Mooching around Montenegro 18/10/2017

Lake Skadar National Park is renowned as one of Europe's top bird habitats it is also the Balkans largest lake. The poster bird is the Dalmatian pelican which nests here along with 256 other species

We are pretty sure that we saw the pelican from the car but not to photograph (this is a picture of a picture). We did see grebes, cormorants, various ducks, heron, lots of hooded crows, magpies, the inevitable coots and one kingfisher. Here are some bird photos, see if you can extend my list.

The cormorants are the pygmy variety and 25% of the world's population of them live on this lake.

We booked a two hour boat trip which was fine but with commentary or further information about about the place could have been so much better. All the boats had curved sun shading roofs made of reeds which gave them a slightly sanpan ethnic appeal. The shallows of the lake looked like meadows of waterlilies and must be a glorious sight when they are all in bloom. In addition to the flora and fauna there were interesting fortifications and islands with, you've guessed it, isolated monasteries on them. It is interesting how religion has boomed in all the former Soviet satellites. Here it is Serbian Orthodox, witness the huge recently consecrated church in Bar and what we might see in Podgorica.

In the evening we visited the old town of Bar. Stari Bar is above the present day port and is described as an enigmatic ruin. The hype describes it as "the Montenegrin Pompeii". Its ruinous state is not the result of a volcanic eruption but the result of Montenegrin shelling in1878 when they recaptured it from the Ottoman Empire. Originally it contained 240 buildings one or two of which have been restored. We walk up a steep cobbled street past a cluster of old houses and shops to a fortified entrance. After a dark passage we encounter a large expanse of vine clad ruins and abandoned streets overgrown with grass and wild flowers. There has been an attempt to restore some of the buildings and create a cultural and scientific centre, but these seem to be floundering. Perhaps they need some EU grant aid.

We have now driven to Podgorica in order to return the hire car to the airport and catch the Belgrade train tomorrow morning at 8-10. The Terminus Hotel is, understandably adjacent to the station and really rather nice. We managed to get a bargain price of €50 the night. They arranged another bargain, a taxi for me to follow to the airport and then bring me back to the hotel, €7.

I have read about the new cathedral in Podgorica which was started in 1993 and finally consecrated in 2014. It is controversial as they like their old but it is certainly impressive particularly the interior with its very lavish frescoes. The Lonely Planet guide states that one fresco depicts Tito, Engels  and Marx burning in hell together. Well I looked pretty hard and only found one fiery fresco. I enquired with a couple of people, including a guide but they denied any political art. 

The fiery fresco. I was told that it represents the forty martyrs who were burned. I think that I believe that that story better. Can anyone spot Tito, Marx or Engels? Or any other heroes for that matter, anyone for Corbyn??