As soon as we arrived back in Porto Montenegro after our trip to the UK, Randall had made a reservation for us, Vandy, and Eric at the Vila Rakoč in Kolašin for three nights from 18th February. While we were in the middle of studying for our sailing exams, I wondered if he had been a bit optimistic about this, but it turned out perfectly. Not only had Randall finished his exams, but thanks to Ivan's prompt efforts and paying 150 € for expedited shipping, Randall's ICC card (the one needed to captain our boat in Montenegro) arrived exactly a week later. We were very grateful to Ivan Gureev for his patient help and would highly recommend him and Bora Sailing Club for anyone needing any level of sailing instruction in Montenegro https://www.borasail.com/ (needs a browser translation to English)



Ivan aboard Tregoning

The other, almost miraculous, aspect of the dates that Randall had chosen for our trip to Kolašin, was that after a week of depressingly dreary wet weather in Tivat, we were treated to five days of glorious sunshine. The beauty of the rain was that it had dumped snow inland and we were heading to snow country. It was going to be cold, but the conditions could not have been better.

Both Randall and I were finally over our lingering colds and had regained our energy. I scared myself by having a serious back spasm on Saturday (15th February) even though I was leaning but not doing anything strenuous. Randall immediately sent me to lie on my back with my legs, knees bent, in the air. I took some ibuprofen and was very careful for the following days and, amazingly, by the day of our departure from Tivat (Tuesday), I had not had any repeat spasms and my back seemed to be back to normal. I did decide that maybe it was my body's way of discouraging me from skiing, which I love and was very tempted to do. I have not skied since we have lived on Tregoning as the idea of trying to cope onboard with any sort of injury, especially to a leg, was not appealing. As you will see, the option to ski would have been very cheap and easy, so maybe this spasm was a heavily disguised piece of good fortune.

While Randall and I were able to recover and rally in time for this excursion, Vandy and Eric were not so lucky. Whether they finally succumbed to our viruses or found new ones of their own, it is hard to say, but Eric was awake coughing two nights before our trip and on the day of our departure felt pretty lousy. While he tried to encourage Vandy to go with us, she was understandably reluctant to leave him unwell and was concerned that she would get it too. They were leaving for a month in the USA at the end of February, so they needed to get over these colds as quickly as possible. While this was very disappointing for us all, we completely agreed with their decision but decided to go anyway as we did not know when we would have a better opportunity. We would also not be alone. Carole and Neil from SV Viking Blod had also booked rooms at Vila Rakoč so it would be a good opportunity for us all to get to know each other.

So, on Tuesday morning, we packed our rental car and decided to take the scenic routes inland to Kolašin. We let Carole and Neil know our plans as they had not been inland in Montenegro other than to Kotor. After a slightly false start up a road out of Tivat that was temporarily closed, we made our way up Lovčen Mountain on the Serpentine Road above Kotor. We met Carole and Neil in their car at the turn off to Lovčen National Park which we all drove through. They made a detour up the road towards the Mausoleum of Njegoš, while we kept going on to Cetinje.



Tiny community of Kaminica high (1,350 m or 4,430 feet) in Lovčen National Park

We all met for a tasty lunch at the Grand Central restaurant, which was very new but had good reviews. We then wandered along the main pedestrian street to show Carole and Neil the outsides of King Nikola's Palace and the Billiard's Palace. The latter is named after the central room on the first floor which contained a billiard table, the favorite game of Prince-Bishop Petar II Petrović-Njegoš who started the building of that palace in 1838. Taking a different route back to the cars, we went past the National Museum of Montenegro. This was in a large building called Government House which was built to serve as the home of the Parliament of the Kingdom of Montenegro. Sadly, this purpose was only needed from 1910 to 1915.

We were all curious about the large number of black vehicles outside the National Museum and the many men lingering around who looked very security conscious. There were also Italian and Montenegrin flags everywhere and all along our route towards Podgorica. Police were stationed at every intersection along the way from Cetinje to the turn off to the Podgorica airport and a search online revealed that the Italian President was in Cetinje on an official visit to meet with the President of Montenegro. And we were almost there!



Government House which is now the Montenegro National Museum in Cetinje with many security people around and Italian and Montenegrin flags

From Cetinje we headed around Podgorica and north to take the scenic road up the Morača River valley. Before entering the narrow parts of the canyon, we passed under the Moračica Bridge, the biggest of the many bridges on the only section of the A1 motorway that is currently open. This bridge has a total span of 960 m (1,050 yards) and is 200 m (656 feet) tall. Pictures of its construction can be seen at:
https://www.highestbridges.com/wiki/index.php?title=Moracica_Bridge



Approaching the Moračica Bridge on the motorway while driving up the Morača River valley - the buildings were a camp for the construction workers

The Morača River had plenty of clear water flowing towards Podgorica. The views were excellent both of the narrow canyons and of the surrounding, snow-capped mountains. After stopping in Podgorica to buy a small fan heater, Carole and Neil caught up with us at one of the viewpoints, and we continued into Kolašin together.



A mountain top seen from the Morača River valley road

We are not exactly sure what the relationship is between the Vila Rakoč and the Porto Montenegro Marina, but during the winter, rooms in the Vila are available for free for crews on boats staying in the marina. Reservations have to be made and there are 6 rooms with a capacity of 18 beds (most rooms have 3 or 4 single beds). Each bedroom has a bathroom and there is a large dining/living room and decent kitchen. We used our fan heaters occasionally, but on the whole the central heating was sufficient, and additional thick fleece blankets were available. While we were there, we shared the Vila with a family of four for all three nights, and an additional single guest, Seth, the first night.



Vila Rakoč and our rental car with the caretaker's house on the right

The caretaker was a very nice and helpful women who lived next-door but she spoke hardly any English, so we were all thankful for Google-Translate as we had a couple issues to resolve. One was that she did not appear to have Carole and Neil's booking, so I just said they were with us (instead of Vandy and Eric). Another was that pets were not allowed. Carole was understandably frustrated by this news as she had very specifically asked about bringing a small dog and had been told that it was okay. Luckily, the marina staff told us that since we had arrived there with Finnegan, he could stay but had to be kept in the bedroom. Clearly, there was some miscommunication between the marina office and the Vila.



Carole, Neil, and Finnegan at the Kolašin 1600 Ski Resort

During the spring and summer, the Vila is rented out to the public as a base for hiking and biking in the local mountains and valleys. In the winter, Kolašin is the main base for skiing in Montenegro. There are other small ski areas, such as near Durmitor, but the two resorts at Kolašin have a total of 45 km (28 miles) of trails. These resorts are named for the altitude of their bases: Kolašin 1450 is at 1,450 m or 4,757 feet, and Kolašin 1600 has a base at 1,600 m or 5,249 feet. These two resorts used to be connected and it was possible to ski between them using in intermediary chairlift K7. Apparently, a dispute over the division of income has resulted in the resorts operating independently with none of the connecting lifts or slopes in use.

At the Vila, Seth told us that even if we were not skiing, we could ride the chairlift to the top to enjoy the expansive views. He recommended that we go to Kolašin 1600 to do this. Since this resort had a website that included an English version: https://skijalista.me/en/ski-centers/kolasin-1600/ whereas the other one did not, it was to the higher resort that the four of us (and Finnegan) aimed late on Wednesday morning.



Kolašin 1600 trail map: the yellow star is the base where we started and took the chair lift K8 up Troglava to 2,035m (6,676 feet) - the K7 chairlift on the right used to connect the Kolašin 1600 and 1450 resorts but is currently closed (Trails: blue=easy; red=medium; black=hard)

Of course, once we got there, I was sorely tempted to rent some skis and get going, but thinking of my recent back spasm, I resisted. Although this was a small resort by Alpine standards, one of the great attractions of skiing in Montenegro is the good value. A daily ski pass cost only 25 €, a weekly pass was 105 €, only 400 € for the season (although this may not be very long), and one-day ski rental was 15 €.



Kolašin 1600 base with bunny-slope and movable track leading to the base of the K8 chairlift which goes up to the top of the runs on Troglava

Tickets for a Panoramic ride up, and down, in the chairlift were only 8 €. Initially, we left Carole and Finn in the resort's restaurant, while Neil, Randall, and I took the lift up Troglava to 2,035m (6,676 feet).



From the chairlift up Troglava

It was cold on the chairlift but there was little wind so it was quite pleasant at the top in the sunshine. Fortunately, the lift operators slowed the chairlift for us to get on and off, as it is not quite as smooth by foot as it is on skis.



