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| Kotor's harbor, with the round Kampana Tower and city walls lining the Scurda River |
Thursday, July 7 - Trip Day 8
Our tour bus dropped us at the port after our visit to Perast, so that we could visit the walled town of old Kotor. One of the first things you notice when standing at the port are the city's defensive walls, which are anchored at the port by the large, round Kampana Tower. The walls continue along the Scurda River and begin to climb up the lower slopes of Mount Lovcen. They stretch about 4 and a half meters - built to their longest extent during Venetian times.
Our tour bus dropped us at the port after our visit to Perast, so that we could visit the walled town of old Kotor. One of the first things you notice when standing at the port are the city's defensive walls, which are anchored at the port by the large, round Kampana Tower. The walls continue along the Scurda River and begin to climb up the lower slopes of Mount Lovcen. They stretch about 4 and a half meters - built to their longest extent during Venetian times.
Kotor's story is similar to the rest of the Dalmatian walled cities: Illyrians, Greeks and Romans, Justinian and Byzantia, Slavs, and Venetians from 1400 - 1700. Then rapid changes with Austria-Hungary, WWI, WWII and a terrible earthquake in the 1970s. This is not meant to trivialize the uniqueness of this bespendant location - it is the deepest indentation in the Adriatic Sea and a strategic location that was cherished. We spent about an hour on our tour of the old town - again in blistering high 90 degree heat.
It was hot, hot, hot. Michael had peeled off from our tour once we entered another stone Cathedral and found a place to swim by the port. Our tour was finished around 11:30, and I passed the Cafe San Giovanni as I walked back toward the port where our tender would take us back to the Sea Cloud.
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| Kampala Tower, and in the upper left, the city walls continue above |
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| You can climb the walls to the Fortress in about an hour for 8 euro |
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| The port arrival area is landscaped and well organized - clearly many cruise boats pass here |
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| Three large cruise boats were in Kotor's harbor today - where do all the thousands of people fit? |
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| The sea wall entrance to Kotor's old city |
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| Venetian style carvings in the archway |
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| Kotor's Clock Tower and the Square of the Arms |
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| Restaurant under the Clock Tower - my location for lunch later in the day |
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| The Pima and Bucha family palaces are located off the main square |
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| The twin bell towers of the Cathedral of Saint Tryphon |
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| Heavily damaged in earthquakes in 1660's and 1970's, but recently reopened after restoration |
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| Reconstruction after the 1970s earthquake, using recovered materials where possilbe |
It was hot, hot, hot. Michael had peeled off from our tour once we entered another stone Cathedral and found a place to swim by the port. Our tour was finished around 11:30, and I passed the Cafe San Giovanni as I walked back toward the port where our tender would take us back to the Sea Cloud.
The umbrellas were tightly packed, creating a wall of shade, with misting jets of air spewing out periodically. People were drinking, laughing, relaxing at tables. It was just too mesmerizing - I turned in and grabbed a table where I could sit, gulp water and Fanta, and watch the tourists walk by.
My waiter suggested calamari if I was interested in lunch - well, sure, I love calamari. I called Michael - he was just about to leave on the tender, but walked back and joined me for lunch in the square. Lush Greek salad for him, with big green olives and fresh, tasty tomatoes. Great way to beat the heat.
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| Spur of the moment decision to have lunch in a cafe in the old town |
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| Sporting a post-swimming hairdo, Michael surveys my array of hydration strategies... |
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| Perfect Greek salad |
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| Glad the waiter suggested the calamari - yummm! |
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| After lunch, ready to take the tender back to the Sea Cloud |
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| Doesn't she look pretty in the harbor? |
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| A few quick photos (and a video below) of the Sea Cloud as we rode back on the tender |
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