Cetinje

One of the things we love about cycle touring is how things change and progress with the miles. You turn a corner, summit a pass or cross a river and suddenly the rocks change, the houses are different, the view, the signs or the language is new. Sometimes it is a slow subtle shift over several days. Sometimes, like today, there are many distinctly different phases.
Phase 1, we complete the climb out of Kotor. Then we are into a new phase the Locven national park. A new set of views and scenery including a lot of scorched-looking vegetation- from the summer heat wave perhaps. Next a descent into the royal capital of Montenegro, Cetinje, for a lunchtime wander.
The afternoon sees us climbing out of town and we sigh with relief when we turn off the main road onto a small pot-holed lane. It does not last long. A notice annouces major road works and 2 minutes later the road is blocked with a large pile of dirt and an adept and speedy bulldozer hard at work. 25 mins later we are allowed through and soon find ourselves on a surreal huge new road which has been ploughed through the middle of nowhere and is completely empty. Its ugly and very much quicker than the old road - but as we are behind schedule and dark comes early, this is perhaps no bad thing.
Another turn and we now have quiet rural scenes. We climb a bumpy road that then contours around the hilltop before we descend, descend, descend into the flat main valley and the refreshingly untouristy town of Danilovgrad. Here Alain deftly sorts us some rooms and we manage to find real homemade Montenegrin veal knuckle and cabbage stew for dinner.
It feels like more than just one day.Read more