'Am I in paradise or on the moon?'
George Bernard Shaw
Aloof and proud, head in clouds, its sloping, rugged shoulders plunging steeply, Mount Lovcen presides glorious and regal. Its majestic beauty embellished by the status of its venerated national icon, Prince Njegos, whose tomb, guarded by marble maidens, rests on its peak.
From Tibet to Nepal, many mountains men have climbed, conquered and admired, but few can claim to be the last resting place of both Poet, Philosopher, Prince, and Bishop. And, so here the spirituality that mountains inspire, and which so often people seek, coexists as one in Lovcen: the Spiritual emblem of the Montenegrin people.
Beyond Prince Njegos's resting place, Lovcen's rugged peaks stretch far beyond the limits of our imagination, piercing ethereal clouds and magic sunsets. An otherworldly landscape; another universe belonging to another time: mammoth, ancient, boundless and eternal.
From here, we can ponder on Rumija's misty peaks which beckon us to follow its trails to the shores of Lake Skadar's watery oasis.
From here, we can enjoy the magic mist of early winter transform itself into a cavalry of white winter horses charging across the rocky peaks with white plumes of misty breath trailing behind them.
And, then, return again, when winter snows transform this scene into a magical, wintry wonderland.
All images and words © 2014-2018 Flavia Brilli.
The Mountain
The mountain sat upon the plain
In his eternal chair,
His observation omnifold,
His inquest everywhere.
The seasons prayed around his knees,
Like children round a sire:
Grandfather of the days is he,
Of dawn the ancestor.
by Emily Dickinson
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