Staying at Marko’s near Virpazar again

I’m sitting on the upper terrace at Marko’s Prevalis Nature Cottage, a house he completed 4 years ago in which everything is handmade except the couch. When we arrived yesterday Marko greeted us with hugs and warm welcome. We stayed in the unit downstairs 4 years ago. Last year we stayed in his 2  bedroom apartment in the older house down the hill. He has offered this large studio to us for $40 a night (instead of the off season rate of $65, $90 in summer). We are very appreciative of his generosity. The one room unit is spacious and the whole wall facing the valley and mountains is made of glass doors that lead to a large terrace.

Yesterday I gave Marko a copy of Serb World USA, the issue which includes a few write-ups and photos of our past visits here. I was slightly hesitant to share it because I refer twice to his generosity but clumsily phrased. In any case, later in the day he said he had read my article. I asked if it was ok. He said yes, ok, but he stood up and commented that I twice mentioned him giving the rooms for a reduced rate and was touched but didn’t understand why he was so nice to us. He said, do you know why I do it? He went on to explain that he is committed to being a good human being, and this leads him to try to preserve the old values of generosity and sharing which are gone in much of the world and quickly disappearing in Montenegro too. I tried to convey how appreciative we are, and that people’s generosity here inspires me to be more generous myself. He said, half jokingly but maybe a little defensively, I’m not sure, that we can pay the full rate if we want. I reassured him that we appreciate his generosity. In any case, it did not appear that he was offended by what I wrote but that he wanted me to understand what is behind his generosity.

Marko also corrected my understanding of rakija. Several people have served us what they said was walnut rakija. Marko said that is not rakija but a liquor. Rakija is distilled from fruits. The walnut beverage we have had is not distilled. The walnuts soak in the sun and sugar or herbs are added but it is not distilled and therefore not rakija.

I feel pretty lousy today, the worst I’ve felt since waking with a sore throat 4 days ago. The sky this morning reminds me of how I feel. The lightly pale blue sky is visible in spots but mostly the sky is grey with a thin layer of clouds, and all the colors on the hills and around the neighborhood are muted by the thin grey haze-mist that reaches to the valley floor. I feel like I, too, have a thin hazy grey mist or coating over everything inside me. Plus I’m very sleepy. I’d love to nap…
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It is now Sunday. We have spent 4 nights here, 1 more to go. When we arrived we planned to stay only 3 nights but because I wasn’t feeling good, and this is such a pleasant comfortable place for ‘doing nothing’ we decided to extend our stay. I’m glad we did.

I felt much better yesterday than the day before so we decided to do a hike that Marko recommended as not being long nor difficult. We drove about 10 minutes on a one-lane road on the other side of the main road, parked and did about a 6 mile round trip hike. I felt fine, just a bit sleepy on the return walk. I didn’t need to blow my nose once.

We had more pleasant weather yesterday-sunny, mid to high 70’s. We have been lucky with weather on this trip with only one day of rain, no cold days and only a few hot days. I love grey days and rain but when hiking or traveling I appreciate clear days because it’s nice to see the views around wherever we are.

We followed an old dirt road for a while which eventually changed into a path. Like so many paths over here, this was not created for hikers but is a centuries old foot path that was used by people in the numerous remote tiny villages that speckle the mountainsides. Jim and I both can’t help but fantasize about what life was like for people who lived here 500 or 300 or even 75 years ago. Obviously it was a tough life. I know enough not to romanticize or idealize the times or the people. But, I also know we modern city dwellers have missed out on some essential experiences and knowledge that our ancestors were privy to that we are not. 

Our walk paralleled a wide clear stream, usually out of sight but sometimes we could hear it. At one point we came to an arched low stone bridge which is likely a couple centuries old. Sometimes the path was in shade, other times in sunny open areas where we had inspiring views of the densely treed green mountains around us. Somewhere in a village high above us we could hear guys talking as they used chain saws to fell trees. After we passed the overgrown remains of an old stone mill we passed a lush shaded steep grove where a small stream of water flowed straight down very mossy rocks. Finally we reached our destination, a waterfall that is maybe 10-12 feet tall, not impressive in height but scenic and magical nonetheless. A young couple had reached the site before us, and we saw two other groups of two hiking toward the falls on our return, but that was the extent of the people we encountered. I was happy we saw no snakes.

