Our Lady of the Rock in the Bay of Kotor
19 January 2008
No CommentThe Bay of Kotor is recognized as one of the most beautiful bays in the world. It’s made up of four straights that are connected. The most astonishing visual about Kotor are the enormous Fjords that rise out of the crystal blue water. We stopped in Perast, a quaint baroque village on the shores of the Bay of Kotor. Most of the architecture in Perast is from the 17th and 18th centuries. It was built during when seafaring was both a dangerous and lucrative industry. Wealthy sea captains built magnificent villas that looked over the peaceful town and blue refections of the bay.
We took a small powerboat out to a man made island which has room enough for one building, The Church of Our Lady of the Rock (Gospa od Skrpjela), Built in 1630 by grateful sailors who survived the storms and horrors of open sailing, The Church of Our Lady of the Rock was created piece by piece over time. The interior of the building is floor to ceiling trinkets that the sailors either made or purchased in their far off journeys. They thought bringing something back would protect them on the open sea.
There are paintings, etchings and drawings of intense storms tossing boats on maddening seas. Rooms are filled with artifacts from ships and far away lands. Outside the church is a smooth stone area for walking and taking in the intense beauty of the bay and the Fjord’s.
Shooting there was great. I whipped on my trusty polarizer and took excellent shots of the church and Perast with my 300mm zoom, as well as a few sailboats that passed by. A good polarizer is a must in this part of the world. The light is so strong and crisp that you need something to cut the glare and dial in the light.
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