Not Quite Summer

When I first arrived on Montenegro’s Adriatic coast, spring was in no hurry to give way to summer. It was the last day of May 2024, and it had been raining for most of the day.

By evening, the rain had finally let up, and I headed out for a walk along the promenade.

The promenade was nearly deserted — and so, for that matter, were the beaches.

Even the sea, which usually seems warm and almost carefree, felt unusually cold that evening.

But looking out toward the horizon, everything seemed a little different. The sky was almost clear out there, and it felt as though summer had already begun somewhere in the distance — it just hadn’t reached the coast yet.

And I think that’s what I remember most about that evening. The last day of spring looked nothing like summer, but it was clear it wouldn’t be long now.

Budva Riviera, Montenegro.
May, 2024.
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