From Bar, where we reside, we took a 2 hour train ride to visit Podgorica.
It was the first time we had been to the capital of Montenegro and what a lovely day we had!
Despite being surrounded by rambunctious kids all the way there, the views from the train ride were glorious and I was happily listening to the Trojan Rocksteady Compilation from 1966-1968 (sometimes sharing an ear bud with Iva).
When we arrived, we took a "bus" or rather a small mini-van to the other side of town. We went to the bookstore at the mall so I could get one of the few English language books they sell in the Balkans (basically the Classics) and I decided to embark upon my first James Joyce novel: Ulysses. As soon as we left the store, an effervescent small child bee-lined to my knees. I wasn't sure if he was going to run in to me or not but he stopped, hugged me, and moved on. It was a precious moment. I guess I made the right choice with Joyce.
We were very impressed with the small select Health Market in Podgorica and were fortunate to find one of the best restaurants we've eaten at since I moved to Europe. A cross between Montenegrin and Italian food with extremely fresh fish, I can't recommend Restoran Per Sempre enough. Every where we went, we heard mediocre covers of classic American and British songs, usually in a lounge-lizard, trash adaptation. However, shout to the reggae-inspired take on Procol Harum's "A Whiter Shade Of Pale".
Albeit beautiful in scenery, the infrastructure of the city is quite commercial and perhaps in a rather crude way does attempt to "develop like Europe" but having lived in the smallest town I've ever inhabited in my life for the past 3 months, it was an important to be reminded what a near-city looks like. And globalization/millennialisation/neo-liberalism is real. After visiting Podgorica, it is clear why NATO has welcomed this small country with open arms. And other arms will follow...
Regardless, all and all, a jolly day!
Comments
Post a Comment