Europe 2011: Montenegro

 Hello Everyone and Welcome back to Merick's Corner... Well we here at the corner is about to kick of our travel spectacular all across Eastern Europe... dont forget to become a fan on facebook (www.facebook.com/merick) and by following me on twitter just by looking up Merickf....



So are you all ready lets begin: Our first stop is the beautiful country known as the "black mountains"  Montenegro.  Montenegro is the first and for the time being the only  ecological country in the world. The mountains of Montenegro is truly spectacular and really takes your breath away. The intensive connection of the coastal and mountain regions of  Montenegro cannot be feasible in other parts of the mediterranean.  The abundance  of conifer forests intersected by canyons-recorders of beautiful haymaking, snow blankets and "capitals"- representatives in flora and fauna, of clear, fast rivers, and perfectly clear lakes, and majestic oceans was one of the many reason why we visited Montenegro.
FUN FACTS: the capital of Montenegro is Podorica and the old royal capital of Montenegro is: Cetinje

 So traveling on the road was so wonderful to see the make up of this undiscovered paradise. The first town i went was Bar and that was the town i spend the most time in when I was in Montenegro. Bar is a city and port on the Montenegro seaside. Bar is first mention in the 9th century. In the early middle age it was part of  the Bizantium Empire. It was then conquered by Stefan Nemanja. In 1443 it became part of the Venice Empire and then it was conquered by the Turks. Montenegrians liberated it in 1878.... a little history lesson about the city of Bar

 Above is a picture of King Nichola Royal Castle... I think now its a museum and it hold different art exibitions, music, and theater

 Above is my friend goran at the caio cafe in... definately a great recommentation if you ever visit bar... the food is good quality and clean, cheap and plesant and of course there is free wifi... (lol)
Below is my brother Damir who host me in Montenegro... and if you have been keeping up on the blog Damir was feature in our last blog when we went to washington d.c

 Above and below is "Old Town Bar" The old town lies in the foot of Rumija Mountains. it's turbulent hstory remained many significant monuments- ramparts of the old town remains of the benedictine monastery on the cape of Ratac from 11th century.  St. Tekla a church in Sutomore. from 12 century.. the church have two alters, one Chatolic and the other orthodox.

 Below is the old clock tower in Bar

 A Flag of Montenegro flown above the old town

 The above picture is the mountain of Lisinje
Below is one of the oldest olive trees in the world-the old olive, its located in the foot of the mountain linsinje, in Mirovica under the old town Bar where different civilizations found their shelter or home to live in.

 The age of this tree is said to be over two thousand years old. the represents a priceless and irreplaceable part of both visual and spiritual identity of the town. There is a legendary tale that says that feuds between families used to be settled underneath this olive tree.

 Above is a statue of King Nicola and below is a picture of the Palace Gardens which is a must see when visiting the beautiful town of Bar.

 Below is a picture of the sun going down over...if you are a person who loves the sunset... then there is no place beautiful than Montenegro... It's very mind blowing and it will leave you saying wow all over again. FUN FACTS: They say the sun shines here 275 days a year... " that's definately vocation paradise to me"

 Why not have a fresh glass of orange juice to gaze into the beautiful sun set... umm umm good.. definately if you are here you need some sun glasses to the sun out of your eyes as my friend goran model below.

 Why not have a fresh glass of orange juice to gaze into the beautiful sun set... umm umm good.. definately if you are here you need some sun glasses to the sun out of your eyes as my friend goran model below.

 The air is so clean here and the water is crystal clear. Below damir show me why you can touch the sun in Montenegro

 You have to have a little fun and a little laugh on vocation.. a matter of fact we should always have fun and laugh all the time no matter where we are. Below is a pic of damir and me

 King Nicola's royal Palace is a significant monument in Bar. It is placed close to the seashore and it was built in 1886 by Prince Petar Karadjordjevic (King of Serbia in 1903) he was the son-in-law of Nicola who was married to the King oldest daughter Zorka --another fun fact

 You can never get too much of the sunset here... the wide array of colors that spread over the valley of Bar and across the ocean is simple spectacular

Below is a picture of a natural river that flows into the ocean. Bar's Riviera is very wide spread. The coast spread from Cape Stolac and Cove Chanj. Cut across many natural springs and rivers made numerous smaller and bigger beaches. Can you imagine a place where you can be on your own small little beach... if the answer is no... just think Montenegro.

