused on the water, and very quickly the dolphins were picked up as they swam through the bay.  They never came close, but I was able to get a record shot of one as its dorsal fin broke the surface of the water.

There were in fact four seen, and one looked a lot smaller so was probably a young dolphin.  They were also more than likely Bottlenose dolphins

We sailed across the bay in a south easterly direction passing more developments of either hotels or apartments in various states of development, and with some interesting water fronts.

We were heading towards Uvala Krtole, a bay formed by two islands, Prevlaka and Stradioti.

Just off Stradioti was another smaller island, Gospo od Milosrda, with a catholic church situated on it, not sure if the name is the island, or the church, or both.  Translated it means Our Lady of Mercy

As we sailed into the bay we had views of Tivat and Port Montenegro the marina we left six days ago.  The airport is also just behind the hill of the bay we were entering, and here you can see one plane having just taken off.

Here one of the gulets sailing into the bay

We anchored in the bay close to the largest island Stardioti.

The water was very still and was lovely to swim in, lacking the swell and current that we had experienced in lots of the swim stops after the first one near Kotor.

With the still water it was ideal for trying out the paddle boards, and where I failed miserably to master this new water sport, Helen succeeded, being able to stand up and paddle,  This was probably the first swim stop I could recall where everyone was in the water, and stayed in for some time.  This was also the longest swim stop we have had combining it with lunch.

Out of the water there were some lovely views across the bay.

A closer view of the catholic church on the island.

The water started to become a little rougher than first thing in the morning as the wind picked up, and this continued through the late morning and into the afternoon.  Consequently after lunch as started to move, we also started to set the sails, impressive to watch as Memet and Miljos scrambled about releasing and raising the sails.

Finally they were up, and with a strong wind it was possible not to use the engine and we were finally sailing!

Our shadows too were under sail.

We were under sail for about 30 minutes and were heading towards the Verige Strait, but suddenly turned to the left, and lowered the sails.  On resuming our journey towards the strait it became clear why, a huge Princess Cruise ship was entering the strait ahead of us.  Quite an impressive sight, but not enough to encourage me to go on one, we have done the cruise holidays back when we lived in the USA and the girls were young, today they have become so big with far too many people.

After passing through the straits we turned left once more into Risan Bay.  We had one more swim stop, our final one of the trip.  The mountains here are very steep and it is possible to frame the yachts with just the limestone rock in the background.

The final swim was a tough one with quite a significant current and swell.  After the swim we were heading to the island of Our Lady on The Rocks, a church and monastery built on man made islands.  Looking across from our anchored position we could see the church and the town of Perast behind it.

The limestone slopes of the mountains continued to frame everything, here the monastery.

Drifting in the bay we were treated to different views, Risan Bay with the town of Risan on the shore.

Another distant view of Perast.

We sailed to the island where there was the opportunity to go ashore and visit the church.  Our sister ship the Satri Usta 1 had just sailed through the Straits and was dropping the sails.

As we sailed towards it the sun picked out the church, while the clouds and shade darkened the mountains beyond it.

It is an artificial island created by bulwark of rocks and by sinking old and seized ships loaded with rocks.  According to legend, the islet was made over the centuries by local seamen who kept an ancient oath after finding the icon of Madonna and Child on the rock in the sea.   Upon returning from each successful voyage, they laid a rock in the Bay. Over time, the islet gradually emerged from the sea. The custom of throwing rocks into the sea is alive even nowadays. Every year on the sunset of July 22, an event called fašinada in the local dialect, when local residents take their boats and throw rocks into the sea, widening the surface of the island, takes place.

The church was renovated in 1722.  The church contains 68 paintings by Tripo Kokolja, a famous 17th-century baroque artist from Perast. His most important painting, ten meters long, is The Death of the Virgin. There are also paintings by Italian artists, and an icon of Our Lady of the Rocks, by Lovro Dobričević of Kotor.  The church also houses a collection of silver tablets and a famous tapestry embroidered by Jacinta Kunić-Mijović from Perast. It took her 25 years to finish it while waiting for her darling to come from a long journey, and eventually, she became blind. She used golden and silver fibres but what makes this tapestry so famous is the fact that she also embroidered her own hair in it

From the island we then headed towards the town of Perast where we were able to spend time ashore.  Originally known as a fishing village with a shipyard it has become an important strategic area in the battles between the Turks and Venetians.

Once again the porthole in the cabin provided the right frame.

Perast had free trade with the Republic of Venice and was granted the forgiveness of the Venetian authorities in the ruthless fight against pirates on the Adriatic. Because of this, the city grew and was enriched: only in the 18th century. For centuries, 20 palaces were built in Baroque style, 17 Catholic and 2 Orthodox churches. And since one of the best maritime schools was housed here, Peter I was sent here from Russia by promising sailors for training with extraordinary captain Marko Martinovic.

When Napoleon defeated the Republic of Venice in 1797, Perast was faithful to Venice for several months, but in the end the city had to lower the flag of St. Mark. From that moment began the decline of Perast: along with the whole area of the Bay of Kotor, it was left to the Austrians and Italians.  In 1941 it became part of the Italian province of Cattaro (Kotor). It was only in 1944 that the city gained independence in Yugoslavia and became one of the administrative areas of the Montenegrin Republic. Since 2006, the city has finally become part of an independent Montenegro.

Once onshore we climbed the steps to gain a view across the bay, looking out at the Verige straits and the Kotor Bay.

Back on the water front it became clear this is a very busy and popular place with cars slowly moving along the front as they make their way to and from Kotor, looking out across the bay the sun was filtering through the clouds sending shards of light across the Lady of the Rocks.

We stopped at a cafe for a drink, the hustle and bustle of the water front clear in this view, with the Gulets moored at dock, and the water taxis all around the dock.

A rare chance to get a full view of our own gulet.

Due to the logistics of moving people to the airport in the morning we had to anchor off Port Montenegro in Tivat.  So it was back on board and we set off back through the straits to Tivat.  As the sun was setting it lit up the distant mountains above Kotor turning the grey rock a lovely pinkish tint.

As we anchored off Tivat the sun had just sunk behind the mountains to the west leaving that lovely pinkish orange glow in the sky.

All that was left tonight was a dinner with the Captain on board, and of course more visits to the most important place on board, the bar.

After dinner we sat talking and drinking, reflecting on the holiday, as the gulet rocked gently the moon became visible in the evening sky.

And as the sky darkened the moon sank lower in the sky turning pink from the sunlight well below the horizon.

After that we were treated to the lights of the Port Montenegro marina

And the waterfront at Tivat.

In the morning we awoke still offshore, but there was no activity on deck, everything was focused on getting ready to leave.  All was quiet where on every morning over the last few days there would be chatter and coffee drinking.

After breakfast we set off to dock in the marina from where we were to be transferred to the airport.  There was an air of quiet on board as we sat watching the water, the bay and the marina.  The crew busied around the deck preparing to dock.

We arrived at the airport and found that there was little in the way of services and amenities.  Once we were able to check in we transferred to another holding area where we sat waiting for the plane.  It arrived a little late but eventually we were off, and as we flew out across the bay there was one more chance to photograph the bay, and it was probably appropriate that it was the bay we had spent the best swimming time yesterday, Uvala Krtole.

We then headed out across the Adriatic and turned right heading along the Croatian coast towards the Alps and ultimately Gatwick

We were extremely apprehensive about this holiday, what would we be doing?  Would the transfers work?  What would the facilities be like?  Would be get on with our fellow passengers?  In the event it all worked out and we had an amazing holiday, completely different from any other holiday we have had for a long time.