Lovely Seasonal Fruits

When it comes to buying fruits and vegetables in Podgorica, you can easily run into trouble. If you have the perfect lunch or dinner planned in your head, it does not necessarily mean that you will be able to find all ingredients in the supermarket. First of all, you will have more luck going to the local markets for nicer fruits and vegetables. But second, it all depends on the S.E.A.S.O.N. So, season is the keyword. That means that when there is the season for watermelon, there is watermelon to be found everywhere. But you may not be able to find those other much needed fruits or vegetables (and please don't get us started on the herbs; another blog-post) for your fancy (or usually in my case: not so fancy) recipes.. 

But, on the other hand, if you learn to plan according to season, you will get the most DELICIOUS sun-ripened fruits and vegetables you have ever tasted. And best of all, they are as organic as they can possibly be, as they are most likely grown at your neighbors fruit/vegetable-patch. 

Right now we are very excited that the season for pomegranate and mandarins have started. Look at these lovely ready-to-eat fruits that we found on the market yesterday, yummy! They are great to use both in salads and to eat as a snack. 

We can also suggest Nigella Lawson's Pomegranate Ice Cream.  You can find the recipe here 

Do you have any recipes to share, using pomegranate or mandarins?

Inspiration

When we first arrived in Podgorica, the capital city of Montenegro, the two of us found it a little depressing. Being city girls, we love  architecture, culture, shopping, restaurants,  and pulsing energy.   Compared to what we were use to Podgorica almost seemed like a village to us.  There was nothing unique, beautiful or quirky about it.  The architecture is bland, many building are in need of TLC, shopping is lacking and restaurants are all the same...in general there was not anything special. 

Fast forward several months: Fitness, Fotography and Food

We were determined to find a way to make life in Podgorica exciting, beautiful and lovely.

Fitness - We were introduced to a former Montenegrin judo champion who became our personal trainer and motivated us to take advantage of our time and get into shape.  We have been working and sweating it out with him for over a year and have now become inspired to run a half marathon in March. Not only is he an excellent trainer but also a good friend:-).  He has shared stories and experiences of Montenegro and has given us an appreciation of things we could have easily missed. 

Fotography - We both love and have a passion for photography and decided this was great opportunity to learn more.  We met a young local photographer with a great eye who agreed to teach us the basics of photography. A few other expats joined our group and together we took lessons for 12 weeks.  It turned out to be one of the best experiences we could of ever had. Our Monday classes created new friendships and allowed us to see parts of the country through a new perspective.

Food - Since "take out" meals consists mostly of pizza and pljeskavica (Montenegrin hamburger) we were forced to learn to cook.  Inspiration came from local friends sharing family recipes of their favourite Balkan foods. It was entertaining and fun learning to make princess kroffna, honey cakes and soup. One of our lessons was how to make "stuffed peppers" which provided inspiration for the name of our blog.    

Although Podgorica is not our dream expat destination inspiration has come out of it. This is why we want to share with you that excitement and beauty can be found in the most unexpected places. We hope you will enjoy the journey together with us.

Lovcen Mausoleum - A Fantastic View

Want to experience fantastic views, combined with some Montenegrin history and great nature? Make sure to visit the second highest peak of Lovcen. There you will find a Mausoleum in honor to poet, ruler and bishop Petar ll Petrovic Njegosh, at a stunning altitude of 1657 meters. It is said to be the highest Mausoleum raised in Europe. 

The Mausoleum is of course not without controversy. Njegosh´s wish was to be buried in a small chapel which he had built, but unfortunately, the chapel got destroyed during WW1. Njegosh´s remains were transferred to the Cetinje Monastery. Instead of renovating the chapel, communist powers of Montenegro built the Mausoleum, which to many people opposed Njegosh's last will. 

The design of the Mausoleum is of Ivan Mestrovic, who was a Croatian and Yugoslav sculptor and architect. After "google-ing" this man, we found out he was apparently the first living person to have a one-man show at the Metropolitan Museum of Art New York City.

However, the best part of this visit is definitely the breathtaking view. It is said that you can see 80percent of Montengro from the viewpoint, and if you are lucky on a clear day, and have a very good sight, you may even be able to see Italy. Enjoy!

Duklja/ Doclea

Four kilometers north of Podgorica lies Duklja/Doclea or also referred to as "Old Town Montenegro" by the locals. It is located on a flat plateau between the rivers Moraca and Zeta. This ancient city was once the most important urban center of Roman rule in Montenegro. Today, it is the country's most important archeological site. If you can handle the crickets and thought of snakes crawling through the grass then this historical site is worth a visit. The ruins are in poor condition, and it is said that many of the stones used to create this ancient town have been taken to create fences and houses around the surrounding area. With a little imagination you can get the feeling for a city that was once present many years ago.