Balkan Snapshot: Coast Road Singalong
6 Days. 5 countries. 900 miles. 22 hours of driving. One stick-shift 9 passenger van. Totally doable, right?
First day is the longest - we have to get to Tirana. Ideally, I’d rather not drive in Albania in the dark, so sunset is the goal.
The views along the coastal roads are just breathtaking, and we blast a range of music to please our inter-generational tasts. Sinatra is an early choice, followed by Frankie Vallie. We soon switch to country. Then the Beegees. Then Pink.
Intergenerational travel broadens the soul and exposes one to different things. Like Sinatra. And Kelly Claskson.
By the time we pull into the Dubrovnik airport to switch vans (Bosnia to Athens wasn’t possible, but for some reason, Bosnia to Dubrovnik was possible and so was Dubrovnik to Bosnia though we had to pay an extra fee to drive through Montenegro), we’re in fine spirits.
Kids have to get COVID tests (every country’s rules are different), but at this point, they are pros. Plus the antigen test is much less invasive.
We return one rental car (and automatic) for a lovely and more modern van, which is a stick. But at this point, I also am a pro, so no big deal. We stock up on snacks, planning to eat lunch in historic Budva a few hours down the road.
The road south of the airport is also lovely, and we all observe the differences when we cross into Montenegro. The roads are better (still small and windy, but serviceable), and there are fewer abandoned or half-constructed buildings.
We pass through historic Kotor, which is stunning. Bill and Angela (Theresa’s folks) have been playing their own version of House-Hunters International across everywhere we have been, researching cost of living, tax-structure, and housing costs for their retirement. The conclusion is that Montenegro might be too developed. But man it’s beautiful.
This was supposed to be our starting point for the day