Looking south from the top of the K8 Troglava chairlift with the runs of Kolašin 1450 just to the right of the lift-tower

Our 180°-view to the south was fabulous, with the lower Kolašin ski resort in the foreground. The snow-covered peaks of mountains stretched from Prokletije and the Albanian border in the southeast, to the massive mountains surrounding the Morača Valley in the west. The chairlift was busy but skiers did not have to wait for long. The slopes were sparsely populated but we gather that it all becomes much more crowded, including the twisty approach road, at the weekend as residents come pouring out of Podgorica.



Randall at the top of the Kolašin 1600 chairlift

After agreeing that the views were well worth the ticket price, we returned to join Carole and get some lunch. It took a little persuading to convince her that she should not miss the spectacle, but Randall and I waited with Finnegan, while she and Neil went up the chairlift. The wind had increased slightly, making the lift even colder, but Carole agreed that it was a worthwhile experience.



Snow-clad trees seen on the drive down from Kolašin 1600

We ate at an attractive, fairly new, Hermes restaurant in Kolašin that evening. The servings were so large that they provided lunch for us the next day in the Vila. During our stay, we played various games of Mexican-train dominoes and Triominos, and Carole and I enjoyed doing a couple of jig-saws that Vandy had kindly loaned us.

It was quite cold in the mornings (-7°C or 19°F), and the frost on the car windows created some beautiful fractal patterns. It also encouraged us to wait a little while before venturing out in the car. On Thursday morning, while Carole and Neil walked Finnegan and found a place to enjoy coffee, I wandered around the small town of Kolašin.



Frost patterns on the car window

With a permanent population of around 2,500, Kolašin has many hotels and guest houses for the winter skiers and summer hikers. Its altitude of 954 m (3,130 feet) not only makes it a cool retreat in summer, but it is considered to be an "air spa" with much better air quality than around the nation's lower and coastal towns. Slightly surprisingly (at least to me), the winter air quality in southeastern Europe is generally quite poor with high amounts of fine particulate matter (2.5-micron particles), principally caused by burning fuels for heat and industry.

Inhabited by Slavs in the Middle Ages, the fertile lands around the area of Kolašin were protected from the wind and cold by the "walls" of the surrounding Bjelasica and Sinjajevina mountains. A fortification was built on intersecting roads when the Turkish Ottomans took control of the area, and the town was founded by them in 1652.

As the Ottoman Empire began to reform in the mid-19th century, various groups within their occupied territories started to rebel and resist. This included a force of about 5,000 Montenegrin tribesmen who attacked the Turkish forces and town in the Battle of Kolašin in 1858. The town was almost completely destroyed in the surprise attack, the instigation of which was a matter of subsequent dispute.

As a result, by the time of Montenegro's independence from the Ottomans in 1878, the town of Kolašin was being rebuilt and redesigned using European styles. So many cafés were opened in the early 1900s, that Kolašin became famous for its eateries. It was the town with the highest number of cafés per capita in the former Yugoslavia, and it was estimated that there were enough restaurant chairs for each member of the town's population.



Konoba traditional Montenegrin restaurant in central Kolašin - somehow, we failed to eat there

As I wandered through the town, I was impressed by a large number of black birds with yellow bills flying around the rooftops or in swirling columns. They looked too big to be European blackbirds but the bill-color was pointing away from the usual members of the crow family, and the trilling and whistling calls were distinctly un-crow-like.

Continuing uphill, I found myself on a narrow road leading ultimately to the town's railway station. On the way, and where I turned around, I was close to the small Botanical Garden, but I was not exactly sure where it was located in relation to a small pine forest. I resolved to return the next day with Randall.



View up the Kolašin valley (which leads to the skiing resorts) from near the Botanical Garden

After our hearty, Hermes-left-overs lunch, the four of us (and Finn) piled into our rental SUV and headed along the valley north of Kolašin, following the downstream flow of the Tara River. After about 16 km (10 miles) we turned off the highway onto the road leading into Biogradska gora National Park. The idea was to drive to Lake Biograd and either walk around it, or go part of the way up the track leading into the mountains. That plan was quickly scrapped as we found the Park entrance closed to vehicles and no one in the ticket office. The road into the park had clearly not been snow-ploughed.



Finnegan walking up the road in Biogradska gora National Park

After watching a young couple park their car and the set off walking up the road, we had a quick discussion and decided to do the same. It looked as though it was about 2.7 km (1.7 miles) to the lake on a steady incline but at least the road would make a relatively safe path. The first part of the road had tracks clear of snow, but we did not have to go far for this to disappear.



A small frozen stream in Biogradska gora NP

The forest looked absolutely gorgeous with the beech trees bereft of leaves but gilded with snow. We passed a small stream that had formed icicles where it dropped in a small cascade to pass under the road. On one side of this small waterfall, were round nodules of ice. We pondered how these shapes could have formed, presumably from the deposition of fine water spray on leaves or some other nuclei.

Searching for information on this, I learned about the rare formation of ice-balls in the sea or waterfalls. A piece of ice is churned in constant motion by the water's movement, and further layers of ice are added to create balls. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ice_eggs
or
https://www.techeblog.com/waterfall-british-columbia-canada-ice-sphere-balls/

We live in such a fascinating natural world!



Detail from base of stream with typical icicles on the right and round nodules of ice on the left

We eventually arrived at the lake after being passed by three other (younger) walkers and a couple of small cars. We wondered if the latter meant that the road had only been closed for lunch, but it was soon apparent that these were the cars of rangers who were working higher in the park on snowmobiles. The gate was still firmly locked when we returned to it.



Alison and Carole in the mirror on a hairpin bend in Biogradska gora NP

Not surprisingly, Lake Biograd was frozen over and there were no signs of campers or life in the restaurant and bike-and-boat-rental cabin. In case the idea of trying to go out on the lake was tempting, there was a sign in Montenegrin and English saying "Walking on frozen lake is prohibited!!!" We did not need to be dissuaded.



Lake Biograd with warning sign

Neil and I walked a little way along the lakeside path in order to take photos that included some of the park's mountaintops. Although the snow was generally deep enough to smooth out the rough trail, it would have been a slow and slightly hazardous walk with rocks and tree roots hidden by the snow.



Mountains of Biogradska gora NP beyond the frozen lake

That short taste of the lakeside trail, made us all appreciate that the walk up and down the road was much easier and safer. Finnegan had done well to make the climb to the lake and he positively flew downhill, perhaps anticipating the warmer car or house.



Carole and Finnegan on the park road

Being mid-afternoon by the time that we walked downhill, the sun was starting to melt some of the snow on the tree branches. This occasionally dumped a lump or two on the road or us. More often, a falling lump hit another branch and caused a cloud of fine, sparkling ice-dust. It was quite magical.



Sparkling showers of snow knocked off branches as the lumps melt in the sun and fall

On Friday morning, after packing our bags and leaving the Vila, Randall and I visited the Kolašin Botanical Garden. The reason that I had failed to identify it the previous day was because it was literally the garden/yard (all 646 m2 or 0.16 acres) of a typical house. Established in 1981 by a keen botanist, it is well-known in the Balkans as it has a carefully curated collection of 400 plant species native to the mountains of Montenegro. https://kolasin.me/botanical-garden/

The garden is only open from May to the end of August but a man who was visiting the house while we were standing there, invited us to look around it in the snow. I took a quick look as I was interested in seeing whether I could find a specimen of Macedonian pine Pinus peuce a Balkan endemic with bundles of 4 to 5 needles. There are 11 native pine species in Europe and the only other with five needles is the Swiss pine, Pinus cembra. I think that I found it.



Kolašin Botanical Garden is the garden of a house with terraces and at least one five-needled pine tree

After the Botanical Garden, we stopped briefly in the town for me to show Randall the black birds on the rooftops and flying overhead. By this time, I had established that they were yellow-billed choughs (a.k.a. alpine choughs) which were a new species for both of us. We then drove a little north of the town intending to let me take a photo of the beautiful Blatina valley which I had noticed during our drive to Biogradska gora.

However, before we got to the intended viewpoint, the diesel rental car died...not once but four times within 10 minutes. It restarted each time but various warning lights and messages started to appear including the dreaded red-light with a wrench/spanner icon. There was a user's manual in the car but it was all in Serbian and we were not about to spend hours trying to translate it. There was also a loud whine from the back. So, we called Sixt and after explaining the problem, we were told that someone would be coming from Podgorica with a new car for us.



View northwest up Blatina valley near where our rental car broke down

Randall had managed to pull off the main road at an intersection that had a wide-open space in which it was safe to stop, so it was easy for us to direct the Sixt person to our location using WhatsApp and a pin on Google Maps. We had to wait for a total of 90 minutes, during which time I wandered around while Randall stayed with the car.

