KOTOR, ONE MORE TIME!

Or

Once Around the Bay, Geeves!

We anchored in the Bay of Kotor, or as it's know by locals - BOKA, one of the most scenic Fjords in the Adriatic and after a light brunch in the Edelweiss dining room, We4 tendered in on a local boat and set out to see… what they could see.

Since our last visit to Kotor a week ago and Mr. Toads Wild Ride up the old Austrian road, nothing has changed. 

Actually, not much has changed in Kotor for 800 years, except maybe a ton more tourists, and a plethora of tchotchke shops.  That's not to say it isn't quaint and picturesque, it is all that and more.  

Chucky wouldn’t mind next time in Italy, grabbing a car in Venice and driving the Balkans.  With the exception, of course, the Old Austrian Road, once is enough… especially on the weekend.

Plan A for today… was to make a Plan A since we had an hour less than the last time in port and none of the ship tours appealed to We4.

As we walked off the pier we were accosted, OK, politely approached, by the HoHo bus girls {Hop on-Hop off – Uhhh… the bus, not the girls… get your mind out of the gutter} for a 20 minute ride to Perast and back, with a 45 minute walking tour of KOTOR Old Town at the end. 

Since over brunch we had already discussed finding the bus station for a ride to Perast and maybe getting a boat to visit the Our Lady of The Rocks, {the manmade island with a Cathedral dedicated to... Well, just click the link} for a few Euro more than just a bus ride over and back we took the bait. 

We were told we had to wait half an hour for the bus so we elected to wander around the area and bumped into another HoHo Hustler on the corner 2 blocks away who told us that the bus would come there first so we waited there rather than walk back to the pier. Not only did the bus come there first, but the girls who hustled us earlier were leading a parade of other riders from the pier, so we got on first and had our choice of seats before the crowd showed up.

The bus was equipped with headphones and audio guide that had a pre-recorded spiel timed to the ride and stops with historical info and about what we were seeing. 

For the most part, the trip wasn't that bad and since the busses run approx. 30 minutes apart, We4 elected to get off at Perast to see what all the fuss was about since everything we had read and everyone we had talked to raved on about how Fabulous it was, etc. etc., etc.

It was a long walk in nearly one way traffic, due to all the cars parked on either side of the road, down the hill to the seafront that was studded with lovely water front cafes, Hotels and of course...tchotchke shops.

Along the way several locals were trying to hustle everyone for a tour of Perast or a boat ride to Our Lady of The Rocks, There were coupons and discounts in the HoHo ticket book for a boat to OLoTR, but We4 preferred to take pics from shore rather than the hassle of a boat ride for 15 minutes on the island.

While lovely, the waterfront was pretty repetitive with some great picture backgrounds and climbing some of the side streets didn't seem to offer much else. 

One highlight of this jaunt was, TAA-DAA!
Yup... Chucky got his bride for this trip!  
NOWAT vets know that Caterer Chucky, always manages to find a bride or two on each trip. Some things are just meant to be.

After working up a sweat, We4 decided it was more walking in the hot sun then they cared for, and with only a few minutes till the next bus, waaaayyyy up the hill, they grabbed a refreshing gelato and headed up to the bus stop.

In 10 minutes the bus arrived and 25 minutes later We4 were back in Kotor with time to spare for the 15 minute walk to Old Town to meet the 5:30 tour at the western gate.

Also called Sea Gate, it is the largest and main entrance to the town constructed when Kotor was under Venetian rule (1420–1797). The winged lion of St Mark, Venice’s symbol, is displayed prominently on the walls here and in several other spots around the town.

Built in 1555 in renaissance style, it has a vaulted ceiling inside. Graced with cannons just in front of the entrance, two sturdy columns frame the main entrance, the one on the right was used to moor ships. Just above the Gate the date 21 Nov 1944 refers to when the town was liberated from the Nazis after WWII by the Russians and is remembered with a communist star and a quote from Tito.

Through the arch, on the left is tourist information and on the right a 15th Century relief showing Christ with St Triphon on one side and St Bernard on the other.