 I was walking across tot he Port of Bar when I came up on this London double decker bus.. London 2012 will be one of the focuses on Merick's Corner. Below is two girls having a stroll on the beach.. There is no sand on the beaches in Bar... But there are slat small rocks that lines the ocean.. very comfortable to lie and to walk on.. Its truly spectacular since here at the corner have been to many beautiful beaches in the world but never one without sand so this is a first for us... and we were loving it.

 Below is a picture of me on the beach.. It's great to always take a picture of yourself... because in years from now you will remember that special moment in time.

Below is a walk way along the beach in downtown Bar.. beautiful palm and flower beds line the walk way

Many people love to fish here... above a girl geather her fishing rod to go fishing for the day... Below is me taking a look on the sunset..... truly its something for you to see....

 This is the Port of Bar...the gateway of Montenegro- its a city of olives and sailors and of course maritime which you can see below.

In the above picture a couple spend time on their own private rock in the ocean....
Below is a picture of me getting a little tan... i'm on vocation so why not.. lol

 Below a fisherman wait for the catch of the day... dont't worry he did not catch a shark.. umm maybe he did...

Family time and beach time is very important to the people  here.. why not enjoy when you live in paradise..

 This is my outfit for the day... when you live here and during the summer time.. you surely don't need much clothes... and ohh yes i am having a good  time... where there is a good beach and sunshine..thats all we need here on Merick's Corner

 Here is a picture of me taking on my own little private beach below... Its call Merick's Island... and of course i engrave my name there so when ever you are there you will know i was there...

 Here is a clear picture of it.. its all mine.... well when I was there

As you can see there is many places to practice your fishing skills....

Ohhh wow... a perfect tan.... yes i did get darker folks... and yes i did used sun screen

A look below on how the beaches are lay out here--- truly spectacular

 Below is  a picture of Sveti Stefan.... definately a must see when in Montenegro---the water..ummm warm, clear and blue....the italian movie star said " just as if i have returned to the town from the most beautiful fairy tale of my childhood."

 Tourism is growing fast through Montenegro as more and more people from the East and West of  Europe and other countries visit Montenegro.... and for sure now that we have visited  this cover, this paradise in South Eastern Europe... we hope you will too

 Well on the beach in St. Stefan and the pic below is of me over looking the town of St. Stefan

 People here loves to walk everywhere here... it's essential.. definately there is no subways here but there are cabs and a few buses... but walking is key to enlighten your journey and experience here... the more you walk the more you see and calories burnt.... even on vocation you need self motivation

There is no words to say how spectacular and beautiful it is here...

 Below a couple walk the streets of Budva... One of the greatest tourist destination of Montenegro

 A satue in the ocean at Petrovac that looks out towards the sea

 Thanks to goran for being the best tour guide and showing me his beautiful corner of the world Montenegro

 From the picture below you see how clear the water is here

and of course nothing beats a beach party... ohhh yeah!! its time to dance

 Beautiful sunset as i lay on the beach

 Every town in Montenegro have and old town... lots of shopping.. restuarants and of course the beach... fun.. fun.. fun!!!!

 An old orthodox church in Kotor

 Damir dreaming for food and over looking the ocean....

You all know how much I love to eat... The food here is very international and very good here and best of all you cant beat good and cheap.... I am loving it... Below is a seafood salad.. ummm umm delicious

 Tomato is everything here,,, here is a salad of tomatoe, lettuce and cucumber.. with olive oil and vinegar.. simple but umm good good

Welcome to Kotor..... The bay of Kotor is truly spectacular.. In my book definately should be voted one of the seven wonders of the world... There are many times I have to pinch myself... truly is breath taking here...

 Their is many tours by boat or you can used boat to go from one beach to the other.....