We were parked next to a cemetery and an empty building. The latter had icicles hanging over the edge of the roof which, rather than being straight up and down, were at a strange angle. We soon realized that this was because the blanket of snow on the roof from which these icicles were dripping, was very gradually sliding off the roof.



Tilted icicles on a building where the snow is creeping off the roof

I walked further up the highway to where I could see the view over the Blatina valley. I then started wandering down the small Rogobore Road that we were parked on. The views over the Tara River were spectacular.



View southeast from Rogobore Road (where we stopped the car) towards Kolašin over the Tara River

I heard various birds on my stroll including coal and great tits. I saw a familiar Eurasian jay feeding under a tree and then I had excellent views of a woodpecker climbing the trunk of a tree high above me. This was a great spotted woodpecker which I may have seen during my youth in the UK, but it was not on my life-list. Thus, with the yellow-billed chough, our trip to Kolašin proved to be a satisfying, albeit unintended, birding outing.



Left: great spotted woodpecker (left: a.k.a. pied woodpecker - to 24 cm or 9 inches) - Right: yellow-billed chough (a.k.a. alpine chough - to 39 cm or 15 inches) - Bottom: Eurasian jay (to 35 cm or 14 inches)

The Sixt man arrive around noon and we quickly exchanged our luggage into the similar car that he had brought. Of course, when he got in and drove it a very short distance, he said that everything seemed to be all right. We pointed out that we have been driving for about 15 minutes before the problem started.

When we returned to Tivat, we were extoling the virtues of Sixt rental cars thinking that they had handled our problem very efficiently. However, when we actually returned the new vehicle, we were told that we would be charged for the fuel that we had not put in the first car. Of course, we had not filled it before it broke down expecting to get back to Tivat before that was needed, but we had refilled the second car. While this was not entirely unreasonable, it did seem a bit annoying given that the breakdown was not our fault and wasted 90 minutes of our trip.

Then we were told that we were also being charged 100 € for the "call-out". Now this did seem unreasonable. The need for the call-out was clearly not our fault and to avoid this fee was our alternative was to abandon the vehicle? Also, no mention of a fee had been made when we were told to call the number on the rental agreement if there were any problems. The sympathetic Sixt woman with us called her boss in Podgorica but was told that the 100 € fee had to be included. Thinking that we might have to ask our credit card company to dispute this, the Sixt woman told us that she could drop the fees for the fuel and extra driver. We and our friends had rented from this Tivat office many times before and she knew that boaters quickly tell each other about good and bad deals. Since these fees had a total of around 75 €, we thanked her very much for her help and paid the rental rate plus the call-out fee. In the great scheme of things, the rental rate was so cheap that the overall cost was still a great deal compared to, say, in the US, but it was strange that we had to pay 25 € more for a breakdown and 90-minute wait than if the first car had worked properly. We will ask about call-out rates with future rentals and may be more inclined to keep driving a car that really needs attention...

Rereading this, please forgive my whining. I should not be making such a fuss over a trivial matter when friends are losing jobs, funding, and expected protections back in the US.



Looking south over the Tara River - our car was stopped on the right edge of this picture

Once installed in our replacement car, we took the fast motorway A1 back to Podgorica and then continued on to Budva. There we stopped to visit the Old Town which we had seen only from above from Mogren Fortress.



Left: One of the gates into the wall of the Old Town of Budva - Right: Randall looking at the Golden Bell (Mother of all voices) a wooden prop featured in "The Long Ships" an Anglo-Yugoslav adventure film of 1964 starring Sidney Poitier

The modern city of Budva has a population of around 27,500 and is one of the primary tourist destinations in Montenegro. It appears to be rapidly expanding (mostly upwards in high-rise buildings) and since 2022, this has included an influx of Russians and Ukrainians.

The rocky headland that is now the site of the Old Town, has been settled since, at least, the 5th century BC when Greek colonization of the area was recorded. Followed by the Romans in the 2nd century BC and subsequently the Byzantine Empire, Slavs entered the area in the 6th century AD. After being sacked by Muslim Saracens in 841, the town was ruled by a succession of local kings and aristocrats and became the center of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Budua (its old name) around 1200.

Between 1420 and 1797, the Venetians ruled the town, and to protect it from the Ottomans built the large stone defensive walls and other fortifications that are currently visible. The Habsburg monarchy took control of the city with the fall of the Republic of Venice in 1797, followed by a few years of French rule in the early 1800s. By 1813, however, the city was ceded to the Austrian Empire, and during World War I Budva was the southernmost fortress in the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Abandoned by the Austrians after that War, Budva was entered by the Serbian army and became part of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. Italy annexed Budva at the beginning of World War II and it was liberated from Axis rule in November 1944 to be part of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. A catastrophic earthquake in April 1979 devastated much of the Old Town, but it was mostly restored within the following eight years. Budva finally came under Montenegrin jurisdiction with the nation's independence in 2006.



A typical narrow street of Old Town Budva with the spire of St John's Church beyond

The fortifications of Budva are typical of the Medieval walled cities of the Adriatic Sea. High and thick stone walls, with few, fortified gates, surround the Old Town with its many plazas and narrow streets, now only accessible by pedestrians. Within the walls on the west side, is a large public square around which are located all the churches of Old Town.



St John's Church in Budva Old Town

With its 36-m (118-feet) tall tower and spire, the most obvious of these churches is St John the Baptist's Roman Catholic Church. Originally built at the end of the 12th century, it has been rebuilt, enlarged, and modified several times, most notably after the earthquake of 1667. In the 1970s, a famous Croatian artist was commissioned to install a large mosaic of Murano glass (from an island of that name in Italy) covering the wall behind the main altar. It features the church's patron, St John's the Baptist, preaching.

Next to this church are the foundations and partial walls of an even older sacred building. This was a monumental early Christian Basilica dating from the late 5th or early 6th centuries. Its existence was only revealed after the 1979 earthquake, and the site was subsequently excavated.



Left: Inside St John's Church - Right: foundations of an early Christian Basilica

Near to St John's is the Orthodox Church of the Holy Trinity which was opened in 1804. Beyond it, on the southwestern edge of the Old Town walls were two more old churches. The tiny Church of Santa Marina in Punta (a.k.a. Church of the Virgin Mary) was founded in 840 AD as part of a Benedictine monastery. As the rulers of Budva changed, it was subsequently taken over by Franciscans and then Dominicans. Next to it, was the even smaller Orthodox church of Saba Abbot (a.k.a. Church of St Sabba the Sanctified), built in 1141.



Church of St Marina in Punta (left) and Church of Saba Abbot (right) in Budva Old Town

On the south side of these churches are the tall walls of the Budva Citadel, the fortress in which soldiers were housed and the citiy's last area of defense. Originally the Castle of St Mary, the fortification was continually rebuilt and expanded through the Middle Ages and Venetian rule, especially after damage from the 1667 earthquake, such that the outer walls of the Citadel were integrated with the city walls.



Entrance to the Citadel showing the height of its walls

Randall decided to stay outside while I paid 5.50 € to go into the inner courtyards and rooms. The most prominent building inside the Citadel was the Austrian barracks built of stone with a terracotta roof. It would have been constructed in the mid-1800s during the rule of the Austrian Empire and around the same time that Fort Mogren on the overlooking headland was built.



Left: the west end of the Citadel, from the inside I went to the base of the flagpole - Right: the former Austrian military barracks within the Citadel

Rooms in the Austrian Barracks have now been converted into a restaurant, a museum of model ships, and a library. The latter has an exhibition of antiquarian books and old maps of the region.



Inside the Citadel - Left: a museum of model ships - Right: one part of the attractive library inside the former Austrian barracks

For most visitors, the main attractions of the Citadel are the panoramic views. I climbed the stairs to the base of the main flagpole and the views over the Adriatic Sea, St Nikola Island, and inland over the Old Town were indeed spectacular.



Panorama view north over Budva Old Town from the top of the Citadel with the spire of St John's Church and, beyond it to the right, the scars of the road up to Cetinje

Glad that we had stopped to see the Old Town, we left Budva for the very slow drive to Tivat through the extensive road works that are part of converting the two-lane road to a four-lane highway (dual-carriageway). Arriving at the marina at 5 pm, we were glad to find that Eric was definitely feeling better.

The following morning was again gloriously sunny and was forecast to be the last such day for a while. Consequently, Vandy and Eric piled into the car with us and we drove them up the Serpentine Road. They had never had a coincidence of clear weather, a car, and the time to go this route or to stop in Cetinje. So, this seemed like the perfect opportunity to rectify that.



