Your Tax Dollars At Work

You know ... Europeans have a general dislike of all things American these days - not the people, but that America doesn't listen to them and doesn't engage in giving them money hand over fist to "do good". In response, I'd like to present one of the places we came across in Montenegro, in the town of Risan. Risan is just around the bay from Kotor, and just as beautifully situated, on top of having something to do, courtesy of the US government.

USAID helped build this structure, which protects the remains of a Roman villa, including some nearly intact floor mosaics. The mosaics are being restored to their former glory, also with US tax dollars. Did I mention this is one of the very few places you can get into in Montenegro for free, no matter your nationality? Not only that, a local will explain the mosaics and the layout of the villa to you on a guided tour.

Here is our guide and one of the mosaics, in the floor chamber of the bedroom. I have to say, the villa was in much better shape than what I saw in Normandy last year. There are a lot of aid programs in Montenegro, both US and EU funded. In Kosovo and Croatia too.