An enormous (and inexplicable) bench outside the entrance makes for amusing happy pics

While we were waiting for the guide to show, Chucky spotted a group of about 10-15 Chinese trying to organize a group photo, each one trying to give the lady, who appeared iPhone challenged, instructions and of course Chucky just had to run over and offer to take the pic, doing so in his limited Mandarin which got surprised looks and big smiles. Then with BIGGER SMILES and thumbs up, several pics were taken with lots of commotion and chatter… It was a laugh riot.

Then, of course, all the men had to get a picture with Chucky and then Lenny, then both together so DL took the iPhone to take those pics.  Then all the ladies had to get a pic with DL and Donna. So Chucky was back on duty.  While all this is going on the tour guide arrived and was laughing her head off at the site of the Little Italian Man, black hat and all with all these Chinese and all the antics.

After another group, led by a HoHo hustler arrived, the tour began in the Main Square, just inside the Sea Gate.  Our guide Anna was delightful, as she led our little parade through the narrow passages of Old Town past loads of tchotchke shops, hotels, cafes etc., to several squares with famous cathedrals, palaces and whatnot.  Her running dialogue was passionate as she regaled us with stories of ancient Kotor, kings, knights, pirates and so on.

And just as quickly as it started, the tour was back at the Sea Gate, leaving us wanting more, but time for the last tender was fast approaching so a few Pics here and there and then the short hike back to the pier.

After a quick shower to rinse off the day’s grime it was time for Cocktails in the lounge with our favorite bartender/waiter Dushan, who just happened to be from Kotor and who's name meant "Soul" in Montenegrin.

So of course... Chucky took to calling him "Soul Man" which got a big laugh from his sister, who also worked periodically in the lounge and had told us the meaning of his name in the first place. 

Dushan had mastered, in one try, the proper method of preparing Chucky's

"Bone Dry, Dewar's Rob Roy, 

straight up, Stirred, NOT shaken,

Lemon twist, rim rubbed and dropped in".

The kid was that good, remembering all of We4's preferences, "The usual?", and delivering them immediately on arrival.  This obviously resulted in large gratuities, often.

And all of a sudden it was time for dinner, which was again, Marvelous. 

By now, after all the amenities, wine, champagne, cookies, petite-fours, chocolate dipped strawberries, both on the first cruise and now this one, delivered to their cabins, from an assortment of the ship's senior personnel including the Hotel Manager, Executive Chef and so on; and along with the Exceptional service that did not appear to be happening at other tables in My Time Dining, Chucky was beginning to suspect that his polite but precise note to the corporate office about the debacle of We4's meals during BRITANNIA 2017 had triggered their group to be flagged for “Extra Care”.

Chucky, after a lifetime in the business, still tends to work the room visually, some habits die hard, and he was noticing that everyone, and we mean EVERYONE, waiters, captains, maître d', Restaurant Director, all seemed to hover over or around the table, constantly checking to see if everything was OK.

"How is it?"...

"Is everything to your liking?"...

Can I get you something else?"

The plates came out extra scalding, in one case blistering the Ragu under the pasta so that it clumped and stuck to the bowl. 

The hots were super-hot, the colds chilled to perfection. And... the Crème Brulee’ was OUTSTANDING compared to the soupy glop on BRITANNIA 2017. 

Serious over-kill seemed the order of the day. 

Yeah... Something was going on, not that we were complaining, everything was Extraordinary.  It's just kinda nice to know that they take constructive criticism seriously.

Rest assured that each of this incredible staff will be "well recognized" individually at the end of the cruise, as was done on cruise 1.

After such a hot day, the after dinner libations and Cognac, we're short lived as Nonny-Nonny land beckoned for We4.

Tomorrow is a Sea Day with no plans other than lounging in the sun for the T's, reading on the balcony for Dragon Chic, and NOWAT writing for Chucky so don't expect much more than a dinner recap at the beginning of Tuesday's recap.

Oh... And petite-fours were waiting in the cabins.

Yeah... "The Fix Is In".

Ciao 4 Now

Uncle Chuck & The ONLY True Bride of Chucky, 

Dragon Lady