Eric, Randall, and Vandy overlooking Kotor on the Serpentine Road up Lovčen Mountain

We drove part of the way up the road to the Njegoš Mausoleum until the road was covered in snow just above the lower car park. We walked alittle way up the road but it was icy and so we decided not to go to the upper car park. On the way, Eric had seen his first squirrel in Montenegro dart across the road. No one else saw it but I had seen my first one briefly at the Botanical Garden in Kolašin. It is strange that they are so rare or shy. We did see other animal tracks in the snow but we were not sure what most of them were. We were all glad not to see large paw prints with big claws, as there are brown bears in the inland mountains although they are unlikely in Lovčen National Park.



Looking northwest from the road up to the Mausoleum (on the right peak) to Lovčen summit (left peak)

Along the Serpentine Road, we were excited to see some early spring flowers. The most noticeable were the pale purple crocuses (or croci) which we also saw in large patches in Cetinje. The genus Crocus is in the iris family, has about 100 species that sprout from underground corms, and is native to North Africa, central and southern Europe, and the Middle East across to western China. The stigmas of Crocus sativus are one of the most valuable spices (and dyes) in the world, saffron, of which Iran is the center of production.



Wild crocuses on the Serpentine Road (top) and on a lawn in Cetinje (bottom)

Less ostentatious, were the shyly dipping heads of snowdrops, some of which were actually sprouting through the snow. This genus of 20 species, Galanthus, is native to Europe and the Middle East and is in the Amaryllis family. They are very popular garden plants in the UK and most species typically sprout flowers from the bulbs before the spring equinox.



Snowdrops in Cetinje

After eating lunch again at the Grand Central Restaurant in Cetinje, we took Vandy and Eric down the pedestrian street to see the royal palaces. This time the Billiard Palace did not appear to be open but we walked further past it to where we had good views of the large Cetinje Monastery. An active monastery of the Serbian Orthodox Church, it was founded in 1484. In 1689, the building was fortified and used as a miliary barracks by Venetian forces but when they had to withdraw in 1692, they mined the building with a time-bomb to explode hours later when the victorious Ottomans were entering. In the turbulent nature of the history of this area, the monastery was subsequently rebuilt and destroyed several times with the current appearance dating to 1927. It contains various relics including alleged particles of the True Cross and the right hand of John the Baptist. For some reason, none of us was inclined to enter and view these items.



Cetinje Monastery

While Randall and Vandy waited by the Monastery, Eric and I walked along the path up the nearby Eagle Rock. This had been recommended to us by a guide when we visited the area with Carole and Neil but, on our way to Kolašin, we did not have time then.

At the top of Eagle Rock is the Mausoleum of Prince-Bishop Danilo I Petrović-Njegoš, who was the religious and secular ruler of Montenegro from 1697 to 1735 although the Mausoleum itself was not built until 1897. He was founder of the House of Petrović-Njegoš, the Serbian noble family that led the nation until 1918. From Eagle Rock, the Njegoš Mausoleum on top of Lovčen can also be seen.



The Mausoleum of Bishop Danilo on Eagle Rock - Left: with the Montenegrin flag - Right: view from one mausoleum to another - the highest peak seen through the Eagle Rock Mausoleum is the Mausoleum on Lovčen

Eagle Rock has a splendid view over Cetinje with the monastery and palaces in the foreground. On the far side of the city can be seen a huge scar across the mountainside where a new road is being constructed. Partly visible on satellite imagery, this road currently appears to lead to nowhere but is presumably going to replace an existing small mountainous road between the towns of Cetinje and Nikšić.



Cetinje from Eagle Rock with the black roofs of Cetinje Monastery bottom left, pale grey roof of Billiard Palace bottom middle, and red walls and black roof of King Nikola's Palace bottom right - the scar across the mountainside at top is a brand-new road, possibly to Nikšić

Another part of the view from Eagle Rock was also very typical of much of Montenegro. Visible were expanses of rock with scattered trees and other vegetation and almost no signs of human habitation.



Looking from Eagle Rock away from Cetinje to the rocky expanses of Montenegro

We returned to Tivat via one of the supermarkets most easily accessed by car. We had thoroughly enjoyed our short break from the marina. We were fully appreciative of how exceptionally lucky we had been with the fine weather during our stay in Kolašin. The clouds started forming on Sunday, and the rain that was forecast for much of the following week started on Monday afternoon. So, we will go back to working on boat and online projects but with some lovely snowy memories.

Phew! The last couple of weeks have been rather intensely focused on all things sailing as we prepared ourselves for the International Yacht Training exams. To refresh memories, when we arrived in Montenegro the Harbormaster (by all accounts the only one to be a stickler for this rule) insisted that we had to have an International Certificate of Competency (ICC) https://www.sailblogs.com/member/tregoning/512199

The plastic ICC card is a like an international driving license for boats. None of our Florida or US qualifications, nor the fact that after 16 years on Tregoning we had safely got almost three-quarters of the way around the globe, were satisfactory evidence that we knew what we were doing. The ICC is required in much of Europe to charter a boat, so many people with far less experience than us would have this certification, but only rarely is it expected for people in their own boats. However, sometimes in Montenegro, Croatia, and Italy at least one person aboard is expected to have an ICC.

Most people would take an 80-hour course to train for the practical and theory exams, and this sort of training does not come cheaply. We were very lucky to find a local instructor, Ivan, who was willing to explain to us what was required in the exams and then would test us when we felt that we were ready. Since we would pay the same for a day of exams regardless of whether it would be just one person or four (probably a bit over-generous on Ivan’s part), Vandy, Eric, and I decided to see if we could get our ICC cards too. Eric has sufficient qualifications to get into these countries but not an actually ICC. However, because it was most vital that Randall be able to pass so that we could leave Montenegro and go to Croatia and Italy, and because we are cheap bastards, we elected to do the practical part aboard Tregoning rather than pay for several days to charter a boat in which to practice and take the exam.

This seemed like a good idea except that Tregoning is a pain to maneuver in confined spaces, especially in reverse. Randall has learned to handle her over the years but I have generally left these delicacies to him. I take the helm to anchor and pick-up moorings (which are done while moving forward), but Randall puts us into marina berths, not hesitating to ask for help from the dock-dudes or marineros. Of course, being cheap and not having a boat intended for Med mooring, we have rarely gone into marinas while in the Mediterranean other than for the long winter stays. In most of the other parts of the world that we have visited, side-ties and going into a berth bow-first is a much more common option than it is here. It was even worse for Vandy and Eric who can deftly maneuver their catamaran, but this exam has to be taken in a monohull.

Still, we decided to have a go in Tregoning. After removing all of the extra lines that had been securing her while we were away in Britain, we spent a long day in the marina, practicing moving Tregoning about as we thought we would be tested. It turns out, that we vastly underestimated how much we would be expected to do in the practical exam, not just backing into a berth once from one direction but at least three times from various starting positions. We also did not realize that that the man-overboard drill would be done with our sails up. It is expected that we would turn on the engine but it is still necessary to manage the sails during the drill which makes it harder than what we practiced without the sails.

As you may detect, there are elements of excuses appearing here.

We also had to study three books and online coursework for the two written exams. One exam was about all topics related to being a boat skipper. Here a non-paid captain is a “skipper” and a professional skipper is a “captain”. This included an obvious familiarity with boats, knots, weather, and safety issues, but also learning the Collision Regulations (Colregs) which include learning all rights-of-way, the boat lights, and sounds needed in fog. Much of this was familiar to us, but the required lights of fishing boats, vessels limited in their ability to maneuver, towed vessels, etc. where a bit of a chore to learn. But we all dutifully studied and memorized this information along with how to plot routes on a paper chart, and the appearance of navigations marks and their sounds. It was a good review and I certainly learned a few things that I had not known before.



An example page from one of our study books – the astute boaters will notice that these navigation markers are for Region A (which excludes the Americas, Japan, South Korea, and the Philippines) where it is not “right-red-retuning” as we are used to in the USA


The other exam was on the VHF radio. We all had taken tests to get certified on the use of single side-band (SSB) radios many years ago, but the US does not require licenses to use regular VHF radios. The part of this work that we had to test each other on was the exact format that Distress (Mayday), Urgency (Pan Pan), and Safety (Sécurité) messages have to be sent in. Again, this was important stuff that we could do or recognize when needed, but we had to have the format perfectly correct for the exam.

It is a long time since Randall and I have taken exams (I suppose 17 years since we did the SSB tests), so it was a bit nerve-wracking to do all of this studying. Inevitably, the night before we took the tests, I had anxiety dreams about not being able to get to, or having not studied the right stuff, for some exams. These are common dreams when I am very anxious about something (the price of a highly educated life) but not usually about actually taking exams!

