Skopje to Lake Ohrid and Back to Thessaloniki

We left Skopje with some difficulty as the roads were closed due to a marathon that was on in the city and our GPS kept wanting to use those roads. We eventually found the right way, after getting lost down some backroads and dead end streets!

We then ran into really bad weather over the mountains – cold wind, - it got down to 8C and pouring rain, really heavy.  Thunder too.  We were headed to Lake Ohrid – and thought if the weather kept this up, we would not be staying at the lake for long.

We arrived at the lake at midday to brilliant sunshine so were really lucky.  This is the view that greeted us.... 

Lake Ohrid  straddles the mountainous border between southwestern Macedonia and Eastern Albaia. It is one of Europe's oldest and deepest lakes at 289 meteres. It has a unique aquatic ecosystem that is of worldwide importance, with more than 200 endemic species. The importance of the lake was further emphasized when it was declared a World Heritage Site by Unesco in 1979 and when, in 2010, NASA decided to name one of Titan's lakes after Lake Ohrid.  The lake is otherwise densely surrounded by settlements in the form of villages and resorts - in both basin countries.

The stats are: Altitude 695M, Length 30.8km, Width 15.8km, Depth 289m.

We were enticed onto a boat by a nice man offering to take the three of us to the Church at the end for 5 euros, which was a great price so we jumped at it. I’m really pleased we did this as it gave us our bearings for the walk around the township/village afterwards. It was extremely beautiful, and the lake was crystal clear and a beautiful colour.

Anne and Vivie enjoying the boat trip...

Anne in charge....

Some of the houses along the lakeside...

Our destination - Saint John the Theologian, Kaneo, a Macedonia Orthodox Church situated on the cliff over Kaneo Beach overlooking Lake Orhrid in the city of Ohrid. The church is attributed to John the Theologian. The construction date of the church remains unknown but documents detailing the church property suggests that it was built before the year 1447. Archaeologists believe that the church was constructed some time before the rise of the Ottoman Empire very likely in the 13th century. Restoration work in 1964 led to the discovery of frescoes in its dome.  .

Colourful fishing boats dotted the lake...

And our skipper..

Once off the boat, we started exploring the old town in Ohrid itself..  Ohrid is the largest city on the lake and the 8th largest in Macedonia with over 42,000 people (2002). Ohrid is notable for once having had 365 churches, one for each day of the year, and has been referred to as a "Jerusalem (of the Balkans)". The city is rich in picturesque houses and monuments, and tourism is predominant.

Architecture of the area was the same as Bulgaria.  There was much ruin and restoration going on. Note that there are completely differen churches in this following image - so close to each other.

 Exploring the alleyways...

The cobblestones were smooth and worn and really nice to walk on..

I came across a great way to use up old hats and bags...

More interesting alleyways...

Office workers having a teabreak.  I took this image because their cups (red Nescafe) are the same we had a number of years ago ourselves!!

Some of the housing was old....

We suggested to Vivie that she take a photo of this one and text her parents to say she was staying here!!!

We found some turtles!  And we also ended up talking to a another Kiwi.  Fancy bumping into a New Zealander in Ohrid!

Our destination was the same church we saw from the boat, and as we were pressed for time, we tried to hurry, but there was so much to see, and it was all so different.  And beautiful.  This is a group of Macedonian dancers in the square.

I came across a lovely Macedonian girl selling her artwork outside her house. I bought the picture, took a photo of her holding it, and got her to sign it.  I cherish it, and have it tucked away safe.  I will be framing it.

Then we turned a corner and saw the church. I saw lizards sunning themselves on the stone wall. The lake sparkled, sun shone, and we couldn't have a better day in such a wonderful place.

Vivie and Anne dawdling while I was keen to get ahead!

This lady insisted on Anne and Vivie taking her photo.  I took this one as her attitude, and expression and her seeming sense of fun was hilarious, If a language hadn't stopped me from talking, I would have loved to know more about her.

 Red poppies lined the cliff face and were really beautiful.

We climbed down hundreds of steps to the beach from the church and walked along the pathways to head back to our car and to get some lunch - we were starving. A storm was brewing which made for some pretty dramatic skies.

There were little bars and restaurants on floats over the water, but they were pricey so we decided to go back into the town instead... besides the wind was getting up on the lake..

We passed old houses and doors, old boats, and the view over the lake was to die for...

A great place for a portrait...

The pathway around the cliffs towards the town...

Part of the old town wall and fortifications...

 Old and new...

Back in town we decided t move the car to a new parking spot, and asked for recommendations for a good cheap budget meal of local food.  Turned out we should have left the car where it was and just walked over the road!!

The food was amazing – we  had a variety of differnet dishes to try – which were all good,except the meatballs were awful.  All upo it cost about 15 euro for the three of us – I was most impressed, with the quality and cheapness. The tree outside was amazing too...

