«Ադրիատիկի մարգարիտը» by Yeva Sargsyan // Translation

«Ադրիատիկի մարգարիտը» by Yeva Sargsyan

It has been about 10 years since I’ve been in the city of Budva in Montenegro. I remember how impressed I was by the Adriatic Sea with all of its charm, the Mediterranean architecture, happy people, and of course, most importantly, the delicious cuisine. If you haven’t been there before, I suggest that we go together and discover- you, Budva for the first time and me, through comparison. So, do you agree? Let’s go.

You know that I am a future tourism professional, right? That is why I will be today’s guide, I will try to tell and show you everything. We will go to historic areas, we’ll stroll through old and new streets, and we will reach the shores of the Adriatic Sea, enjoying the warm Mediterranean climate.

The history of the city is very interesting. According to legend, the city was founded by Cadmus, who killed the dragon monster and fled from Greece. Settling in the north, he lived here with his wife, Harmony. The city represents a harmony of Greek and Roman civilizations.

Now imagine what these two interesting cultures in one place would represent. Budva is divided into Old (historic center) and New (modern part of the city) cities. Today we will walk through the Old Town, trust me, there is much to discover. So that we don’t get lost, we can use Budva’s main street to orient ourselves. It passes by the sea and all the way across the city. See how many small shops there are; full of souvenirs, we should definitely buy something from here. And do you see that every step has memes (man-statues) with interesting statues? Pose so that I take a picture of you with them.

Let’s continue our journey. The Old city is very similar to a great castle. Don’t be surprised when you see the medieval city in its original form: narrow streets and squares, and stone stairs leading to elegant houses with small windows and red roofs.

On one of the castle walls you see two intertwined fish. This is another symbol of Budva’s. There is a beautiful legend about this. In the old town lived a sculptor. He could sculpt anything he could see from the stone, and his works seemed to be alive. One day he met the beautiful Elena and fell in love with her. However, the girl’s family did not allow them to marry. Then the lovers came to this wall and jumped into the sea, turning into fish.

Our next stop is the Archeological museum. Here you will see objects from Greek, Roman, Byzantine and Slavic cultures, gold coins and jewelry, glassware and ceramic vases, and the museum’s most valuable exhibit, a fully preserved Illyrian bronze helmet, one of the earliest antiquities.

Do you hear voices? Yes, you are right. The Adriatic Sea is calling us, we’ve already made it. We can already hear the gentle sound of the sea waves, my feet are getting stuck in the sand, let’s go take a quick dip… the cold water is very invigorating.

Sorry, but I’m diving into the distance; until we meet again.

P.S. Why did I choose Montenegro? Until yesterday, it was the only country that did not have any patients infected with coronavirus.