Anyway, on the day of our practical exams, we all (including Ivan) had underestimated how long it would take the four of us to get all of the drills done correctly. This was mostly because we started with the reversing into stern-tie berths followed by the man-overboard drill with sails up. Since they were either difficult to do quickly in Tregoning or we had insufficiently practiced, most of us took more than one attempt at each. Ivan understood the challenges of reversing a boat like Tregoning with a three-quarter keel (as opposed to charter-boats that have a fin keel and so can turn and go in reverse much more easily), but he had to see us complete each exercise correctly. Incidentally, bow-thrusters cannot be used for this in the exam but most people would use those to help them maneuver. Not that it mattered to us, as we do not have one on Tregoning anyway.

It did not help that Ivan had to be officially signed onto our crew list at the harbormaster’s office before we could take Tregoning out of the marina. The office did not open until 9 am and by the time we returned to Tregoning it was 10 am. Once it became obvious that we could not all complete all of the required drills, Ivan sensibly focused on making sure that Randall had the opportunity to complete all the necessary tests, including navigating by paper chart and taking fixes on navigation lights after dark. There are so many lights around Kotor Bay, that this was much harder than it sounds.

In the end, Randall’s years of experience with Tregoning paid off and he completed everything and was passed for the practical exam. The rest of us would have to do it again to get a full passing grade and I, at least, would need plenty more practice first, especially reversing into a berth. We also ran out of time to take the written exams that day, which was probably just as well as we were all very weary by the time we returned to Tregoning’s berth in the dark at 7:30 pm. It had been a challenging, tense, at times, cold, and very tiring day. I felt very humbled by the end of it.

We met aboard Awildian the following afternoon for the written tests. We all passed all of those comfortably and I felt a bit redeemed by get a perfect score on the boat-skipper exam, somewhat to Randall’s chagrin. The most important thing was that Randall had passed everything and would be able to get his ICC card. Since this was what we had set out to accomplish, we were extremely relieved by this as this has been something that has been concerning Randall and I since late September.

As for the rest of us, it was clear in retrospect that we would have probably all been better using a modern charter boat or spending far more time practicing maneuvering in reverse aboard Tregoning. If any of us wanted to, we could take the practical exam again but would not need to take the theory again. We will think about it, but getting the ICC is not essential for any of the rest of us. It would be a significant investment in time and money that I do not think we feel compelled to take. My pride is dented but, in reality, I consider myself an expert crew member and am very happy to continue that role with Skipper Randall!

Now, we can get back to all of our other tasks that have been rather neglected over the last few weeks. Next week the four of us (and four others) have booked to stay in a free chalet that the marina owns in the ski area near Kolašin. We do not really know if there will be much snow up there or if any of us actually plan to ski (I love skiing but worry about the potential risk of trying to live aboard Tregoning with a leg injury). However, it will be nice to get away from the boat for three nights and we look forward to relaxing without exams hanging over us.

After a wonderful six-week break from boat life while we were driven across Europe and then spent the holidays with family and friends in the UK, we returned to Tregoning the day before yesterday (Monday 13th January). More photographs and details of those travels will follow...eventually.

By the time that "designated worriers" such as myself return home after a long absence, we have accumulated many concerns about the possible state of our abode whether it's a house or boat in a marina or on a mooring. (A boat at anchor should not be left for any length of time without supervision as it may not be in the same place when you get back and a boat on the hard is very much like a not-very-stable house.)

For example, has the house been burned down, flooded, struck by lightning, damaged in an earthquake, burgled, or has the roof blown off or been hit by a fallen tree?

While fire, flood, lightning, thievery, and wind damage are also legitimate anxieties for a boat, falling trees are probably not very likely. Earthquakes would have little direct effect on a boat in the water but an associated tsunami, could be a serious problem. One would have to be very unlucky to have a house disappear into a sinkhole or be hit by a vehicle, but the sinking of a boat, its washing ashore or onto the docks from a tsunami or hurricane surge, or its being struck by another vessel are quite legitimate concerns.

While we are away, I subscribe to the out-of-sight-out-of-mind philosophy. Randall is forbidden to tell me about dire weather forecasts for the boat's area or anything else related to the boat unless there is something that we can do about it. On the return journey, however, a wave of thoughts of potential problems washes over me only to be satisfied once we have boarded and checked Tregoning. Admittedly, the marina is likely to have contacted us about the worst possible problems (fire, sinking, or grounding by tsunami or hurricane surge) but plenty of bad things could have happened that are not visible from outside. We debated about hiring someone to check inside the boat periodically, but for just a six-week absence this seemed unnecessary.

Despite a weekend of strong northerly Bora winds (possibly up to 50 knots), we arrived back in Porto Montenegro Marina on Monday afternoon to find Tregoning afloat and with no obvious signs of wind damage. We were also happy to see that none of the dock lines had any signs of chafe. Knowing that Bora gusts of more than 80 knots had been recorded in the marina during the last two winters, we had dismantled the Bimini canvas and windows and stowed then in the main cabin before we left. With the help of Barb and Rob, we had emptied the cockpit and the dinghy was securely lashed to the foredeck.



Tregoning looking rather naked without the Bimini top and windows over the emptied cockpit

Inevitably, the cabin smelled a little musty when I opened the companionway, but we were thankful to find no unexpected signs of water leaking in, no signs of disturbance, and no areas of mold. We did, however, have quite a scare when I looked at the voltmeter and found it almost on zero.

Terrified that we had somehow ruined the new, hard-to-get, and very expensive lithium house-bank batteries, Randall quickly started checking the Bluetooth connection to the lithium battery control system. Thankfully, it showed that they were fine. Instead, it was the lead/acid starter battery that was flat having been left, accidentally, as the sole source of discharge power. After a few moments of high agitation, this was a strangely calming moment of relief...even if we might have to buy a new starter battery.

Other than a few tiny LED switch-lights, it is not clear what could have caused the starter battery to discharge unless the bilge pump had been running at various times. There had been quite a bit of rain, some of which would have come down the inside of the mast. This might have set off the bilge pump but that alone seemed unlikely to run down the starter battery. We will have to keep an eye on the bilge pump to make sure that water is not entering elsewhere.

We recharged the starter battery using shore power and it seems to be holding the charge. Most importantly, it still started the engine, so we may be lucky and not have to replace it. Even if we did, that would still be much easier and cheaper than replacing a lithium battery. Of course, I now have the new worry of complete-battery-discharge to add to the list of "What can go wrong in our absence".

We were thankful that we returned to Tregoning during daylight so that we could see what was happening with the electrical system before we turned the switches for the boat's lights back on. This had not been the original plan which would have had us arriving back and stumbling around in the dark around 8:30 pm.

We had left Mike in Grange-over-Sands by train on Sunday morning. Sundays are not good days to travel by rail in the UK as that is when most work on the tracks is done and this was made worse by one of the rail companies, Avanti, being involved in industrial action (strikes and working-to-rule). Sunday rail works caused us to have to take a replacement bus from Lancaster to Preston only to arrive there to find that our 12:03 pm train to London Euston had been cancelled due to Avanti staff shortages. We had lunch while we waited an hour for the next suitable train, but I was concerned that we would not be able to get seats if the train was coming from further north and already had additional passengers from the cancelled train.

Luckily, the train was starting at Preston and we happened to be on the platform right next to it when the doors were opened for boarding. We hastened aboard and got good seats which seemed all the more comfortable after I had been worried about having to stand for most of the three-hour journey. Crossing London on the underground was relatively straightforward on a Sunday afternoon, other than having to lug our heavy bags up some stairs where the escalators were out of service. We made the final use of our Eurail passes on the express train from Seven Sisters station to Stansted Airport and it was a short walk from there to our overnight hotel, the Radisson Blu. We arrived an hour later than planned but for traveling across the UK by train on a Sunday, this did not seem too bad. By contrast, the following day we were able to shorten the rest of our trip back to Tregoning by five glorious hours.

The rationale for staying in the airport hotel was evident the next morning as we walked back to the terminal at 4:40 am to get our 6:35 am flight to Montenegro. We lost an hour with the clock-change as we flew east but Ryanair managed to get us to Podgorica on time at 10:15 am. The only snag was that we had a long wait until we could catch the bus to Tivat from central Podgorica at 5:54 pm. It would probably be a cold wait at the central bus station, so we decided to wait for a few hours in the comfort of the airport terminal before catching a local bus to the city center.