Practicing Yoga is something I have been doing for an year now and what better way to practice is on vocation.. If you notice how red the rocks are here......I was told by my friend Damir that the rocks does change colors according to the time of day and the sunlight....

 Every step you take here you will be wrap in nature's wild beauty

 Below is a Picture of my other friend Milos... taking a brake from swimming

Below is a Pic of Milos & Zlatko after a long swim

 o.k I decided to take a dip..... so warm and refreshing

Milos looking at a star fish....they said if this should stick you it will take six months for the sting to come out of your body.... Ahhh its time for me to get out of the water... lol

Most of the houses here line the mountain side.. since this is a very hill and mountain regions.... there is really no flat lands here

 goran and damir taking a dip in the ocean.... they having too much fun... who's on vocation here,,, well it does'nt matter if your on or off  its a wonderful time to have here in Montenegro

climbing the rocks along the ocean as become my new hobby....

 Below is a pic of my other friends Zlatko, and the entire Montenegro corner crew below... It was such a great time learning from all of them about there corners and what and impact they hope it will have not only on their country but the rest of the world

Friendship is to trust
Friendship is having the kindness to help
Friendship is giving to others without thinking
Friendship is being there when someone need you
Friendship can be just a smile that brightens your day
Friendship is giving more than you expect to receive
Friendship is listening
Friendship is offering your opinion when you think you need to
Friendship can be many things
Friendship is different for everyone
Friendship could be holding a hand for support
Friendship is lending your shoulder to cry on
Friendship is mellow
Friendship is giving back
Friendship is only taking that what you need
Friendship can be that voice of reason you give
Friendship could also be a boost of encouragement when it’s needed
Friendship stands the test of time
Friendship is show in many different ways
Friendship can be everlasting
Friendship is not always an easy thing
Friendship is hard to break apart
Friendship is strong
Friendship should never be taken for granted
Friendship is meant to be shared with all
Friendship is free and rewarding to share
Friendship can be unforgettable
Friendship is priceless to many
Friendship is a secret never to be told
Friendship is not having to say sorry but do
Friendship is not judging no matter what
Friendship is to share, the joy and the fear
Friendship is someone to run too when things are tough
Friendship is a hand to hold when things are so rough
Friendship is someone to laugh with not at you
Freindship is just knowing they are there
Freindship is very personal
Freindship is all of thes things and many more
This is  how I see friendship
To have a true Friend is the best thing to achieve
We all have one but it may take a very long time to find them. And I am truly thankful to all the friends I have met along the way in Montenegro

Montenegro, Montenegro thanks for welcoming me with open arms... the smiling faces... for all the people who take a picture with me because for the first time they did see someone different from themselves... for the all the people who wanted to say hello maybe next time you will.. Montenegro a country full of wide explore beauties from the mountains to the ocean.. .. I want to thank Damir, Goran, Milos, Zlatko and the Ladies for such a great time spend in your country..It is truly spectacular there and its definately a world treasure. If your still thinking what to do in Montenegro,.. there is lots to do..  Rafting, Snow kite Surving, Mountaineering, Diving, Fishing, Water kite Surving, Ballooning, Dinning, and Partying of course... There is lots of fun things for the family and for the individual... and don't worry there is plenty of family of friends to meet along the way.  So why not check out one of Merick's Corner's of the world Montenegro. So as you all know we are traveling through Eastern Europe and We are off to somewhere else next week,,,,We will be traveling to Italy... So next week will take you on a Ferry nine hours across the ocean to Bari, Italy and then to Rome.... Croatia, Hungary and so forth... So there is allot of places to discover here on Merick's Corner.... So you all thought I was done with Montenegro.. There is allot of places still to discover so cant wait till next year...Remember you can check me out on facebook and twitter just by looking up  Merickf... Thanks for reading and looking forward to seeing you on the Ferry to Italy next time.... For now hope all is well in your corner of the world as how it is in mine... Thank you and remeber positive change starts with you..... Thanks to all the great people and friends of Montenegro for making my wild beauty experience truly spectacular..... !!!! thank you and enjoy
Merickf