Lovcen



Lovcen serves, not only as the highest peak in Montenegro, but also as a tomb to ... okay, must show my dumb-foreigner colors here, but I'm not really sure to whom. Someone really special to the Montenegrins, though, apparently. The tomb sits within a large, statue-guarded structure complete with eternal flame, statue of a man with an eagle on him, and about 200 knee-busting steps. So, whoever this Montenegrin Ozymandus was, somebody put a lot of work into boxing up his corpse.



Regardless of the lack of historical context, however, I found the trip to Lovcen be quite exhilarating. I went together with my visiting Moldovan friend Angela, Emil and Julia, and two new friends Martin (from Sierra Leone) and Ivan (from Russia).



The drive there, through the mountains and farms of rural Montenegro, offered great views, serene mountain climes, and the opportunity to buy homemade cheese, smoked ham, and honey wine. The views from the top of the tomb, however, were the "highpoint" of the trip. You could see all the way from Skadar Lake to the Adriatic Sea.








Driving down, we descended along a steep, windy road to Kotor, thus offering unparalleled views of Kotor Bay. All in all, a magnificent experience, and a great escape from the heat of Montenegro's summer.