Interesting Afternoon

On Friday, we went to the Roma Refuge Camp located outside of Podgorica. The gentlemen that we were with wanted a picture of the camp from the mountain overlooking the valley. I did not know how to get there, so today, Chris and I took a drive through the countryside to find a place to take a picture.

After driving for about 30 minutes through back roads, we turn down one road that turns into a dirt road, that leads to a gate. The gate had a cross on it, so we thought maybe it was a monastery or something. We stop the car, get out and a gentleman comes out of the house and Chris (the brave one) tells him of our mission and he says that it is ok to take a picture. So, I begin clicking away.

The pictures are not too great, I was shooting into the sun. But, our quest for a picture turned out to be the key to new friends. We were invited in and had coffee, cakes, sweets, cheese and ham. The people were Catholics from Albania and spoke several languages. We had a delightful time.

When was the last time you invited total strangers into your home for 2 hours of coffee and conversation? Even better, when did you invite total strangers from another country into your house for coffee and conversation? This is not the first time it has happened to us in Montenegro. The people here are very friendly and open to new friends. Sometimes, I think that Americans need to become a bit like the Montenegrins, kick back a bit, rest, relax and drink some coffee!