I’ve been lucky enough to attend a few different food festivals in my day and I must say the festival of olives (Maslinijada) in Montenegro is one of my faves! This year, I was excited to experience the Montenegrin festival with some of my blogging friends and family.

At one point this weekend, I took a break and found the perfect spot on a stonewall to eat some local cheese with polenta (kačamak) and fried fish (ukljeve) with my family and friends. I had been on the move all day; listening to the traditional music, shooting photos, tasting olives and olive oil. I was ready to chill out for a sec. I could hear the bass coming from a stage off in the distance. It was calming and rhythmic. I looked around and noticed the undeniable energy. Everywhere around me I saw people laughing, smiling, eating and moving. Some were walking with linked arms, determined to make it through Old Town (Stari Grad). Others were casually lounging on chairs in nearby restaurants, sharing stories. It was beautiful and quite romantic. I couldn’t help but smile — my heart felt full. But that’s just the thing about festivals, isn’t it? People from all over the world join together in a shared experience, brought together by olives. At that point I realized, I had fallen in love with Montenegro.For more about Maslinijada, check out Stari Bar: Montenegrin Old Urban Settlement!