Salad Square, Montenegro
The Balkans is an amazing part of the world. But how many people have visited and experienced the history, culture and people. At The Balkans and Beyond we love to share our stories and practical tips with people. Since we began writing, we have found others with the same passion and enthusiasm for the region.
One such person is Melanie. Having fallen in love with the Balkans while living in Zagreb, Croatia, she later purchased a small investment property in Montenegro. Plans to sell and move on were swiftly quashed as she fell head-over-heels for the town of Kotor, its charms and the simple life in the sun.
The blog – Montenegro Girl – details the highs and lows of buying and renovating an apartment in Montenegro. And Melanie describes how she slowly immersed into Montenegrin culture and found her happy place.
We wanted to feature this particular piece because it sums up the feeling of most of us right now. Also because it also takes us straight to that small square in Kotor where we can almost feel the heat of the sun, smell the cooking from the restaurants and hear the quiet bustle of the tourists and locals. So, read on and transport yourself to Salad Square, Montenegro…
Montenegro Girl
I miss Salad Square. This little square in Kotor Old Town has long been a favourite of mine whenever I stay at my apartment in Montenegro. It is strikingly beautiful with its faded glory, old marble tiles and backdrop of the mountains rising steeply up behind. But I love Salad Square in particular because it represents the essence of Montenegro and why it’s become so close to my heart. It’s a snapshot of Montenegrin life where tourists and locals mix alike. A place full of the charm that first made me fall in love with Kotor Old Town.
And I should have been there right now in Salad Square in Kotor Old Town – had it not been for the Coronavirus. And I miss it.
Head past the towering cathedral in Tryphon Square with its cluster of tourists snapping pictures outside and sneak down the narrow alleyway by the jewellery shop and you will soon come upon Salad Square in Kotor Old Town. A little unassuming square tucked away on the back wall.
Eating in Salad Square
Whatever time of day, through the ebb and flow of the seasons, I love coming and whiling away some time in Salad Square. Eating a simple, yet delicious breakfast of fresh eggs and thick crusty bread at the friendly local Konoba Roma. Rubbing shoulders with early risers from the cruise ships already sipping on wine. Watching the exhausted tourists collapse on one of the chairs on the terrace of Bar Perper after a sweaty climb up to the fort overlooking Kotor.
Even though tourist numbers swell with the summer and the arrival of cruise ships, there’s still a slice of everyday local life here in the square too. A small hairdressing salon is sandwiched to the right of the steps up to the fort. Easy to miss if it weren’t for the occasional sound of hair dryers or the chatter of women every time the door opens on a quiet afternoon.
A tiny convenience shop is nestled on the opposite side between the square’s two restaurants, Roma and Scala Santa. The shelves that line every wall in the dark, windowless space are packed full of packets of pasta, biscuits and family sized packs of crisps.
Summer in Salad Square
All through the summer both restaurants are busy with people, spilling onto the terraces, chatting and savouring the freshly prepared fish and local wine. And day and night the square comes alive with informal music performances enticing the wandering tourists to stop awhile. Back packers sit on the steps near to the youth hostel drinking beer and smoking, while exchanging stories of their travels. Others walk through the square, maybe browse a short while in the souvenir shop or stop at the lovely old fountain to cool themselves down or fill their water bottles up.
I also love to lift my eyes from the action on the ground and look up at the tall stone buildings that line Salad Square. If you’re lucky you can get a little glimpse into the homes of those who live around the square, when the shutters are open and lights switched on as it darkens outside. Sometimes people lean out of their windows to enjoy the spectacle below, while others take in laundry from lines precariously strung from their windows or exchange a few words with each other from their balconies.
Montenegro in all its beauty is neatly contained in this small square with a strange name. And I love it. Take a seat, stop a while and take it all in. You might just find you love Salad Square too.
In this period of lockdown and uncertainty, I’m missing you, Salad Square. But I’m looking forward to seeing you again. Hopefully very soon.
For more from Melanie, check her out her blog at Montenegro Girl
Instagram @montenegro.girl