Thursday, Sept. 29/16

Well, I am not sure that we will be able to top this day!  First of all, the weather has been as perfect as it gets, warm, sunny and calm!!  We woke up to our spectacular view overlooking Lake Orhid.  This is a huge tourist area, not just for Macedonia but for many Europeans.  We are here at the right time as there are few tourists but the weather is still lovely.

We began our day by travelling south along the shore of Lake Orhid.  It is quite mountainous so the trip was both scenic and winding!  Our first stop was at The Bay of Bones Museum, a prehistoric settlement along the shore of the lake.  Then we went to the very south end, near the border of Albania, to visit the medieval monastery of St. Naum.  It was a very scenic and interesting landmark, including peacocks wondering about the grounds.

After our visit we got to ride back on that same narrow, twisty road to the town of Lake Orhid.  We enjoyed our lunch as we soaked up the sun in an outdoor cafe right beside the lake.  Several times I had to remind myself that I was NOT at the Mediterranean Sea but it sure felt like it!!

We spent the evening on a leisurely walking tour.  Our bus took us up as high as possible to see an ancient theatre but then we had to hike up quite a hill to a 4th Century Fortress perched up on the mountain.  It was all downhill from there but that proved to be quite challenging at times!  Our guide took us on a "short cut" that involved walking through a beautiful forest which led us to the Church of Saint John at Kaneo, where we had an amazing panoramic view of the lake and surrounding town. Breathtaking!!

As we approached the Church of St. Sophia we encountered a bride and groom.  They were very cooperative when our guide asked if they would take a group picture with us!  What fun!

As we entered the townsite we stopped for a quick paper making demonstration before we got to sit down for a much deserved beer!!  At 6:00 we headed back to the hotel and arrived just in time to enjoy a drink and watch the sunset from our balcony., before going downstairs for dinner.

This was an amazing day!  Tomorrow we are off to Albania! Goodnight!

Wednesday, Sept. 28/16

Another beautiful, sunny day!!!  We started out the day with a city tour with a wonderful local guide. We began in the old part of Skopje at the Fortress, which allowed us some amazing views of the city. We wound our way through the narrow streets and stopped for a close up look inside of a mosque. As we neared the river we saw evidence of "turbo urbanization".  They are building like crazy....beautiful buildings, statues, monuments and attractions.  It turns out that the current government has a dream or vision for Skopje that is forced upon the people. The "project" was supposed to cost about 80 million Euros bit has already cost 800 million euros and it isn't finished.  It is going to be magnificent when it is finished but it is at the expense of the common people.  It is a very sad situation.  I guess the only hope is that it draws enough tourists to help repay the debt!  Personally, I would love to return someday!

We also visited the Mother Theresa Memorial House, as this is her birthplace.  The house that she grew up in was destroyed in the earthquake of 1963, as was all of the city of Skopje.  It was very touching to visit this memorial and to see photos of her as a young girl plus many of her personal possessions.

After lunch we left Skopje behind and travelled out into the country, into a gorgeous wooded, mountainous area.  We travelled high up to the Mavrovo National Park to visit Mavrovo Lake to see the submerged Church of Saint Nicholas.

Then we continued on the Lake  Ohrid and checked into our hotel.  Our rooms have balconies that overlook the lake and we got to have a drink and watch the sun set on the perfectly calm lake.  What a sight!  We went back into town for another delicious group dinner and we didn't even get lost along the way!  Another great evening of good food, music and company topped off another perfect day!!