31 July, 2018

Mamma Mia!

We went to see Mamma Mia 2 a couple of days ago. Our daughters had been dying to see this sequel, having loved the first film, so the anticipation was high.

The movie was good to watch -- very easy on the eye, pretty locations and, of course, fun songs. Lily James was excellent as young Donna and it was great to see Meryl Streep performing again, albeit for a short period of time.

The downside was that Mamma Mia 2 is very low on plot compared to its predecessor. It really does seem like the producers are just looking for an excuse to repeat the box office success of the first film.

Still, if you can suspend your disbelief for a couple of hours and concentrate on the music and images alone, then this is an entertaining enough way to while away an evening.

Holiday in Montenegro

We have recently returned from a family holiday in Montenegro. We had a great time there and I would highly recommend Montenegro as a destination.

There is a lot to see and do in this small country -- ancient walled towns, lovely mountain drives, pleasant coastline, Roman remains, and even a water park for those who enjoy that kind of thing.

We particularly enjoyed visiting Kotor. This Italianate walled city is particularly beautiful and boasts lovely architecture, grand old mansions, winding streets, and craggy walls that you can walk along for excellent views out to sea. Budva is another pretty, walled town; smaller and quieter than Kotor.

We also enjoyed driving up into the mountains via small roads that were full of hairpin bends. It was cooler up here (a welcome break from the searing heat below) and the houses looked Alpine -- quite different from the Mediterranean-style architecture that we saw elsewhere.

The people were very friendly and the food in the numerous restaurants good and plentiful. We had a couple of lovely meals in the old fishing village of Perast, overlooking the sea. Idyllic.

Finally, we were lucky enough to stay in a beautiful apartment (just one of four) in a remote village. Our host was charming and encouraged us to pick the fruit and vegetables that grew in abundance in the grounds.

All-in-all, a perfect holiday!