Skiing at Kolasin

Kolasin is a popular ski mountain in central Montenegro and one of the main centres for mountain tourism.  It is located 80km from the Podgorica airport, though a 1.5 hour drive.  The road from Podgorica can be a little scary at times as you must drive on a narrow road high above the  Moraca River.  However if you take your time and don't look down it is not that bad:-).  If living or staying in Podgorica skiing at Kolasin is a great day trip. Many parents have been known to drop the kiddies off at school and immediately sneak off for a few runs and fresh air before returning to pick the kids up at the end of the school day.   The mountain is great for beginner to intermediate skiers and even has a small learning area for those just starting out.  If you are new to skiing not to worry you can hire an english speaking instructor to help you learn. The staff have always been friendly, helpful and profesional.  If staying overnight - the Bianca Resort is a great option :)

Photos borrowed from kolasin1450.com

Sweating it Out in Montenegro, an Interview With Our Sports Trainer

After the holidays it can sometimes be tough to start back with training. It can also be hard to keep your your New Year's wish and start working out? We decided to have a chat with our trainer and would like to share his advice with you.

We found Vasko though word of mouth from a friend, and we have been training with him for 1.5 years. He trains his clients at the modern Soko Gym located in the Mall of Montengro. Vasko is a former Ju-Jitsu Champion of Montenegro and he has a university degree in Physical Education and Sport. He is currently training many expats, and now he has started his own company Sports School Olympico Podgorica which offers a variety of different sports and activities for kids. During summer and winter, be sure to check out if he has a ski-camp or summer camp suitable for your kids!
He can be reached at +382 69 470090.

We asked Vasko a few questions we thought were relevant, we hope they will be useful to you. Please don't hesitate if you have any other questions, we would be happy to have another chat with Vasko.

SP: What should you ask yourself before you start training?
V:   It is very good to have some kind of idea about what output you would like to achieve from the training. What is the reason for your training. For example, do you want to loose weight? Do you want to stay in shape? Do you want to get stronger? Do you want to have toned muscles? Do you want to build muscles? Do you want to be bikini-ready :-)? These are all relevant questions to ask yourself. In addition, many people have specific goals like running a marathon, a half-marathon, triathlon, 10km, strong enough to walk a mountain or be able to do 20 pushups.

SP: How will you know if a personal trainer is the right "fit" for you?
V:  A personal trainer should always take your goals and your shape into consideration and the reasons you want to train.  It is important to discuss what you want to achieve and your trainer will create a program that suits you. It is also important to agree on how much time you want or are able to spend on working out. A personal trainer should also make you feel comfortable and keep you motivated.  It is also important that you feel your trainer has time for you and  he/she is "present" during the work out.  Some people meet with several trainers before they decide who they want to train with.

SP: How often should you train?

V:  This is hard to answer in general terms as it all depends on your goals, how fit you are, how much time you have available or if you have any injuries. But if I were to answer in general it is a good rule of thumb that in order to keep fit and maintain your body 3 times a week is good.

SP: What is the best food to eat before and after training?
V:   Before training it gives best results to eat something that gives you energy that is high on carbs, for example a banana, whole grain cereal and fluids. During training it is best to drink plain water. After training you need give your body food rich in proteins so muscles can rest, repair easily and become stronger. Examples are protein shakes, protein bars or lean types of protein such as chicken). Preferably within an hour after training.

SP: Do you have any advice on how to stay motivated?
V:   If you have a personal trainer, the trainer should be able to motivate you and help you achieve your goals. The inner motivation is also very important as it helps you keep a realistic and clear goal. If you find it hard to get to the gym you can give yourself some rewards to look forward to. For example after every 10th training you buy yourself a little treat or book a massage, pedi or mani.

If you don't have a trainer, you can stay motivated by using rewards, have varied training and to make a playlist with your favorite music to listen to. Furthermore, it can be very motivating to train together with a friend as this also makes it harder to cancel training, so it is a win-win!

Thank you to Vasko for keeping us motivated and for making our time in Montenegro healthy, fit and fun! We always look forward to our trainings so we can see your happy face and hear your funny stories. You make our day better. Thank you! If you are new to Montenegro and want to get fit give Vasko a call (+382 69 470090).

Photos borrowed from weheartit.com

Ice Skating in Podgorica

Hmmmm... what to do with kids in Podgorica during the cold rainy month of January???  Not to fear a "pop up ice rink has opened behind the large cathedral and will be here through February.  We took our children over the weekend and they loved it. Ice skates and helmets can be rented rented for just a few euros.  The ice rink is small but a perfect size for kids who are learning or just want to have fun!  Hint - go early as it can get crowded by early afternoon.

Does anyone know if the ice rink in Kolasin is open this year?

Get into the Christmas Spirit

If you have not yet gotten into the Christmas or holiday spirit, we can suggest for you to try the Hot Wine (or maybe better known as Mulled wine or Glogg) to help you get the right "feeling".

Photo courtesy of Cherokee Billie

They usually serve hot wine at most restaurants and cafe's in the city center of Podgorica, and it is well worth taking your loved one('s) out for a cosy warm treat. 

Photo courtesy of Lorie W- The Kitchenarian

It is time to get into the Christmas or holiday spirit! We hope you enjoy the seasonal holiday with your loved ones. See you for New Year's!

Playgrounds

Playgrounds are one of the more popular activities for kids and although there aren’t many options for children in Montenegro… there are a few gems to be aware of. If your children are like ours, they have endless energy and love climbing, swinging, sliding, jumping, chasing and hanging – all of which we prefer they do not use the furniture in our homes for! Finding a playground in Montenegro can be challenging and finding a good playground is almost impossible. Many are old and broken. Even if they were functioning, we would question the safety.  Recently, we have seen a few new and better designed playgrounds popping up, mostly around new building complexes, which gives hope. Here are a few of our favourite:

Porto Montenegro (Tivat area): In late March a pirate ship shaped playground opened with lots of areas to climb, jump and slide.  This playground is the favourite amongst our kids. In addition to the beautiful new play area – it is in a beautiful setting with sea views and close shopping. After the kids have burned off their energy there are a few tasty restaurants for you to recharge at (and perhaps sip a well-deserved nice glass of wine). We will definitely be sharing of these restaurants in our blog posts to come.   

Sport Club in Donja Gorica: This is a brand new playground in what will be soon a true sport complex for all ages, located at the University of Donja Gorica. Parents can enjoy a cappuccino (and full menu) at the cafe while watching their little ones play and have fun. The grounds are secure though the equipment is for post toddlers only. 

Park Petrovica (Podgorica): 1-block north of the hospital is a nice enclosed park with 4 separate play stations for kids. The park is full on the weekends though some of the equipment is in need of some TLC (tender love care). 

Podgorica Marathon

Who knew that Podgorica has a Marathon?  Not only does Podgorica hold an annual marathon event but it has been doing so for almost 20 years.  If running 42 km isn't your thing - you can always choose the 21 km half marathon.  Both runs start in the city centre at the Republic Square and via different race routes both end in the outskirt municipality of Danilograd.   To choose to run here is for self gratification and determination since it only has limited participants and screaming fans throughout the circuit.  There was a fair amount of expats and foreigners participating and if you are here - why not - give it a go.  We did not run in the race but we made a pretty good cheering squad for our husband's who braved the run in monsoon weather this year.  Check out the link if you are interested.