A lengthy border crossing took us into Montenegro and the warm water fjord at the north end of its coastline.
The coast is broken by a narrow inlet which opens into a lake, and then that lake has a narrower inlet into a second hidden lake.
The first is surrounded by scrubby mountains while the second by vertiginous, craggy and towering mountains. The water is clear but deep and full of mussel farms. The waterside towns feel Italian – and some even have cave paintings and Roman villas – there’s both neglect and communist remnants as well as incoming wealth, restoring the crumbling villas.
After the fjord we reach Budva, a vast beach resort of holiday investments and tower blocks. But also views south along a rocky coast.
Behind it there are more mountains into which the coach climbs. The scenery is karst and oak. Bright green leaves punctuated by silver-grey limestone.
At the end is Podgorica, one of Europe’s more obscure capitals. After six hours; two buses and a taxi we reach the hotel at the airport.
