Where’s the Trader Joe’s?

It’s time to start cooking dinners on the boat. That requires ingredients. Unfortunately, we do not have a supermarket within walking distance of the marina, so I’m determined to head out and explore various small markets in our local area. You know you’ve reached a different level when you need to put on sunscreen to go grocery shopping… Five markets and two hours later, I traversed the area and made it back to Sabática laden with a couple bags of provisions. 

My favorite market here is Voli, which means ‘love.’ (They just opened up a large supermarket a bit a way from the marina, and I got to drool there while shopping when Ava & David drove us there.) Ok, actually my other favorite market is called Portokali, which is a health food store here in Porto Montenegro. Both offer gluten-free and dairy-free options which I, unfortunately, need to find, along with a few ‘international’ products. I scored when I found a jar of pesto!

Remember how I mentioned before that about 70% of Montenegro is covered in mountains? That means there is little agriculture here. Produce is hard to come by, as is fresh meats. Only two of the markets I visited had a butcher area, and only one of those offered chicken (and just breasts). No seafood to be had either, which I found interesting given we’re on the sea. Lots of dried and canned meats, though. The restaurants at the marina are varied and fabulous, so they must have special sources. (While the restaurants in the marina are expensive, they don’t seem that bad to us coming from the Bay Area!)

Remember the summer weather too. In our galley, we have a small propane stove top with three burners as well as a propane oven. Haven’t even tested out the oven yet, and while the stove top is great, it generates a lot of heat. We purchased a portable 2-burner induction stove top which heats things in mere seconds, so that seems promising. No grill options really. 

Anyway, all to say that I have some homework to do when it comes to meal planning! With limited available ingredients, a small space, and weather factors, I’ll have to be upping my culinary game for sure. I’m really curious to see what’s available in the markets once we reach Croatia…