05 February 2019 - Three parking ticket payment machines in Podgorica will start functioning as of today, writes Pobjeda daily. They are located at the crossroad of Sloboda and Hercegovačka Street, at the corner of Bokeška and Njegoševa Street and the Balšića Square (near the restaurant “Radovče”).

The Parking Service is also expecting the application “Digital Kiosk” to start functioning this week as well. Head of the Parking Service, Nusret Canović, said that the testing period of the parking ticket pay machines has been finished and now everything is ready for their work.

“The new machines receive paper money and coins as well. Machines will have multiple languages which are especially important for foreigners, as this is the easiest way for them to pay the parking tickets in the capital,” said Canović.

He reminded of the fact Podgorica already has three parking ticket payment machines – in Vaka Djurovića Street, near the Clinical Center of Montenegro and "Preko Morače".

“This will be the very first official application for paying to park. It has already been designed for Android, and now we are waiting for it to be designed for iOS software. The application enables the users to pay the zone parking, and it shows them what zone they are in. Also, thanks to the application “digital kiosk”, it will be possible that the citizens pay the parking lot using their payment cards,” said Canović earlier when he announced new parking payment machines.

“We will examine every location individually and make logical prices for every part of the town. Locations that are not located in the center of the town will have lower parking prices. It will be a price list adapted to the real needs and demands of citizens,” concluded Canović.

05 February 2019 - Minister of Culture Aleksandar Bogdanović opened the manifestation Creative Montenegro: Days of Montenegro in Zagreb. The programme began with the opening of the exhibition of the Association of Artists of Montenegro "26> 41", the presentation of the products of creative industries of Montenegro and the performance of the Montenegrin violinist Verica Čuljković.

Nataša Owens, President of "European Movement Croatia" and "European House Zagreb", Boro Vučinić, Ambassador of Montenegro to the Republic of Croatia and Milan Bandić, Mayor of the City of Zagreb also spoke at the opening. 

"Such a manifestation, which offers an insight into the cultural and economic situation of the state, clearly focused on Euro-Atlantic integrations, is also the place of exchange of experience gained in the process of these integration," Minister Bogdanović noted. 

Ambassador Vučinić said that Montenegro is committed to a common Euro-Atlantic perspective and ready to develop good relations with everyone in the region, especially with those sharing the same goals and values. 

"Of course, the special place belongs to a friendly Republic of Croatia, which has so far shown the willingness to support Montenegro on its European path. This is an opportunity to wish our neighbours a successful EU presidency next year," Vučinić said. 

Mayor of the City of Zagreb Milan Bandić expressed satisfaction with his presence at the event and stressed that this is another proof that works of art find a common language and connect people at a higher level. 

The event, organised at the European House in Zagreb, will last until 13 February 2019. 

During his stay in Croatia, Minister of Culture Aleksandar Bogdanović also met with Minister of Culture of the Republic of Croatia Nina Obuljen Koržinek. 

The meeting discussed the cooperation between Montenegro and the Republic of Croatia so far and stressed that the two countries foster friendly relations in all areas. 

The two officials expressed satisfaction with the meeting in Zagreb on the occasion of organising the Day of Montenegro in Zagreb - Creative Montenegro and stated that such manifestations additionally strengthen our cultural links and bring people closer. 

Minister Bogdanović pointed out that significant progress has been made so far in strengthening cultural ties, both in the field of contemporary creativity and in the field of preservation of cultural heritage, which is particularly evidenced by projects that we are jointly implementing at both bilateral and international level. 

The meeting also discussed the further implementation of the previously signed Memorandum between the Ministry of Culture of Montenegro and the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Croatia on cooperation in the field of protection and preservation of underwater cultural heritage for the period 2017-2020 and the agreed continuation of cooperation and exchange of knowledge and experience between institutions in this field. 

Special emphasis was put on cooperation in the field of creative industries and it was pointed out that Croatian experience will be of great importance for Montenegro, taking into account the full commitment of the Ministry of Culture to their development. In this context, both sides expressed readiness for cooperation in the implementation of IPA projects.

In the hall of King Nikola's Castle on Thursday, the "Trio Flamenko" from Belgrade and with their exceptional music put the full stop on a diverse January program of the Winter Scene of "Barski ljetopis". This virtuoso composition consists of Branko Kljajić (guitar and bouzouki), Željko Stepanović (accordion and vocal) and Uroš Ranković (piano).

Their sixty-minute repertoire led the audience to the warmest parts of Europe, and the ease and the naturalness of their performances left the impression that the Mediterranean is in their blood.

