Parts of Italy, Kosovo, Nth Macedonia, Greece, Albania, Poland and Germany.

RB · Wednesday at 11:19 AM

Millenium Cross Millennium Cross - Wikipedia

We didn't venture out there but Mrs RB tested the camera zoom from our apartment

RB · Thursday at 11:20 AM

Skopje to Ohrid

We opted for a car transfer. This allowed us to have time for a good visit to Matka Canyon and the Painted Mosque of Tetovo

Matka Canyon - Wikipedia and Matka Canyon

Šarena Mosque - Wikipedia and Visiting the Magical Painted Mosque of Tetovo - Sailingstone Travel

It was a very hot day & we were not up for the full hike in to see the caves. The carpark leaves you with around a 15 minute walk to the dam wall- so many people trying to park closer & having to back-up and sit & wait & return to the carpark on what was an early season day. The boat trip to Vrelo cave (about 8,000 yrs old) is a minimum of 2.5hrs plus cave viewing so we opted to hike the track until we got too hot & then return. There were not a lot of people hiking & most of the school groups also opted for boat trips. It was a bit challenging in parts with uneven ground & low overhanging rocks in parts but we really enjoyed the stunning scenery. The history of the hydro plant construction/operation/war attacks makes interesting reading. There was a slalom course on the stream near the carpark & we saw a lone fisher trying his luck.

The view as you walk from the carpark

One of the easy sections

Matka Monastery

View from wall back to carpark

RB · Thursday at 11:39 AM

Tetovo Painted Mosque-The mosque also goes by several other names: Pasha’s Mosque, Alaca Mosque, Šarena Mosque, or the Colorful Mosque. But most people simply call it the Painted Mosque.
Very easy access, straight off a suburban street with adjoining parkland & seating. Interesting to read off the mixing of the paints with eggs to help with preserving the paintings and apparently tens of thousands of eggs being used. Right beside the mosque is the Tetovo Hamam, the stone bathhouse that sits on the Pena river

RB · Thursday at 11:43 AM

Throughout the day the traffic was very orderly, a few expressway sections with 100km/hr limits, some extended climbs (very few trucks travelling south today), evidence of plenty of roadworks with huge bridges & heavy scouring of hillsides ( apparently an American company is doing one section and had 3,000 overseas workers arriving days apart.) Plenty of picturesque villages, variable soils (north seemed better), some excellent looking farms, some huge concrete plants and even some toll stations on the roads. The Shar Mountain and Mavrovo National Parks span big areas & there is thick tree vegetation for long distances (similar to Montenegro). We passed the Ohrid airport on the flat as we approached our destination.

Ohrid airstrip in the centre of photo

RB · Thursday at 8:43 PM

Jovanovic Guest House Ohrid

We ended up with mixed feelings about this stay. There are many glowing reviews and it wasn’t a budget stay for the city at that time of year. The location on the flat & very close to the lake, restaurants and shops was indeed excellent and the views were nice. Having a reasonably sized balcony was also a bonus. However the family live on the premises & have done so for a long time & it just seemed that cheap renovations had been started but not totally finished. There was no way of blocking the early sunrise, the stairs up were narrow & awkward, the stairs that continued to the next storey were unlined & went straight over the kitchen. I found the low beds & lounge to be awkward & uncomfortable. There was no space between the joint bathroom/toilet & the kitchen & there was no exhaust in the bathroom. Reviews pointed to excellent service & interaction by the owners but we found that missing on our arrival & departure and it seemed the paddle board/kayak business was a priority.
If we were to return I think we would put less priority on being on the flat & close to the lake. It seemed if you were prepared to walk a few minutes further up the hill you had more choice of more modern buildings, probably much better value and comparable or superior views.

Main bedroom

2nd bedroom

Zoomed view of lake from balcony

Across the road from St Sophia

Street View- our unit was the one with the wound down blind

This is the stircase that goes over the top of the kitchen

VPS · 2025-07-25T08:23:59+1000

It is interesting staying in places that get good reviews and you think did we stay in the same place.

One place I stayed in England I asked the owner if the shower was easy to get in and out of and he said it was flat and when I got there it was a 30cm step out of a very narrow shower

RB · 2025-07-25T10:38:53+1000

Around Ohrid

Ohrid - Wikipedia

Bordered by Macedonia and Albania, Lake Ohrid is one of deepest and oldest in Europe and the town of Ohrid is one the oldest human settlements in Europe.
We really enjoyed our time here. Plenty of activity, heaps of food options and relatively easy to get around. It's a holiday atmosphere amongst the labyrinth of ancient streets and churches.

Day one we walked into town from the apartment & then took the boardwalk for a wander out to the Church of St John Church of St. John at Kaneo - Wikipedia

Fortress back left

Boardwalk started a couple of minutes from the apartment

Ohrid version of a beach

Some beautiful quiet spots on the walk

The ornate street lights throughout

A few blocks back from the lake & you see the locals & hear plenty of socialising

A magnificent display of colour

Looking across towards the newer settlement

RB · 2025-07-25T12:29:13+1000

In the evening we took a little turn around the lake with a 10 Euro Sunset Cruise that included a glass of good sparkling! Extra drinks were at usual bar prices. Only about 20 on board with heaps of room to move & no hassles getting photos. Good steady pace let us see the sights from the water & a beautiful sunset over the amazing colours of the Lake Ohrid water. We thought this was great value & very worthwhile

Church of St John was still there!

Very safe walking around at night

A couple of minutes walk from the apartment to a cluster of restaurants

Nightcap back on the balcony with a view

RB · 2025-07-25T15:19:00+1000

Day 2 and we had a day out on the water to the Bay of Sveti Naum where springs feed the amazing colours of the lake and is almost to the Albanian border. It was a great day to be on the water although there was a thunderstorm threatening as we returned
We visited the Bay of Bones on the way - an open air museum & a reconstruction of stilt houses from 600BC. The museum had artifacts from the times. Prehistoric settlement in the Bay of Bones near Gradishte on Ohrid Lake – NI Institute for protection of monuments of culture and museum – Ohrid
Our transport for the day-8 passengers

Approaching Bay of Bones

General Views on the Lake

RB · 2025-07-25T15:23:15+1000

We also visited Church of Mother of God Zahumska - great site on the lake. Church of Holy Mother of God Zaumska – Exploring Ohrid. Again we are the first boat there so good opportunity to walk around quietly & also capture photos.

Looking back at the lake

RB · 2025-07-25T15:55:56+1000

The main stop of the day
Monastery of St Naum and St Naum Springs
Monastery of Saint Naum - Macedonia

Sveti Naum -we hiked up to the Monastery - great location over the lake. A wander around for the rest of the 3hrs - plenty of shops for the tourists and pilgrims and we had a nice meal in Ostrovo - one of the few restaurants operating. Church of St Petka is hidden away a little on the side of main thoroughfares. There was an optional trip by small row boat to the source of the springs that feed the lake but we opted out of that one and walked a little way up the inlet instead.

Our approach