As we were just finishing an early lunch, we heard a message for passengers from a flight that was supposed to have gone to Tivat but which had been diverted to Podgorica because the winds were too strong for safe landings at Tivat airport. These unhappy people were being told that a replacement bus was waiting to take them to Tivat. We thought it was worth investigating so we followed the crowd out to the bus. It was not full, so we asked the airline representative if there was a chance that we could get seats even though we had not been on the affected flight. We must have looked suitably pathetic because after a brief consultation with the driver, we were told that we could ride on the bus with the recommendation that we give the driver a tip...which we did.

Recognizing that the other bus passengers were probably pretty fed-up about arriving in Tivat at least two hours later than expected, we tried not to look too smug about our good fortune. Although the taxi to the marina was more expensive from the airport than the Tivat bus station, it was definitely worth arriving back at the boat mid-afternoon rather than mid-evening.

With time to go out and buy some groceries for dinner from one of the nearby supermarkets, we noticed a few changes had occurred during our absence. Decking and floating concrete blocks were piled along the marina road behind Tregoning, presumably intended to extend existing docks or provide new ones. The sports field just outside the marina where keen cruising cricketers had played various games in early October had been dug up. Parts of it were being covered with reinforced concrete perhaps for parking, unless it was on top of building foundations that had also been added while we were away.

Lastly, on a lawn next to the marina, a small ice-rink had been established for the winter holidays. Noticing an adjacent stand selling hot drinks, I organized a "mystery date" on Tuesday evening, intending to treat Randall to a reprise of our pre-Christmas European winter-market tastings of mulled wine. Sadly, when we arrived just before 6 pm, the stall had just been closed (despite having been assured earlier that it would be open until 8 pm) due to the cold and stiff northerly wind. Even without the warming alcoholic treat, we still wandered around the marina resort and town to see the holiday lights and decorations that had been erected after we left on 1st December. In Montenegro, the public holidays for the Eastern Orthodox Christmas are on the 6th, 7th (Christmas Day), and 8th of January, so we only missed having two Christmases by a few days.



Some of the New Year and Christmas lights in Tivat

The northerly wind was still gusting strongly on Monday and Tuesday so the boat was cold and noisy at night as the dock lines creaked on the deck. Despite this causing us to wake up more than usual, it was good to be back in our own bed. We greatly appreciated our wonderful hosts while we were in Britain with their quiet, motionless houses, but it does not take us long to get back into our boat lifestyle. Now we look forward to the return of Vandy and Eric from Down Under on Thursday, and keeping ourselves busy with many boat- and online-projects.

I wonder how often the way that we spend New Year's Eve reflects the rest of our lives? For example, do the extroverts always attend big NYE parties and the introverts stay at home watching the festivities on TV, if they can manage to stay up until midnight?

Presumably this is generally the case, but there are bound to exceptions. Looking back over the last three years for us, we have gone from an early bedtime aboard Tregoning in Phuket (2022), with watching TV with our in-laws in Spokane, WA (2023), and attending Jennie's party in London (2024).

Of course, for us the common theme is our itinerant lifestyle. As we waved goodbye to Judith and Andrew in Lichfield on Tuesday morning (31st December) and took the train to Bushey, we were indeed on the move, and more than 1,000 miles (1,600 km) from our floating home. Despite trying to keep my distance and not pass along my cold, we had a marvelous New Year's Eve celebration with Jennie, her youngest - Claire, Claire's boyfriend - Bagsy, Caroline (who we met in Albania/Montenegro), and neighbors Lou and Karen. OK so it was not a big party, but we ate and drank well, played funny games (Linkee and Neanderthal Poetry...don't ask), and watched the London fireworks (around the London Eye - Europe's tallest cantilevered observation wheel) on TV. It was great fun and a good start to the year.

When we awoke later in the day, Randall was unfortunately starting to get the sniffles but none of us were opposed to a lazy day. We also left him to recuperate on Thursday when Jennie and I went shopping and for walk at Cassiobury Park and Whippendell Wood. On Friday, we were on the move again, this time by train to Grange-over-Sands to be met by Mike.

Our 10-day stay with Mike was another walk-fest...at least for Mike and me. While I was clearly recovering from my cold, Randall was in the worst of it, so he enjoyed several days with only short excursions. The following is mostly a diary of our walks.

Saturday - walk on Newton Fell
This is a low ridge next to the main road from Grange-over-Sands to the central Lake District. I had seen it many times from the car but never walked on it.



Mike at the top of Newton Fell



View east from our Newton-Fell walk

Sunday - snowfall
Much to Randall's delight, on Saturday night it snowed, depositing about 2 inches (5 cm).



Snowing overnight in Grange-over-Sands

Mike's house is on a fairly steep hill and the road was not snow-ploughed or gritted for a day or so.



Not much traffic yet on Grange Fell Road

The area was made to look beautiful in the way that only a fresh snowfall can.



Snow on Mike's patio and neighboring gardens

Not wishing to try to drive on the snowy roads and leaving Randall to stay warm in the house, Mike and I carefully walked down into the town to go to the Grange Institute. Starting in a building on the main street that was built in 1866, the Institute established cultural and social programs for the people of Grange, mostly through lectures. By 1900, recreational activities began to take precedence over cultural lectures. These included: the Grange Natural History Society, the Grange Photographic society, and the Grange Literary and Scientific Society. The Institute has two meeting rooms for groups to rent downstairs and a private members Snooker Club upstairs. Mike has always been a keen and skilled golfer but has recently taken up snooker (like pool but with a larger table and smaller balls and pockets). I was not very good but it was intriguing to play something that I have previously only seen played on TV. Mike was still improving but clearly enjoy the challenge in a similar way to his passion for golf.



Mike playing snooker at the Grange Institute

Monday - Walk near Sedbergh
Leaving Randall to recuperate, Mike and I drove northeast to Sedbergh, seeing a large lorry (tractor-trailer) on its side in the middle of the motorway on the way. Although in this area there was little snow below the mountain tops, it was windy and bitterly cold walking by the River Rawthey, making me seriously wonder if this was such good idea.



Snow on the tops of the Howgills seen from our Sedbergh walk

Luckily, it was more sheltered in the lanes leading to, and through, the hamlet of Millthrop. So, by the end, the exercise felt energizing and enjoyable rather than the draining misery with which it had started.



Terraced cottages in Millthrop hamlet (probably former miners or millworkers cottages)

Tuesday - Walk along the River Kent near Sedgwick
Again, Mike and I left Randall at home while we did a walk near Sedgwick, part of which we had done during our visit the previous year.



Mike on the Low Park Wood Suspension Bridge over the River Kent

It snowed lightly as we followed the river north but stopped as we started the return part of the loop along a former canal route.



Dusting of snow on the trees and rocky banks of the River Kent

After spending so much time in the tropics, it has been interesting to see so many deciduous trees without their leaves.



Naked trees and dry-stone walls near Sedgwick

Wednesday - loop walk from Austwick to the hamlet of Wharfe
On a morning with a heavy frost, Randall joined us as we drove southeast to Austwick on the edge of the Yorkshire Dales National Park. We all walked along a short trail to Pant Bridge. Reputedly from the 15th century, Pant Bridge crosses Austwick Beck and is formed by large limestone and slate slabs laid over stone piers. This type of beam bridge is called a clapper bridge and along with another, which we did not see, these are quite popular landmarks in Austwick.

Mike and I continued up the valley northeast of Austwick while Randall turned back into the village to wait for us at the Game Cock Pub...or so we thought. Higher up the valley, Mike and I recrossed Austwick Beck on another clapper bridge on White Stone Lane. Just downstream, a sign described the "Wash Dub". Before chemical sheep dips became common in the mid-twentieth century, the stream would be temporarily dammed to create a pool through which the sheep were herded and scrubbed clean of their parasites. Many members of the community would have been involved which made it a bit of an occasion, but it must have been hard and cold work for the men standing in the water.



Two clapper bridges made from large pieces of slate or limestone near Austwick

Returning to Austwick, Mike and I were horrified to find that the Game Cock Pub was closed, despite their website having said that they would be open that day. We hurried back to the car to find that Randall had been bundled up in it playing games on his phone for two hours. This was probably not the best of treatments for recovery from a cold. He could have run the engine and heater but had not needed to.



A rather monochrome view in the Yorkshire Dales

We soon all warmed up with the heater roaring on the drive back, before stopping in Kirkby Lonsdale. We stopped at a café for Randall and I to have hot bowls of soup but only after we had taken a brief look at the River Lune as seen from Ruskin's View. John Ruskin was an English 19th century art critic, social theorist, painter and poet. Of this view he wrote after a visit in 1875: "Whatever moorland hill, and sweet river, and English forest foliage can be seen at their best is gathered there. And chiefly seen from the steep bank which falls to the stream side from the upper part of the town itself ... I do not know in all my own country, still less in France or Italy, a place more naturally divine, or a more priceless possession of true 'Holy Land'." I am not sure if he was prone to hyperbole or working for the local tourist board.

