The fear is the mind-killer

Just like when I first went surfing in Hanalei Bay on Kauai fifteen years ago, the key is to let go of your fear, to just be present in the moment and stop thinking about everything that could go wrong. It took me a few minutes, but soon enough I was standing up next to William who – of course – was in perfect control of his own board from the moment he got on it. Paddling around in the bay below the hotel, I was again reminded of how important it is to keep conquering one's fears as one gets older.

Otherwise, today has been nothing short of incredible as we started the morning by driving down to the cable car in Kotor and taking it four kilometres up the mountain to an altitude of 1,348 metres above sea level. Built with Austrian technology, the cable car opened three years ago, and the views were simply stunning (and a bit fear-inducing), overlooking first the airport in Tivat and then the Bay of Kotor with all its cruise ships. After a cappuccino and an orange juice at the top, we drove back to our hotel, listening to William’s favourite music on Spotify and picking up an older hitchhiking woman with relatives in Sweden who told us all about the local monasteries. Now it is time to cash in on waffles and another Americano coffee.