Joint love for that sound and genre united these three musicians, revealed Željko Stepanović.

"All three of us love the same music, and when you love something that you do, you know it yourself, no day is a working day! We love Spain, France, Greece, Italy, and these are all the countries where the compositions from our repertoire originate from without which nothing can pass by" said Stepanović, adding that in the repertoire, however, always remains a part of the music from our region.

For their first performance at "Barski ljetopis" they especially prepared a jazz remake of the Montenegrin composition "Jos ne svice rujna zora", which the audience greeted with a thundering applause and double encore, and as Stepanovic said, this traditional song perfectly fitted into their style.

Montenegro is in the Mediterranean, has fantastic music and a long tradition, and most importantly, we can respect all of that with our soul. When we can, we move it to the audience, and it can be felt immediately, "he added.

For more than half of the concert the audience participated equally as the fourth member of the band, and it seemed, at moments, they even held back, and Stepanovic invited them with a smile to join him in the vocal performance.

"I asked you, a couple of times, to sing with us, and you did, and it was fantastic! It's always nice to have an interaction with the audience, because when you do not have it, then we played in vain," Stepanovic said, and the impressions of the satisfied audience confirmed that this concert had closed the January winter scene spectacularly.

In February, the audience is to expect an equally interesting repertoire. On next Thursday, February 7th, at Dom kulture, the play "Crvena", by the Montenegrin director Danilo Marunović, produced by Budva "Theater City" will be performed, in which the lead roles are Branislav Lečić and Marko Grabež.

Text by CdM, on February 1st 2019, read more at CdM

NGO "Alfa Center" from Niksic has begun with the realization of the project "Safe Step" within which educational workshops for students of third-grade primary schools throughout Montenegro will be held as well as a two-day seminar for teachers.

"Having in mind that changing habits in adult traffic participants is extremely demanding, hard-working and long-lasting, we have planned a series of educational workshops with the students of this age at Alfa Center. This is so that the message will be carried to older participants, and that they are small guardians of the order during the rides in the car and the promoters of the general traffic culture," said Marina Došen, project coordinator.

The seminar aims to point out the educators and principals of elementary schools to the obligation and the possibility of studying the topic of traffic through the multisectoral approach in the curriculum for elementary schools.

The "Safe Step" project represents a set of interrelated activities aimed at increasing the prevalence of traffic safety in elementary schools and increasing the level of knowledge of elementary school pupils in this area. The first elementary education workshop will be held in Niksic and will be organized with the support of the Ministry of Education and Police Administration.

Text by Svetlana Mandic, on February 4th 2019, read more at Vijesti

The prestigious 52^nd Herceg Novi Winter Salon, which practically marked the beginning of 50th Mimosa Festival, as always, was held in the Gallery Josip Bepo Benković, and beside a great number of visitors, there was the unusual presence of 18 of 20 artists and exhibitors.

Sculptor Miodrag Šćepanović from Kolasin won the first prize. The second was won by the painter Marija Vemić from Nikšić, and the third an artist from Mostar, Silva Radić. By declaring the jury's decisions, President Radoslav Milosevic Atos has estimated that the entire selection of various works is not a reason but a result, an inspiration to be better as human beings through the art.

The selector, art historian Senka Subotic, under the motto PARALLELS, conceived the exhibition as a synthesis of the various artistic expressions of the author, who in parallel create and operate in the territory of ex-Yugoslavia and beyond, with the intention of presenting the state of contemporary painting in this area. In addition to artists from Montenegro, she selected works by authors from Banja Luka and Mostar Academies, while, as she explained, there were no funds for presenting authors from other countries of the region.

By opening the exhibition, the artist from Mostar, Silva Radic, pointed out that the Salon is a symbol that combines different stories and symbols:

"Twenty authors tonight, with their symbolic sentences, their works have also left a trace in time. It will also leave a trace in each observer that opens himself to the world of symbols," Radić says.

This year, the selected artists were chosen by selector in consultation with colleagues from the Sorbonne and from the Association Salon New Reality in Paris, which quite clearly shows the quality of the 52nd Winter Salon and the responsibility of the selector for the event that lasts more than half a century, says the president of the municipality, Stevan Katic.

"Parallels, the theme of this Winter Salon, point to what is common and different. I believe that is the same in other segments of life - by seeing parallel opinions and attitudes we see differences, it gives us the opportunity to look better and more, focusing on the truth, whatever it is. Only in this way are we improving ourselves. We can envy the artists - they see what is hidden from us, they point it to us and reveal it, and it is up to us, everybody within their capabilities, to draw a lesson or an opinion," Katić pointed out.

