Day 75 - July 26th: On the Road Again
Herceg Novi to Bečići: 28.9 miles / 2,124 total
Our day ended exactly where it had 24 hours prior—only this time, the full team was present. The Palmas Apartments in Herceg Novi, where I had checked in solo yesterday before fleeing back to Croatia in my running clothes, had a room waiting for us again. Perched above a seaside restaurant and steps from the beach club, it was the perfect place to regroup.
Christina and I dropped our bags and made our way down to the terrace, drained and elated. We ordered two drafts of the local Nikšićko beer and toasted: we had lived to fight another day.
Tina isn’t an athlete, nor competitive in the traditional sense, but she is unrelenting—passionate, resourceful, and determined. When Monica heard what was happening, she floated the idea of pulling the plug. “It’s been a huge success,” she said. “You’ve already run across Europe.” But we knew the answer. We weren’t done. And like Doug said, these things only work with a strong team—and Christina’s been a superstar.
I left early at 6:15am, eager to beat the heat. There was no breakfast at the apartment, so food became my first mission.
After a few easy kilometers along the Herceg Novi promenade (which, impressively, runs nearly five miles), I spotted a bakery just opening. I grabbed a fresh, chocolate-filled donut and a coffee from the café next door. The donut was soft like funnel cake, filled with Nutella-like spread. With a strong coffee it was a solid start to the day.
The Montenegrin coastline welcomed me with sidewalks and shoulders that wove me through village after village. It’s a patchwork, but it works. I reached the ferry terminal at Kamenari and waved to a crew member, asking if I needed a ticket. “Pedestrians ride free,” he said, motioning me aboard. The ferry—part of the vital Kamenari–Lepetane link—crosses the Bay of Kotor, one of Europe’s deepest fjord-like inlets, with roots tracing back to Roman times. It’s the most efficient way to avoid a long loop around the bay and has served as a strategic passage for centuries. The place reminded me of Norway.
Once across, I continued south along the mainland. Montenegro isn’t part of the EU, but shares its linguistic heritage with neighbors like Croatia, Serbia, and Bosnia—variations of the same Slavic root. Compared to other places we’ve passed through, I’ve noticed fewer English speakers and fewer tourists from outside the region.
By the time I passed Tivat Airport around the 22km mark, the sun was blazing. What I thought was a morning cloud layer over the mountains turned out to be smoke from wildfires.
And just when the heat and dust hit their worst, I found myself dodging construction zones—pipe laying, grading, fresh blacktop—along a winding stretch of road.
After 18km in the construction zone I finally made a left hand turn onto the final climb which was a 600-foot ascent over the mountains into Bečići. Cresting the pass, the town came into view like a scene out of Rio—golden beaches hemmed in by green mountains. I descended into town where Christina and Jax had just pulled in after all the traffic I had run through.
Back together, back on track. Tomorrow, we move again.
Thanks for following and for all the support.
Cheers,
David.
