Day 9 6 Sep - Exploring Montenegro, before catching an overnight sleeper train to Belgrade in Serbia

Photo above - me in Kotor, Montenegro.

Down the coast to Kotor

We had a lazy start to the day. Eventually at about 11am, set off on a short drive (7 miles, about 30 minutes) to the beautifully preserved town of Kotor, population 13,000. Tucked beneath steep cliffs and protected by medieval walls, Kotor's Old Town is another UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the best examples of medieval architecture along the Adriatic.

We wandered around the compact old town, which again feels very Italian. In fact the Italians were here for several hundred years, and Italian is still taught in schools. We walked around the city wall, but this only gives views over the harbour and bay, whereas looking towards the city is mainly the backs of buildings.

We then stopped for a beer and something to eat. Lovely views, however it was again a bit murky in one direction due to wildfires. The temperatures are quite a lot above average for the time of year, in the low 30Cs, but humidity is also high here.

Further south to catch a sleeper train

Later in the afternoon, we continued the drive south along the scenic coastal road to Bar (37 miles), where we'll board our overnight sleeper train to Belgrade - a rail journey of around 480km, which should take about 12 hours. The road alternated between slow progress through the resort towns at sea level, to faster stretches where it went up and off into the mountains, a mile or so inland. We got to the town of Bar at about 6pm. The town is in the south of the country, not far from the Albanian border.

Evening in Bar

We were dropped at the station to await our 8pm train. In a slightly surreal turn of events, we found ourselves in a small dead end town, with a real cow standing on the roundabout in front of the station, and our fellow passengers, including children, dogs and cats, all sitting at an alfresco tree lined park with chequered table clothed tables, eating and drinking to build themselves up for the 12 hour journey.

Preparing for departure

This route was built during the Yugoslav era by Josip Tito himself, the socialist leader who ruled from 1943 until his death in 1980. We have a second-class sleeper compartment booked with all bedding provided. We anticipate being woken at about midnight when the customs people come on board at the border to cross into Serbia.

Tomorrow, we should arrive in Belgrade, Serbia at about 7am. We then have a couple of days in the capital.