Montenegro Cruising

Montenegro, a geologist’s paradise of stunning fjords and equally beautiful towns. It’s the summer of 2018 and myself and some university friends are in Kotor to do some sightseeing and carry out birthday related mischief. Having gone snorkelling several times and driven around the area, we were running out of things to do.

The guide booklet in the Airbnb suggested some fortresses hidden away in the mountains dating from the First World War. So, armed with this valuable A4 sheet of information, we set off into the hills. Driving our trusty Fiat Panda along the country roads in a manner never intended by its creators and singing along to an array of questionable music, we soaked in the beautiful views and the fresh air.

The fort, once we got there, didn’t disappoint. Tucked away, it didn’t receive many visitors and so we could explore the entire place unhindered. Vertical drops several feet high in places meant we had to watch our step, all the while dodging the errant bat flying past.

With our need to explore satisfied and our stomachs grumbling, we set off for the long drive home. Rounding a corner, we had to swerve suddenly to avoid what appeared to be a large rock in the middle of the road. We pulled over to go back and move the rock but, it had moved. Surely it can’t have moved on its own? We didn’t hit it. Upon closer inspection we discovered it was no rock. It was a tortoise.

This intrepid animal, the product of millions of years of evolution, and itself likely older than any of the four of us then staring at it, had just avoided what, from its perspective, was a maelstrom of noise and certain doom and it was carrying on with its day without a care in the world!

We later came to learn this tortoise was a Hermann’s tortoise, endemic to the area and definitely one to protect. Right there and then however, we were more bewildered that we had seen a tortoise at all. We named it Barry. Why? Well why not? It just looked like a Barry.

And with that we carried on our way and never saw Barry again.