On our way home we stopped in ‘town’ to order some food to bring home with us. We ate on the balcony, such a restful spot. Last night there was a young Chinese couple renting the unit below us. I woke at 1:30 am to a bad headache and the sound of them talking loudly and moving stuff around downstairs. Then they apparently turned on some sort of noisy mechanical device which made a steady noise that was torturous for me. I am very sensitive to certain sounds even on the best of days, but when I have a headache my sensitivity is heightened. There was no place I could go to escape the noise. I bunched up my jacket and put it over my ear as I laid on my side which muffled the sound slightly but not completely. I don’t know what in the world the device was but finally at 8:30 this morning they turned it off. What a relief! They checked out today and nobody else is checking in so it should be quiet tonite other than the occasional train sounds and the roosters crowing in the early morning. Those are sounds I enjoy.

Jim has taken bike rides 3 of our 4 days here and has logged 70 miles which has been a real treat for him even though the bike he has borrowed is not as capable as the bike he rides back home. He has loved getting to know the territory around here better, filling in his ‘mental map’ as he likes to say. Aside from Jim’s rides and our one hike I’ve done very little here besides sitting on our upper terrace, writing a little bit, and relaxing, which is welcome after 4+ busy and very social weeks. We’ve paid to have breakfast served to us a couple days down on the lawn below, and Jim cooked the other two mornings. Most evenings we’ve made the 15 minute walk into town and eaten at one of two restaurants that aren’t great but are the best of the 4 places that are still open. 

Once in a while I make a quick trip down the hill to the old spring on Marko’s family property and fill my water bottle. The tap water is safe to drink but the spring water tastes so much better. The first time I went to the spring I discovered that not only is the trickling sound of the water pleasing, but there is also a very musical resonant sound the water makes in the pipe before it emerges into daylight. This sound delights me every time I squat and listen. On my sickest day I wrote a story about it.

Marko’s grapes and fruit trees have faired poorly this year, a plight shared by many people in the region. There was much more rain than usual this summer as well as high winds, and this severely impacted people’s harvests. We haven’t yet had a sit-down visit with Marko but we hope to tomorrow before we leave. He is a very busy guy, striving to give top service to his guests while also doing never-ending chores on the property, helping family and friends with projects, and making time to be with his fiancé who lives in Podgorica 25 minutes away. We are his last guests of the year and he is very ready to rest and recuperate from a busy summer. He and his fiancé will travel in Viet Nam this winter. He loves to travel.

Due to my headache and lack of sleep I didn’t feel up for another hike today so Jim went for a bike ride up the road. On his way home he stopped at a house we have stayed at 3 times to see if our old host, Rajka was home. I just got a video call from Jim and was able to say hi to Rajka and use Serbian to exchange the basics.  She has been a fabulous generous host to us in the past. The only reason I didn’t try to book with her this year was because she lives too far up the road to walk to town and back for dinner, and I like to avoid using the car on this tiny road when possible. If we come again maybe we will stay with her next time. When we last stayed with her in 2019 she was not doing well. She had broken her wrist and the doctors botched the surgery and she is left with a misshapen wrist. She had a stroke that same summer and had to get rid of her beloved cow and was unable to tend her vineyard and garden. On our brief video call she appeared to look much better than when we last saw her, but Jim reported that she is still smoking and drinking a lot of rakija. He said she was happy to see him.

I will be sorry to leave her tomorrow, as I always am. We are moving into our final week of traveling. On the one hand I look forward to being home in my familiar environment with people who speak my language and whose customs I know. And I look forward to cooking dinners, eating more green veggies, and sleeping in my own bed. But another part of me would love to stay here longer in this foreign place where I feel in many ways so at home.

Photos: 1st 2 rows are from the tourist boat-centric town of Virpazar which sits at the edge of one of the largest lakes in Europe. Rows 3-5 are of Marko’s place. Rows 6-9 are from our hike. Rows 10-11 are from around Marko’s and include fresh mulberry juice, the spring, and one of many kittens roaming around.