Spit-roasted Lamb 炭火烤全羊
April 30, 2026
Apparently, we still were not fully satisfied with the lamb we had the day before. When we learned that we would pass through Jablanica, a small town famous for spit-roasted lamb, on our way to Kotor, we specifically asked for a lunch stop there.
We stopped at Restoran Kovačević, perched on a cliff overlooking the emerald-green river below. Several small lambs were slowly roasting over charcoal outside, and the entire place smelled of grilled meat and smoke. This time, we were more cautious and ordered only 500 grams of lamb along with a few other dishes. The lamb looked beautifully roasted — crispy on the outside and tender inside — but the strong lamb flavor was still a bit more than I expected. As we ate, we even started wondering whether all the effort to try the famous specialty had really been worth it. Still, the experience itself was memorable. Sometimes in travel, the most interesting meals are not necessarily the most delicious ones, but the ones tied most closely to a place and its identity.
After lunch, we continued south and entered Montenegro. The border crossing was surprisingly casual. We simply handed over our passports through the car window without even getting out of the vehicle. Oddly enough, the officer stamped only two of the passports before waving us through.
By late afternoon, we arrived in Kotor. Our rented apartment was located just outside the Old Town in a four-story villa facing the bay. The Bay of Kotor was calm and beautiful, surrounded by steep mountains that reflected softly on the water. In the distance, an MSC cruise ship was docked near the cruise terminal, adding a touch of activity to the otherwise peaceful harbor.
Our host reminded us that many stores would be closed for the upcoming May Day holiday over the next three days, so we should buy groceries that evening if we needed anything. We stopped by a nearby market to pick up some basic supplies for the coming days.
Later, we walked into Kotor Old Town for dinner and, as had become our routine during this trip, took an initial evening stroll through the city. Dinner was satisfying, and the Old Town was certainly beautiful, with its narrow stone alleys, old churches, heavy medieval walls, and lively little squares.
But by this point in the journey, after visiting so many historic European old towns, the sense of excitement was no longer quite as strong as it had been earlier in the trip.
2026年4月30日
今天又将前往一个新的国家——黑山。从萨拉热窝到黑山的港湾小镇科托尔（Kotor）交通不是很方便。朋友在网上找了个萨拉热窝的包车司机。
显然，我们对前一天吃到的烤羊肉并不算完全满意。当得知前往科托尔的途中会经过以炭火烤全羊闻名的小镇亚布拉尼察（Jablanica）时，我们特地要求司机安排一个午餐停留。
我们来到河边悬崖上的科瓦切维奇餐厅（Restoran Kovačević）。餐厅俯瞰着翠绿色的河水，景色相当不错。门口几只小羊正在炭火上缓慢旋转烤制，空气中弥漫着浓浓的烤羊香味，让人一下子就感受到这里对于羊肉的执着。
这一次，我们学乖了，只点了500克烤羊肉，再加上一些其它菜。羊肉外表烤得金黄诱人，皮脆肉嫩，但羊膻味还是比我们预想中更重一些。对我们这些吃猪肉的，Split 那里的烤乳猪更配我们的胃口。这一顿羊肉口味虽然未能十分满足，但这样的体验本身倒也十分难忘。旅行中，有时最有趣的并不一定是“最好吃”的，而是那些带着地方特色与记忆点的经历。
午饭后，我们继续南下进入黑山（Montenegro）。边境手续意外地简单，我们甚至不需要下车，只是把护照递给边检人员。结果他们只在其中两本护照上盖了章，随后便挥手让我们通过了，整个过程顺利的有些不可思议。
从萨拉热窝开车到科托尔，司机没有走最短的路线，因为那是一条非常糟糕的路，对车损害很大。司机宁愿饶道多开近一个小时。但即便如此，进入黑山之后有一段路况还是不太好，坐在车里很不舒服。
傍晚时分，我们抵达科托尔。租住的公寓位于老城墙外不远处，是一栋面朝海湾的四层别墅。朋友特地选了最好的带大阳台的套间，一个海景房。科托尔湾（Bay of Kotor）平静而优美，四周群山环抱，海面几乎没有波浪。远处的邮轮码头停靠着一艘MSC邮轮，让这个宁静海湾多了几分热闹。
房东提醒我们，因为即将到来的“五一劳动节（May Day）”假期，未来三天许多商店都会关门，如果需要买些食品的话，最好今天去。于是我们先去附近超市买了一些基本食品。
安顿好后，我们步行前往科托尔老城（Kotor Old Town）吃晚饭，也顺便进行了像往常一样的“第一轮熟悉城市散步”。因为前几天在波黑每顿都是肉，今天终于又回到亚得里亚海边，主打海鲜，晚餐令人满意。老城依旧是典型的欧洲中世纪古城：狭窄石板路、古老教堂、厚重城墙，以及热闹的小广场，一切都很漂亮。
只是旅行进行到这个阶段，在看过太多类似的欧洲古城之后，最初那种强烈的新鲜感，似乎已经慢慢减弱了。