First-rate prize-winning Montenegrin sculptor Miodrag Šćepanović for his work "Zatišje" says that he was firstly very surprised by the invitation to take part in the Salon, for which he is grateful to the organizer and then for the award. The 52nd Herceg Novi Winter Salon at the Josip Bepo Benković Gallery can be seen by visitors in the next 50 days during the Mimosa Festival.

Text by Radio Jadran, on February 1st, 2019, read more at CdM

Tourists and Citizens of Herceg Novi had a chance to get acquainted with the culture and specifics of Japan, Great Britain, Slovakia, Australia, and China at the Newcastle of the World Day, which was held within the program of the 50th Mimosa Festival.

The event was marked with the performances of the artists from Hejin, China, who featured face-changing skills and performed with Chinese traditional instruments. The sounds of bagpipes from North Umbria in England were played by Steel Rigg, Japanese guests featured the art of calligraphy, origami and social games, and Klapa Lira from Herceg Novi and the Art Center As, as well as the students of Herceg Novi Music School, also participated in the program.

The head of the Office for International Cooperation in the Municipality of Herceg Novi, Simonida Kordić, said the Newcastle of the World Day project was held in Herceg Novi for the first time this year.

"It's a project that takes place within the organization of Newcastle of the World. Last year Herceg Novi became a member of this international organization, which gathers over 40 cities from all over the world," Kordic explained.

Herceg Novi, as she pointed out, is one of the central members of the organization, "which is a great success for us as the Municipality and our Office for International Cooperation."

"We are very pleased to be in such an organization that creates a network of projects that link people from the field of culture, tourism, education, and economics from all the world's cities. Last year, the 20th anniversary of this event was held in Japan, where Herceg Novi was admitted to the organization," Kordic said.

According to her, guests from Japan, UK, Slovakia, Australia, America, China participated in the event.

"Everyone brought what is characteristic of their city, and Herceg Novi now has the opportunity to present its art and virtues," Kordic said.

The President of the Municipality Herceg Novi, Stevan Katic, assessed the program Newcastle of the World Day as significant, stating that he was pleased that Herceg Novi hosted numerous cities in the association of Newcastle cities.

"For Herceg Novi, it is good that we signed the Charter on the entry of our town to the Newcastle Town Association in October. And after three months, the results of the entry into the association are visible. I am pleased that this event takes place within the 50th Mimosa Festiva," said Katic.

He also announced other planned events that will be held for the first time in Herceg Novi. "It is also significant that Herceg Novi will host, for the first time, a show of all city music orchestras from Europe, the region and the majorettes. This is an important event for our city, which will also bring Europe and the world to Herceg Novi," Katić said. Rumi Matsushita from Japan explained that the city he comes from is a member of Newcastle, saying that today in Herceg Novi they represent a part of the Japanese culture - calligraphy.

"The boys who visited us today are very much interested in calligraphy, so they became part of our presentation today and we are showing them calligraphy," said Matsushita.

She said that she is in Herceg Novi for the first time, and evaluates that the Mimosa Festival is "fantastic".

Representative of the delegation from the town Nove Zamki from Slovakia, Katarina Hozlarov, said that they came to Herceg Novi to present their small town, which is also a member of the organization.

In history, the city of Nove Zamki played an important role because it was a fortress that has defended Europe from the Turkish invasion. Although we do not have any fortresses in the city, we can offer our hospitality to the tourists, the remains of historic architecture, and a good sports program. I think there is always something nice to see, "Hozlarov said. A representative of Newcastle upon Tyne, a town in the north of the UK, Sue Wilson, said the entire project came from their city, stating that they now have many cities that are members of the association around the world.

"We are doing student exchange, cultural exchange, different business events. Twenty years ago, at my colleague's initiative, I wrote the book Newcastle of the World. At the same time, the city of Japan Shin Siro began to hold conferences. Meanwhile, these two projects merged after 20 years of alliance, I wrote a second book with the same name. Now we have more than a thousand cities as alliance members," Wilson said.

Text by PR Center, on February 3rd 2019, read more at CdM

February 4, 2019 - The Hotel Regent Pop Up Restaurant is ready to welcome gourmands and excellent chefs of Boka Bay; which they proved with a presentation of the degustation menu “Montenegro Inspired” organized on the last day of January. By the end of March, the Pop Up Restaurant will offer their guests an entirely new line to present the selection of Bokelian and dishes of Boka Bay hinterland. The jury will choose among 35 recipes from local masters of the kitchen who responded to the hotel management's invitation to share their knowledge in a joint mission of the presentation of the best local gastronomic tradition to hotel’s guests, coming from all over the world.