We then got back in the car around 4pm – 2 hours later than we should have been and started the trek back to Thessaloniki.  We were really late and missed the drop of time for the car rental, so rang them and they agreed to let us drop it off at 5.30am instead the next morning on the way to the airport.  We were later again as the ring road was closed due to  road collapse, so the GPS sent us once again on a wild goose chase!  But we got there in the end, but very late.  Anne by this time wasn’t well, but I was definitely on the mend.

Skopje

After our beer on the balcony, we went out exploring.  We used the map we were given and walked into town, passing typical housing near the area we lived...

A couple of streets over we started seeing buildings of amazing architecture...

Transport options...

Architecture gone mad...

Beautiful wide streets and gardens...

Majestic Statues...

The Kale Fortress, which was the first fortress built in 6th century AD on a land that was inhabited during the Neolithic and Bronze ages (roughly 4000 BC onwards). It was constructed with yellow limestone and travertine and along with fragments of Latin inscriptions, assert the idea that the material for the fortress originated from the Roman city of Skupi which was completely destroyed by an earthquake in 518.

The fortress is thought to have been built during the rule of Emperor Justinian I and constructed further during the 10th and 11th centuries over the remains of emperor Justinian's Byzantine fortress which may have been destroyed due to a number of wars and battles in the region, such as that of the uprising of the Bulgarian Empire against the Byzantine Empier under the rule of Peter Delvan. Not much is known about the Medieval fortress apart from a few documents which outline minor characteristics in the fortress' appearance.

The Vardar River...

Looking towards of Museum of Archaeology..  It began construction in 2009 and is expected to be formally opened in September, 2014. Although the building will primarily serve as a museum, it will also house the Constitutional Court and the National Archive of the Republic of Macedonia. It is situated on the eastern bank of the Vardar, across the river from Macedonia Square. The exterior of the museum is almost complete, as of June 2012, and is among the more monumental buildings of the project, with its  Greek Revival architecture. The ruling party, states the budget for the construction as 436,000,000 denars. 

 It wasn't finished when we were there in April, but the lights around it meant it was very beautiful...

The Museum of the Macedonian Struggle for Statehood and Independence − Museum of VMRO and Museum of the Victims of the Communist Regime exhibits the strive for an independent Macedonian nation from the Ottoman Empire and later Yugoslavia. It is divided into 16 departments and includes over 100 wax figures of historical individuals. The museum lies on the eastern bank of the Vardar River just northwest of the Museum of Archaeology, opposite Macedonia Square. Construction began in June 2008 and it formally opened on September 10, 2011. The total cost of the museum, which covers 2,500 m2 (26,909.8 ft2), was roughly 10 million euros.  

There was a function the night we were there, and we passed many wealthy cars and lots of security.

Macedonia Square is the main square of Skopje and the biggest in Macedonia. It is located in the central part of the city and it commonly serves as the site of cultural, political and other events. The most remarkable building is the Risticheva Palata. The square is currently under re-development and there are many new buildings around the square being constructed.

A View of the Archaeology Museum from the Macedonian Square...

Perhaps the main symbol of the Skopje 2014 project is the Warrior on a Horse statue and fountain in the centre of Macedonia Square. It is typically thought to depict Alexander the Great, though it is not officially named for him.  "Alexander" was officially completed on September 8, 2011 to commemorate 20 years of the independence of the Republic of Macedonia.

The bronze sculpture is 14.5 m (47.6 ft) tall and it sits on a cylindrical column, which itself is 10 m (32.8 ft) in height. The column consists of three large ivory sections, each separated by a thinner bronze ring. Each section contains reliefs. The column stands in a fountain. At the base of the column are 8 bronze soldiers, each 3 m (9.8 ft) tall. There are also 8 bronze lions, each 2.5 m (8.3 ft) tall, around the edges of the fountain pool, four of which act as part of the fountain, releasing water from their mouths. The fountain also plays music.

The total cost of the Warrior on a Horse monument is roughly 7.5 million euros!

It was an amazing fountain with music and colour, and we watched it for ages..

One of the main symbols of Skopje is Porta Macedonia, a triumphal arch  near Macedonia Square. The arch is meant to commemorate the long struggle for Macedonian independence. It is 21 m (68.9 ft) tall and contains 32 reliefs carved on the outside, depicting events from pre-history to the independence of the Republic of Macedonia. The inside of the arch consists of two levels, in which a souvenir shop and a gallery are located, and a rooftop observation deck. It formally opened to the public on Christmas Eve, January 6, 2012. The construction of Porta Macedonia is estimated at 4.5 million euros.

After walking around for a number of hours we found a supermarket and bought things for our dinner and breakfast/lunch the next day.  We tried to get the washing machine going, but no power was going through, so I ended up doing all the washing by hand and putting it to dry on the clothes horse.  It was all dry by morning.  My last shot of the day I took to show just how fast the Varda River flowed through the town...