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!!
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