The site had already been made famous by the poet William Wordsworth describing it as a place not to be missed in his 1810 Guide to the Lakes, and having been painted by
JMW Turner in 1822. We were lucky to enjoy the sight because the viewpoint had been closed for three years as the river had eroded the bank on which the lookout was located. It took serious fund-raising to complete the necessary work to reopen the popular tourist attraction.
https://www.thewestmorlandgazette.co.uk/routes/lakeland_walks/24784323.ruskins-view-reopened-three-years-closure/



Ruskin's View in Kirkby Lonsdale

Thursday - walk up Hampsfell
Despite another hard frost of -5°C (23°F) on Thursday morning, it was clear and sunny so I decided to make my usual pilgrimage up Hampsfell, the hill behind Mike's house. It was beautiful with the blue sky and white snow and I visited the natural limestone pavement near which we spread our parents' ashes, and the shelter on the summit.



Left: one of many types of stiles on Hampsfell - Right: the Hospice on top of Hampsfell built in 1846 by the vicar of the neighboring village of Cartmel to provide shelter for travelers, with the "summit view-finder" on top



Needing a new coat of paint to show the compass angles, the "summit view-finder" on the Hampsfell Hospice is pointing to Coniston Old Man as indicated on the adjacent sign

It was a delightful walk with beautiful views and I was pleased with myself as I was going to return to the house just before Randall and Mike were due to walk down to the Grange Institute to play snooker. Pausing to take a photo of the house, I realized that the brand-new polarizing filter was missing from my camera...aggh! I had had to order it online as the correct size was difficult to find in most camera shops. I knew that I had used it during my walk to make the sky bright blue. So, after sending a message to Randall telling them to start playing without me, I turned on my heels and headed back up the hill retracing my steps.

It is funny how a walk that had been so pleasurable the first time, seemed much more of a chore this time. Luckily, I remembered the last place that I had stopped to take a picture and, not far from it, I found the filter lying on the snow. Thankful that it showed up black against the snow and that no one else had picked it up, the walk back down a different route became more enjoyable again.



Looking from Hampsfell north to the Lake Windermere valley

Friday - Walk up Beacon Hill in Penrith
On Friday morning, the three of us drove north up the motorway to Penrith to have a delicious lunch with our second cousin, Siriol, and her husband, John. It was lovely to see them and catch up with the news of their side of the family. In the afternoon, we left Randall in their house and the rest of us walked through woods up the adjacent hill.



Mike with Siriol and John on Beacon Hill, Penrith

At the summit of Beacon Hill, was Penrith Beacon, a monument built in 1719, on the spot where beacons had been lit in times of war and emergency since the reign of Henry VIII (1509 to 1547). As retired, but still active, archeologists, it was fun to listen to Siriol and John explaining how and when such a beacon would have been used.



Penrith Beacon Monument

Saturday - Walk on Witherslack Hill
On another day with a hard frost, Mike and I took a morning walk over the hill and through the hamlet of Witherslack.



Another monochrome view due to snow and hoarfrost - Mike walking on Witherslack



Examples of the thick hoarfrost seen on Witherslack

In the afternoon, Randall and I enjoyed our usual perambulation along part of the Grange-over-Sands Promenade. On the grassy foreshore of Morecambe Bay, we were pleased to see two species of geese. Native to North America, snow geese in Britain have either escaped from captivity or are rare vagrants. Similarly, bar-headed geese are native to India, China, and Mongolia but there are many feral birds in Britain that have escaped from captivity. The bar-headed goose is one of the world's highest-flying birds, having been heard flying across Mount Makalu, the fifth highest mountain on earth at 8,481 m (27,825 ft)



Seen from the Grange-over-Sands Promenade - Left: snow geese (to 84 cm or 33 inches) - Right: bar-headed geese (to 78 cm or 31 inches)

Walking back through the Grange Ornamental Gardens, we saw a new species to us, the small diving tufted duck. Mostly native to northern Eurasia, this species is partially migratory so the number of them increases in Britain in the winter and they have been observed in Africa and North America.



Top: flying snow- and bar-headed geese - Bottom: tufted duck (to 46 cm or 18 inches) on the pond in the Ornamental Gardens

Quite a few ornamental ducks and geese have been introduced into the Ornamental Gardens over the years. However, a spate of thefts of these, sometimes valuable, birds around 2019 has greatly diminished the diversity in the pond. No more exotic ducks are likely to be released unless the local council agrees to having CCTV cameras installed.



The rising sun about to disappear behind clouds seen from Mike's house over Morecambe Bay Sands

We had a very enjoyable stay with Mike in Grange-over-Sands. I had got plenty of exercise and by Sunday morning when we took the first of several trains to get us to a hotel at Stansted Airport, Randall was feeling distinctly improved from his cold. The drive across Europe and train rides around Britain had made a wonderful break away from Tregoning but we were ready to go home. And to stay put in one place for a few weeks!

Our next port-of-call, Lichfield, is a place with many interesting traditions. Most of them are old...some are not. For example:

The Shrovetide Old Fair (held on the Tuesday before Lent usually in late February or early March) - from pre-1623, a civic procession to the Market Square at noon, the Town Crier announces the Fair open, the officials and children rush to claim their free fairground rides, and (a modern addition) a race is run while the competitors tossing pancakes.

The Court of Arraye or View of Men at Arms (held on Spring Bank Holiday Monday in late May) - from the 12th century when an assembly of men in medieval armor is inspected by the Mayor and city officials, followed by the Greenhill Bower which is a parade of marching bands, carnival floats, and Morris dancers (choreographed, strangely dressed groups of dancers with bells on, waving handkerchiefs and/or sticks) and culminates with the crowning of the Bower Queen.

The Sherrif's Ride - (held on Saturday nearest to 8th September) - from 1553 when Lichfield was made a city and county with its own Sherrif, the Sherrif was required to ride the 20-mile city boundary on horseback. This Charter command was expanded to give the Sheriff a retinue of 50 following riders and, in recent years, cyclists have been included in the ride with the 2024 ride being led by the mayor and her consort sitting in a bicycle-powered trishaw.

Christmas Tractor Run - (held on Saturday before Christmas) - from 2020 this is a parade of tractors decorated with Christmas lights that follows a 17-mile route through Lichfield and raises money for charity.

When Andrew and Judith came to meet us at the station after our three-train trip from Inverness, they were relieved to be on time as they had been held up by having to avoid the route of the Christmas Tractor Run. Randall and I would have liked to have seen part of this but arrived just a little too late. We had, however, arrived in time to join them in attending another new tradition, the Lichfield Cathedral Christmas Light Show.



Lichfield's Bishop's Palace as part of the Christmas Light Show

With several shows per night for a week up to the 22nd of December, different sets of computer-controlled illuminations are projected onto the Bishop's Palace and the west face of Lichfield Cathedral with a musical soundtrack. This year's theme was the Twelve Days of Christmas and there were many references to aspects of the history of Lichfield. It was very cold when we attended on Sunday evening so although the Light Show was spectacular, it was quite a relief to enter the Cathedral at the end. A local choir was singing popular carols and we admired the Christmas Tree Festival in which many groups compete to win votes as having produced the best-decorated tree.



Front of Lichfield Cathedral during the light-show

We stayed with Judith and Andrew for 10 days and it was lovely to be included in their family Christmas activities. The house was already decorated when we arrived but Andrew was keeping himself busy with various cooking projects including handmade marzipan fruit, and wonderfully flavored ganache-filled chocolates. He not only made the chocolates from scratch but also made small boxes so that each of us could have a gift of nine different flavors.



Andrew making boxes of handmade chocolates for each of us

My other brother, Mike, arrived from Grange-over-Sands on Monday morning. In the usual style of our family, we went out for several walks during our stay. On Monday afternoon, we all went northwest to Cannock Chase National Landscape, a former royal forest (hunting area). Now designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, it is cris-crossed by many footpaths and is managed by Forestry England for its important ecology and for recreational use.

After parking near the Windmill Pub (where we enjoyed some refreshments later), we walked to the Castle Ring Iron Age Hillfort. Located on the highest point on Cannock Chase at 242 m (794 feet), the fort would have had a commanding view of its surroundings when they were deforested to provide fuel, and logs for the palisades (stockades) that would have topped the inner ring of earthworks. Castle Ring may have been first occupied around 500 BC by an Ancient British (Celtic) tribe named the Cornovii, but was abandoned around 43 BC with the start of the Roman occupation.



