An hour’s drive south of Dubrovnik, I cross into the proud little country of Montenegro. Driving along the fjord-like Bay of Kotor, I catch sight of the humble town of Perast. In front of the church, young hunks clad in swim trunks jockey to take tourists out on dinghies to the island in the middle of the bay. According to legend, fishermen saw Mary in the reef and began a ritual of dropping a stone on the spot every time they sailed by. Eventually the island we see today was created, and upon that island was built a fine little “Our Lady of the Rocks” Church, with an adjacent museum.
I hire a Montenegrin dinghy captain, cruise out, and am met by an English-speaking young woman. (The language barrier is minimal here, as English is taught in school from first grade.) She gives me a fascinating tour.
