In early dawn, Sea Cloud sailed into Boka Bay, picked up the Montenegran pilot and navigated through the narrows to reach the inner portion of the bay in the beautiful light of sunrise. The captain brought the ship alongside the walls of the old town of Kotor, and once the ship was cleared, we departed by coaches, heading to the charming town of Perast. There we quickly transferred to little boats to shuttle out to the tiny island of our Lady of the Rock, a shrine set atop an artificial island, made over the course of 150 years as local fishermen dropped rocks from their boats to build up a formerly submerged reef. After our tour of the chapel and guardhouse museum, we once again boarded boats to bring us back to Perast where we visited the St. Nicolaus Church, enjoyed a cold drink at a waterfront café, and then made a short visit to the town’s small but elegant nautical museum.
Coaches brought our group back to Kotor, and we proceeded on a light walking tour of the walled town. After viewing the main Armory Square, we made our way to the city’s landmark, the Cathedral Church of St. Tryphon, which was beautifully restored after heavy damage from a massive earthquake. We continued to view another square of the town with both Greek Orthodox and Serbian Orthodox churches before ending the tour at the main square. From there, it was a short walk back to the ship to enjoy lunch on the Lido Deck.
After siesta, we reboarded our coaches in the midafternoon to travel to the village of Njegusi by way of an old, narrow road with 25 consecutive and hair-raising switchbacks that brought us up 3,000 feet for magnificent views over the bay! Our skilled bus drivers somehow had avoided gridlock on the curves with other coaches, trucks, and less-experienced drivers. In the village, our group enjoyed a taste of the local wine, cheese, and famous smoked proshut.
Sea Cloud sailed just after 6:00 that evening, allowing us to appreciate the grandeur of Boka Bay during sunset as we enjoyed a fresh oyster party on the Spanker Deck. After a special BBQ dinner, guests heard a rousing performance of the Sea Cloud Sea Shanty Singers. Afterward, the singing continued as a number of guests gathered around the piano for a sing-along with star musician Gaynor Trammer.
