City of Light

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Geo: 41.12, 20.82

Ohrid - considered the jewel of Macedonia, it's said that if you haven't been to Ohrid, you haven't been to Macedonia. In ancient times, its name meant "City of Light", a fitting name, as in present day, the biggest draw is its pristine lake offering stunning vistas and cool, crystal-clear waters that are a perfect respite from this mad Macedonian heat. But Ohrid holds much more than that, with history, museums, nightlife, and a surprisingly modern and cosmopolitan pedestrian zone, not quite what I had expected from this ancient city.

However, if Ohrid town isn't enough to captivate your attention, there are several other equally-picturesque beaches along the lake that are also worth visiting. Or perhaps a hike up Mt. Galicica, from where you can simultaneously view both Lake Ohrid and nearby Lake Prespa? And if after all that you're still bored, you could always make your way over to the Albanian side of Lake Ohrid for a day trip, with the border some 30-odd km away from Ohrid town.


Bitola is only just over an hour away by bus, allowing for an early arrival and plenty of time to explore all that Ohrid has to offer. Lunch on the pedestrian street, a dip at hip Kaneo beach, then a hike up to Car Samoil's castle, after the afternoon heat had died down slightly. Arriving in the early evening also meant that for five glorious minutes, I had the castle all to myself, not another tourist in sight!

It was pretty much a perfect day on Lake Ohrid, and while you wouldn't think it, today was one of those rare instances when perfection could be improved upon - Spain beat Italy 4-0 in the Euro 2012 Final!!! ¡Viva España!

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Photos

Sveti Jovan at Kaneo ...
... they say it's the most photographed place in all of Macedonia.

Sveti Kliment i Pantelejmon ...
... set amidst the ruins of a 4th-century church.

Classical Amphitheatre ...
... incredibly well-preserved.

Lunch at Stara Cinar ...
... started off with some dips - in the foreground is ajvar, a traditional spread made of roasted peppers, delicious with just about anything. Clockwise from there: yummy sauteed onion and cheese, lutenica which is a bit like ajvar but with hot peppers and tomatoes, another yummy dip for which i can't remember the ingredients, and in the middle is a warm mashed potato salad studded with herbs. All delicious, this platter was really meant for sharing, not for a solo diner.

Greasy But Good ...
... Macedonian cevapi - little sausages this good could only have been rolled by the hands of angels!

Pizza at Di Angolo ...
... the hostel seems to have sprouted from this pizzeria as a side business, which is where I dined tonight, unable to find an open spot on a decent patio, since everybody was out watching the Euro 2012 Final.
An average pizza, with tomato, pepperoni, prosciutto, onions, and mushrooms. The crust was better on the pie I had a few nights ago in Negotino, but overall not bad. Not that I was paying all that much attention to the pizza, however, as I was focused on Spain whooping Italy's asses! A little traminec from the region was a nice, light wine to go with the pizza.