Big Lake and Big Birds
Drive along Lake Skadar, Montenegro
I was in my element at the beach, but the Oldies were soon keen to go exploring further afield. I have to admit that my interest was piqued when I heard that inland Montenegro is supposedly even more stunning than the coast. Now, that I had to see. This coastline takes some beating!
The Dynamic Duo chose a drive along Lake Skadar as their first outing. Not terribly ambitious, I thought. Sure it’s only a round trip of about 100 km. If we set off early enough, we can be back in time for an afternoon session on the beach.
How wrong can you be?
The road is high up above the lake and it’s basically a single lane although the traffic is two-way. His Lordship had to reverse several times to allow oncoming traffic to pass. In parts, there is sheer rock on the hillside and a sheer drop on the lakeside. This is definitely not a drive for the fainthearted. Her Ladyship nearly fainted several times. It’s just as well she wasn’t the one behind the wheel!
I reckon that our average speed was around 20 km/h. At times we were being overtaken by butterflies for goodness sake! I reckon it took the Oldies about 4 hours just to cover the 50-odd kilometres from Vladimir to Virpazar. That must be some kind of record. Not that I was complaining. The views are absolutely breathtaking. What a lake! I had to keep reminding myself that we were no longer on the Adriatic. Like the sea, this lake seems to stretch out forever.
At one point, the road veered away from the lakeside and we found ourselves driving through the most magnificent chestnut forest. This country is definitely full of surprises.
I couldn’t believe the villages far, far below – and the access roads to them. Crazy! Much to Her Ladyship’s chagrin, Himself suggested we stop off in one of these lakeside villages for a drink. By the time we had reached the lakeshore, Her Ladyship’s nerves were so shattered that she revised her soft drink option to something a lot stronger. The waiter, unable to change a €100 note, explained that there was no bank in the village and that getting to one is quite an expedition. The problem was solved, however, when he did a quick whip around for change among the rest of the customers. There’s private banking for you!
After the underwater campsite in Rijeka Crnojevica, I wasn’t too surprised to see an underwater football field in the pretty lakeside village of Virpazar.
When His Lordship was buying a couple of postcards at a kiosk there, the lady behind the counter asked, ‘Would you like some stamps? ‘No thanks’ ‘How about some wine?’ ‘My son makes it’, she added, proudly. His Lordship did a double-take, but bought a bottle after all. Well, at €5 a litre, it was worth a try. When we returned a few days later, he immediately went back to the kiosk for another couple of bottles. It must have been a good one. Not that I was given the chance to try it, mind you. The proud mammy of the winemaker was chuffed with the repeat business.
I was thrilled to discover that the reason we returned to Virpazar was not just for the wine. Herself had been persuaded to go on a boat trip. After having driven that lakeside route, it didn’t take much to convince her that a boat ride would be a far more relaxing way to see more of the lake.
What a trip that was! We puttered our way through the acres of waterlilies and rushes, the islands mirrored in the water’s surface. The birdlife here is incredible. I wasn’t surprised to hear that 270 different species of bird live here. I’d live here if I could! During our short trip, I spotted some little grebes, crested grebes, coots, terns, egrets and pygmy cormorants.
The Oldies were amused at the pygmy cormorants cooling off on the trees by the lake, their beaks open and their throats vibrating. I don’t see anything unusual about that. Sure Herself has her mouth open and her throat vibrating practically all the time!
And then the Oldies spotted a pair of Dalmatian pelicans. What a palaver! They could have eased up a bit at the oooohing and aaaahing. Yeah, sure, these pelicans are a rare and endangered species. But then, so am I. And yes, they are impressively big and their beaks are just massive. But, my goodness, they sure are ugly! If you want to see a perfectly formed, perfectly proportioned beak, you need look no further than Yours Truly’s. But the Wingless Wonders only had eyes for these ungainly looking giants. They even started reciting poetry about them!
A wonderful bird is the pelican.
His beak can hold more than his belican…
I’ll be darned if I know how the helican compete with that.