Andrew on the remains of the perimeter earthworks at Ring Castle Hillfort on Cannock Chase

Hillforts were a defendable settlement or fortified refuge on a hilltop from which enemies could be seen approaching. One or more lines of earthworks usually followed the contours around the hilltop village, and these might be reinforced with wooden palisades, stone ramparts, and/or external ditches. Hillforts were typical of the period between about 1000 BC and 50 BC and there are over 2,000 hillforts known in Britain. Most of them would have been occupied by no more than 1,000 people but there is some debate as to why they developed.



Sign with artist's impression of how Ring Castle hillfort may have looked during the Iron Age, with the bottom profile showing a cross-section of the three earthen walls that would have surrounded the village, the inner wall on the right would have been topped by the wooden stockade

British hillforts may have been constructed: in response to invasion from continental Europe; by invaders; or as a military reaction to social tensions caused by an increasing population and consequent pressure on agriculture. A more recent theory is that as the use of iron expanded, trading patterns shifted and power moved from communities associated with tin and copper mining (used to make bronze) to areas with iron ore. Combined with increasing population pressure, these changes encouraged the growth of hillforts as defensive strongholds in times of local tension rather than as a response to specific periods of warfare. Some hillforts were attacked and, if defeated, the conquering forces might take over the hillfort or destroy it and evict the residents.



Bridge and adjacent lock gates on the Trent and Mersey Canal

Another walk on the morning of Christmas Eve, found us exploring part of the Trent and Mersey Canal near Alrewas. There were many canalboats of various sizes in the area making us ponder the practicalities of living on-board fulltime and exploring the British canal system...



Canal boats on the Trent and Mersey Canal at Alrewas

Of course, the main purpose of our visit was to see as much of our family as possible. Judith and Andrew's elder son, Tom, and his family also live in Lichfield so we were very happy that they could come over several times.



Left to right: Lucas, Lucas's penguin, Hannah, Oscar, and Tom

This included a lovely meal on Christmas Eve. As might be expected our great-nephews, Lucas (5) and Oscar (2) were quite interested in the packages under the Christmas tree. In general, they were very excited about the prospect of the following day but poor Lucas was a little under-the-weather with bit of a cold.



Christmas Eve dinner - Left to right: Andrew, Judith, Hannah, Oscar, Lucas, and Tom

I joined Judith and Andrew on their traditional Christmas morning walk to pass by some of the many churches in Lichfield.

St Chad's - current building from the 12th century

St Michael's - a church has been on the site since at least 1190 but the current building is from 1843

Lichfield Methodist Church - from 1892

St Mary's - A church is reputed to have been on the present site since at least 1150 but the current building dates from 1870 and it no longer serves religious purposes

Christ Church - from 1847

Lichfield Cathedral - a cathedral was consecrated on the present site in 700 AD but the present building was built between early 13th century and 1320 in the Decorated Gothic style



St Mary's Church in central Lichfield - now housing The Hub public art-space and café

We had our Christmas meal at 1 pm with the contents of an excellent hamper that Mike had brought with him from Higginson's Butchers in Grange-over-Sands, supplemented by various vegetables. It was a delicious turkey-breast and sausage meal and the Higginson's Christmas pudding, Judith's mince pies and St Clement's citrus sauce, and Andrew's chocolates ensured that no one left the table hungry.



Christmas lunch - Left to Right: Mike, Andrew, Judith, and Randall

Tom and family were having their own Christmas at home so there were no youngsters to insist on opening presents as soon as possible. So, amazingly, we did not get around to opening our gifts until the evening. This was after calls with Martha and Shev, and a message left for Heather, and the world premier on TV at 6:30 pm of the new Wallace and Gromit film, "Vengeance Most Fowl".



Christmas portrait of the oldies: Andrew, Judith, Mike, Alison, and Randall

After a run in the mist with Andrew on Boxing Day morning, we all went to Alrewas. We deposited Randall in The Crown Pub (he had a sore hamstring) while the rest of us went for a walk that included going through the National Memorial Arboretum. Containing more than 25,000 trees, the Arboretum has more than 400 memorials for the armed forces, civilian organizations, and voluntary groups, who have played a part in serving the country, including animals that died in the line of duty. Built in reclaimed gravel workings, planting began in 1997 and the Arboretum as officially opened in 2001.



Misty walk by the River Tame in the National Memorial Arboretum

We had been lucky that Christmas Day had been fairly warm and sunny. Boxing Day was misty and cold all day, so it was a pleasure to join Randall in the warm pub for a post-walk drink and snack.



Walking along the Trent and Mersey Canal in the mist

On Friday, Hannah and Tom came over with the boys and we awaited the arrival from London of nephew Roger, Katie and their two-month-old baby, Alfie. They had terrible delays on the road but were remarkably relaxed when they arrived. By then we had 11 Foxes in the room and Randall. For some reason, there are several collective nouns for foxes such as "skulk", "leash", "troop", "lead", or "earth". I like to think of us in a rather stealthy or furtive "skulk".



Left to Right: Kaite, Roger, Alfie, and Randall

Once Katie and Roger had caught their breath, we launched into the exchange of presents, which was the scene of much delight for Lucas and Oscar. Randall and I did not do too badly ourselves, receiving an excellent selection of edibles (as requested), such as fancy biscuits (cookies) and, of course, chocolates.



The post-opening-Christmas-presents debris field

Hannah, Roger, and I participated in the Lichfield Beacon Park Parkrun in Saturday morning which was busy but fun. I posted a pretty good time for me...but was soundly out-run by the younger generation. Mike had left for Grange that morning but the rest of the family turned up to cheer us on and join us for hot drinks and cakes in the nearby Lakeside Bistro afterwards.

Annoyingly, by Sunday morning I had developed a rather snotty nose. This did not stop us from going on a lovely walk with the family in the grounds of Calke Abbey House. On the site of a 12th century Augustinian priory which closed during Henry VIII's Dissolution of Monasteries (1536 to 1541). In its place was a Baroque mansion completed in 1704 but this was donated by the owners to the National Trust in 1985 in lieu of death duties. We were not interested in visiting the house but walked in the surrounding 600 acres (243 ha) of gardens and countryside.



On a walk in the grounds of Calke Abbey House - Left to Right: Roger with Alfie, Katie, Judith, Lucas on bike, Hannah, Oscar in backpack, Tom, Randall, and Andrew

The main reason for coming to the site was to see the herd of red and fallow deer that are maintained there (see introductory photograph of the previous blog entry). Lucas and Oscar were allowed to have the impression that these might have been some of Santa's reindeer having a well-deserved rest. We were very lucky that the deer were close to the deer-park fence when we arrived because later when we went back there to eat our picnic lunch, the deer were much further away.

Before leaving the park, we said our farewells to the younger generations as they were going to be busy the following day and I was not feeling up for pizza dinner at Hannah and Tom's house that evening. Judith, Andrew, Randall, and I were supposed to be going to a play at the Garrick Theatre after the pizzas but it was cancelled due to ill-health in the cast. I could sympathize. Still, I was very glad that we had all been feeling fine over Christmas and Boxing Day. It had been a truly delightful opportunity to see all of our immediate British family and we greatly appreciated Judith and Andrew's generous hospitality.

Yes, we have made it safely and enjoyably across Europe by car, thanks to excellent driving by Barb and Rob.

Yes, we did visit many Christmas markets along the way, saw plenty of seasonal decorations, and sampled abundant mulled wine and other winter treats.

Yes, we did see snow, mostly on the day that we drove across the Alps from Graz to Salzburg in Austria, but also on the distant hilltops when we visited Joan and Peter near Inverness in Scotland.

Yes, we have thoroughly enjoyed spending time in Lichfield with Andrew and Judith and our British family over the holidays including meeting the most recent addition, great-nephew Alfie. It so much more fun to be around small children at Christmas time with gift-wrap flying in all directions. The red deer in the introductory photograph were seen yesterday on a trip to the estate of Calke Abbey (just south of Derby). When talking to our great-nephews Lucas (5) and Oscar (2), we were encouraged to refer to the red and fallow deer as reindeer that were having a rest after all of their work on Christmas Eve. Fair enough!

And, yes, rather inevitably, one of us (Alison) has managed to catch a cold so is trying to shake it off before joining the New Year's Eve festivities with Jennie in London. After that we head to the Lake District to stay with Mike for a few days.

At some point, I will try to catch up the blog with a summary of our tour across Europe but I cannot promise much before we return to Tivat in mid-January. In the meantime, we hope that you have a Happy New Year and wish you all the very best for 2025.