Regent Selection- Montenegrin Plate, photo by Zoran Radonjic

 

The concept of the contest, which involves joining the local gastro masters, the management of the hotel Regent has been delightfully linked the Regent franchise philosophy in the presentation of the local gastro-culture, and the need for a display of typical Bokelian cuisine, which is still not the base of Boka Bay’s culinary offer. The best recipes will be chosen in the categories of appetizer, main course, and dessert to be found on the Pop Up Restaurant menu and thus present the local cuisine in the best possible way. Indeed, with this concept, Regent aims to offer a special attraction for an authentic experience – guests will have the chance to enjoy gathering with chefs who will represent their recipes to the top culinary masters at Regent Hotel.

Photo by Zoran Radonjic

 

The fact is that when it comes to the gastro tradition of Boka Bay, apart from the narrow palette of fish and seafood dishes, in essence, we do not often have the opportunity to try typical Bokelian cuisine in most of the restaurants. Elena is first of all the descendant of the two old local families. It's why she mixes in the hotel kitchen and puts the skills of her grandma at her colleague's disposal.

Regent's Team of Chefs, photo by Zoran Radonjic

 

At the presentation of the "Montenegro Inspired" concept, the team of chefs showed great craftsmanship, succeeding in catching the smells that spread from the huts of Boka, while Brodet or Gulaš steams from the plate. In Bokelian cuisine, indispensable Polenta in the hotel offer has long had a place in the form of crunchy balls spiced up with the local herbs. From the well-known gourmet chef of Boka, Mašo Čekić, we heard that Bokelians collected the herbs mainly from the slopes of Mount Lovćen. Mašo's comment, the chefs, waited with the most impatience.

Maso Cekic, famous journalist, Chef and gastro blogger of Boka Bay, Photo by Zoran Radonjic

 

"When it comes to Boka, the first thing we look at in a Bordet is the density. Unlike Dalmatian, French, or any other Mediterranean bulb, the Bokelian's is thick, which we do not need to try to achieve by adding flour. You have reached an excellent taste and density. You used a few types of white fish just as right. It's great that you put shrimp in Brodet. In Venice, the Bokelian Brodet differed in that it contained shrimps," Mašo pointed out, praising the Regent’s chefs to serve the Polenta, which was an inevitable daily meal of the inhabitants of Boka Bay for centuries.

Brodet with crispy polenta with Mediterranean herbs, Photo by Zoran Radonjic

 

"Elena informed me that we were welcoming guests with excellent knowledge of Bokelian kitchen and trends in gastronomy. I was under pressure to show what we have prepared with our F & B manager Željko Knezović as a presentation of our intent and way which we would like to present to the guests Bokelian and Montenegrin cuisine," said Srđan Begović, the chef in charge of preparing the menu's contents. Each sequence was complimented by guests, including favorite gastro bloggers Damir Moškov (Damirove Gastrolomije) and Danijela Lazovic (hedonista.me).

Honey and cheese, Old Montenegrin Tradition, Photo by Zoran Radonjic

 

The chefs took care of the best selection of appetizers on a Montenegrin plate, including Lovcen prosciutto, cuts of locally sourced sausages, beef prosciutto; choice of Montenegrin farm cheese paired with roast pepper and marinated olives. From respect for ancient Montenegrin customs, with the cheese selection, chefs offered honey, served extremely attractive in beekeeping slices.

Beef Stew, Photo by Zoran Radonjic

 

After serving Brodet, the guests ate Beef Stew, made of beef fillet with red wine and rosemary. Particularly tasty was the slow-cooked Smoked Pork Shank.

Montenegrin Food Blogeer, Danijela Lazovic

 

"There is a huge recommendation in the world when you say that somebody gave you an original recipe, that you prepared a meal from an old recipe, and praise the one who gave you his. What we want to represent is the responsible gastronomy, which means that we use the products of our local producers to create our offer. Also, I'd like to get a recipe for orange flower juice, which I just heard of. If someone has learned how to make myrtle liquor, black vine liqueur, rose liqueur, and all the nice desserts we have made in everyday life, that would be wonderful," explains Elena Ljiljanić, PR Manager at Regent Hotel.

Smoked Pork Shank, Photo by Zoran Radonjic

 

"Our goal is that when a guest comes, next to the destination, the location, and the views, the first next step leads to the gastronomy. My intimate and professional goal is to position Boka, Montenegro and the whole Balkans as a gastronomic destination, which it essentially is, but the voice of it has not yet arrived in the world," concludes Elena.