CROATIA, but only just

The overnight ferry SVETI STEFAN rocked and rolled in the heaviest seas we have yet encountered but the pills were working and we avoided any sickness. First sight of Montenegro exposed a rugged coastline and we arrived early into the only country which uses the Euro as currency but is not in the EC, how did they manage that? We were immediately questioned about car registration as apparently we needed a 'green card with red writing' which we don't have. After some stern words we were allowed in and proceeded to Kotor, a delightful town in the bay of the same name which is really more of a fjord. This island on the way is typical of what we were expecting on the Dalmatian Coast.

Kotor is protected by steep mountains and a fortress above and the architecture is reminiscent of Ortigia, white stone, marble tiles and predominantly green shutters.

After some wandering and a very welcome lunch (no proper food since the Porky ones!)we proceeded on to the border with Croatia, this time being scolded for not having 'Montenegro Insurance' and proper 'document car'. Who cares? We are leaving! So he relented in the end. Home free. Not so fast, 100 meters up the road was Croatian immigration and this time was far more threatening, in total we waited almost an hour and at one point we were denied entry as we could not bring an 'illegal car' into the country. Eventually the boss man came onto the scene, chastised us for not having that green card and also for being over the limit of wine, olive oil, marsala and other items which we have collected along the way. Then he let us go, we are now in Dubrovnik.