Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 40 Page 41 Page 42 Page 43 Page 4440 FOCUS - MARCH 2017 158 Casimir Street, Port Perry 905-985-2268 jean.scott@marlintravel.ca MC Ask me about my ROCKY MOUNTAINEER trip of a lifetime! HAPPY BIRTHDAY CANADA! Jean TICO #4577532 The climb to the Castle of St. John at the top is not really a climb as much as it is a huff-n-puff. What I was not pre- pared for was the 1,350 steps, as they are uneven, chiselled from stones and vary in sizes. The entire journey takes you over a kilometer in height and 4.5 km. in length. All these numbers amount to about three hours of painful exercise. Another scenic stop along the way is the coastal town of Budva. About the size of Port Perry, this area is known as the Montenegro Riviera, and is a destination for locals when they want to go on vacation. The town is fortified with a wall and is extremely picturesque for visitors with a camera. A local mon- astery is well worth seeing and for the more pilgrim-minded, you can visit the site of a sacred relic, the finger of John the Baptist. Should you venture into the small chapel where the finger is kept, it is im- portant to note that you have to kiss it; otherwise they will not let you in. I have kissed the Blarney Stone in Ireland and a cod fish in Newfoundland, but it did not make this any easier, as I puckered up to experience this local tradition. My last stop in Montenegro was the Island of St. Stephen. This is the site of a beautiful, old castle, which has recently been purchased and is being converted into a hotel. Unfortunately it is closed to the public. The beach however, is public and quite beautiful. It consists of fine sand and warm Adriatic currents. I wondered why there were only a few people soak- ing up the sunshine and learned the only way one is allowed onto the beach is to rent a chair and an umbrella, at a cost of 75 euros ($105 CDN) for the day… or any part thereof. The Adriatic coast is perfect for any type of vacation and if you want to avoid the crowds of Dubrovnik and Croatia, travel along the coast a bit to experience the uniqueness of magical Montenegro. Jonathan van Bilsen is a photographer, author, columnist, keynote speaker and can be followed at photosNtravel.com The Benedictine Monestary on St. George’s Island. Montenegro (continued from page 39)