we hadn’t even put up the tent yet.

Above Podgorica, Marco and his family are slowly turning a rocky piece of land into a place of their own. There are a few spots for campers, two restored mobile homes and a little apartment — but it's all the things being built, planted, collected and added along the way that make you want to stay and look around.

the arrival

We hadn't even put up the tent yet when we were already talking to Marco. To be fair, we'd partly chosen the place because of him.

We'd found it on Park4Night, where most listings tell you about the toilets, the price and whether your camper will fit. This one basically told the story of the place. Marco introduced himself, explained what his family was building and somehow made himself sound like a person we had to meet.

So we drove up a gravel road above Podgorica, Montenegro, increasingly unsure whether we'd actually found the right place.

Then suddenly Marco was there, waving at us. He showed us around and introduced us to his parents, Slavko and Tania. Slavko had bought what was basically a cheap piece of rocky ground years ago, and the family had been turning it into their own place ever since.

The huge stones were still everywhere. They'd just become part of things: the bathroom, pathways, little sinks and fountains, the grill. Around them were camper spots, two restored mobile homes, a small apartment, new plants and little projects that made you want to wander around and see what else they'd done.

the next day

By the next morning, we didn't really feel like leaving yet. Marco had recommended a visit to Ostrog, so we went and came back afterwards.

When we returned, food was already being prepared. We were having dinner with the family. Tania had cooked. A lot.

We talked about our travels, life in Austria and our plans with the rooftop tent. Marco had questions about everything, while telling us about his own life in Montenegro, his family and the different jobs he'd had.

the slingshot-class

After dinner, a few drinks appeared.

Then, somehow, the slingshots came out. Slavko and Marco could both hit what they were aiming at. Till tried several times and couldn't. So the two of them demonstrated. Till tried again. More instructions followed.

Tania and I kept chatting while watching the boys work on Till's technique.

Eventually, he got it.

in the tavern

Then it started raining and Slavko and Tania went to bed. Marco, Till and I took shelter in the tavern.

There must have been fifty old beer mugs hanging from the ceiling. Marco collected them at flea markets, often for a couple of euros. We started taking them down and pointing Google Lens at them, trying to work out where they came from. Then another one. And another.

At some point I went to the car to get Tupperware containers because there was absolutely no way we were going to finish everything Tania had made. She looked genuinely surprised. I think she was used to people finishing her food. In my defence, it was far too much. And I'd already filled up on the homemade bread. My bad.

Slavko barely spoke English and looked slightly grumpy most of the time, but that didn't stop him talking to us. We understood maybe 20 percent. He didn't seem particularly bothered by that.

A few turned out to be potentially worth much more than Marco had paid for them, but that wasn't really the point. We'd just become completely distracted trying to figure out the stories behind a ceiling full of random old beer mugs.

Outside, it kept raining.

we'd planned to stay one night.
we stayed two.

Marco is married now and has a little daughter we haven't met yet. We're still in touch through Instagram, and he and Slavko are still building too — adding more structures and more ideas to the land, with big plans for future projects.

So the next time we take that gravel road above Podgorica, there'll be two new family members to meet. And probably quite a few new things to wander around and discover.