When the sun is shining: The village of Prevlaka

I don't remember a time like this, which made it impossible to leave the house for almost two and a half months. It was raining like in Makonda, and this weekend I was imprisoned in the house by the wind and a thick minus according to the subjective feeling of temperature.

I haven't written a letter in a month. The material has melted. I was thinking about whether to put the remaining 3-4 stories in one blog, but my expert advisor said: Write each one separately! Neither who goes where, nor writes.

And so it was the turn of the village of Prevlaka, where I walked in March two years ago. Observing Lake Skadar from Mala and Velika Bobija, I saw an island whose name I did not know. When I also saw houses on it, I was surprised. However, I forgot about it until I read an article about Prevlaca on my favorite page Peaks of Montenegro, looking for a light walk.

Whenever there are multiple toponyms of the same name, one always takes precedence. Thus, the main association for Prevlaka is the peninsula in the Adriatic Sea, at the entrance to the Bay of Kotor, which was the subject of dispute between Croatia and Montenegro for many years after the collapse of our former state. This is about an island and a village with the same name. The island is connected to the mainland by a bridge, making it a peninsula in a way. Prevlaka can be reached by the road that leads to Rijeka Crnojevića. The first major intersection leads to Rvaš, and the second, 2 km further, to Drušić and Prevlaka. It is 6 km from this turn to Prevlaka. When we crossed the bridge and found ourselves on the island, we had two options: to continue straight or to turn half left. We decided to go straight first, intending to come back the other way. This time he led us to the church of St. Nicholas. The old church was in the process of restoration and the construction plan that was highlighted on the board was delayed. Later I found out that the church is being renovated with donations from good people and that my friend Marina, who is originally from Prevlaka, and her sister are the main benefactors. They also managed to register the church in the list of national cultural treasures.

I must admit that I found the village on the opposite side much more interesting than the church. Not to mention the view of Lake Skadar. As is usually the case, the church and cemetery are located on the most beautiful elevation in the area, and the view from that place is also fantastic. I was so delighted that I was completely disappointed with the photos that failed to convey my impressions of the lake from that point.

We returned to the intersection and turned right. We drove along a narrow road, long ripe for repair, to the last house, following the description from Vrhov Montenegro. And what happened to Mr. Popović from Vrhov Montenegro, happened to us too: the gentleman from the house next to which we parked did not allow us to pass without stopping for a glass of conversation. The host dissuaded us from climbing Duruk, saying that the road was overgrown. It's better for us to sit down and talk. He kept offering us. He told us interesting stories about his attempt to raise goats, about the problems of retaining the workforce... The day went on. We barely said goodbye.

Then we went down to the shore. A few tens of meters from where we parked there is a small dock where the locals of Prevlaka keep their boats. From this place, we saw Mala and Velika Bobija directly in front, and to the right of them we also saw Žabljak Crnojevića. I was able to get closer to him with the help of a stronger camera lens.

When we had already given up climbing, we decided to go back towards the church to check if we had seen a cave or not. We didn't think so. We parked and headed towards her. To our surprise, we were greeted by stairs. Ahead we saw a small pool of water. Once this water was used for drinking, and now, mainly for irrigation (I found out later). In any case, the cave seems mystical, and it is also photogenic.

A lake, a hill, a cave, a beautiful word, a glass of brandy... What more could you want from a village. Maybe a little more inhabitants because Prevlaka has potential for both agriculture and tourism. Lake Skadar is becoming more and more popular among foreign tourists. "Mystic Prevlaka" would certainly have its chance. Homemade food, peace, quiet, fantastic views... If only Marina could retire and go into business.

On the way back, when we left the island, we saw the lake from a different perspective, a house, maybe forgotten and a white heron. I hardly need to say that my expectations have been exceeded. And Duruk? Spring is coming. There will be opportunities.

(jasnaputovanja.me)