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

[RB]

Millenium Cross Millennium Cross - Wikipedia

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

 

[RB]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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












View back towards Ohrid from monastery






One of the residents


SPRINGS OF CRNI DRIM - DIVINE BEAUTY | Macedonian cuisine

The flow into the lake


Crystal clear









I believe this was meant to be the lifeguard tower for lake swimmers

 

[RB]

On the last day in Ohrid we hiked up to Samuel’s Fortress where excavations continue. It was a bit of a slog but less 15 minutes. We were early enough to beat the school excursions & had unrushed climbs around the walls & ramparts.

A local car seen on the way to the fort-maybe cheap security!


Tsar Samuel’s Fortress – NI Institute for protection of monuments of culture and museum – Ohrid

The walls stretch for more than 3km













Nearby is the Church of Saint Clement & Panteleimon- all fenced off when we were there, apparently the archaeological site is still being restored. Church of Saints Clement and Panteleimon - Wikipedia

Plaoshnik – St. Clement church | HAEMUS | Center for scientific research and promotion of culture






During our sunset cruise we had spotted a track that headed around the headland so we worked our way down from the fortress towards Labino Point & Beach & tracked back to above the Church of St John & then back to town via the boardwalk.

Parts were like this but other sections it would have been handy to have hiking sticks







Right beside our apartment was the Church of St Sophia- a turbulent history, very popular with locals & tour groups & home to turtles- Saint Sophia Church in Ohrid – A Symbol of History and Faith
Opposite view of St Sophia than the night time view posted previously



A holy turtle

 

[RB]

Ohrid to Ioannina Greece

We took this entertaining transfer by car as the buses across the border were a bit hit and miss. For us, the advantage was also the ability to incorporate a visit to Kastoria and we are certainly pleased we did. Balkan drivers are never short of experiences and opinions and Zlatko was no exception - great company and exceptional driver.
The trip from Ohrid took us past orchards, more thick forests, tobacco, saffron & cotton growing and industrial plants. One shed apparently housed the biggest automotive components factory of the Balkans Machine and Automotive components – Invest North Macedonia where three 8 hr shifts operate.





The border crossing was relatively straightforward. We were around 10 minutes lined up to leave Macedonia & only a couple of minutes to enter Greece. Our driver related how he found many household items cheaper for him to buy in Greece as he was able to claim back 20% tax when he crossed back to Macedonia on his way home.




Kastoria
Kastoria - Wikipedia was a remarkable setting on the waters of Lake Orestiada that was obviously enjoying a tourism boom going by the massive number of waterfront cafes. We zigged & zagged around a lot of streets before finding the waterfront promenade full of shops and restaurants. Another unexpected site was the number of fur outlets located here (apparently over 300) with the beginnings in Byzantine times before many of the families moved to New York to establish the fur industry there. Plenty of elegant examples of the 17th century houses of these fur families can be seen.
First glimpse of the lake

 

[RB]

We started seeing bear warning signs and past a ski field that apparently now attracts many Europeans with it’s very sharp pricing. Wind turbines marked the high ridges & we started seeing solar panels-something not noted in Kosovo nor Nthn Macedonia (Zlatko said he couldn't afford the outlay). The last of our drive into Ioannina was a very quick section of freeway featuring huge numbers of unnels.-Apparently a very quick run down to Athens via this route but aound 50 Euro each way in tolls.



Just about a full load


I asked Zlatko (Macedonian) about the line in the road surface- he delighted in telling me that it was the cheap/easy Greek solution to laying new cables

 

[RB]

Lakeside Apartment Ioannina

Lakeside Apartment, Ioannina (updated prices 2025)

We had a 4 night stay here and had a great time. The apartment was in an excellent location, right across the road from the lake. There was an excellent shared pathway right on the lake & many restaurants/cafes within a couple of minutes walk. Supermarkets were within walking distance and corner stores sold chilled beer at sharp prices. It was only a couple of minutes walk to catch the ferry to the island & similar time to walk to the fort area. The apartment was very well equipped (excellent air conditioning) & the owner was very generous with supplies. Not a fan of the shower over the bath but we survived unscathed.



2nd bedroom




Another very comfortable bed


Those drawers had everything you might need


Don't seem to have a photo of the kitchen area-everything except a dishwasher.

Views

 

[RB]

We spent 4 nights in this great little city on the lake and used it as a base to see the Zagori Villages and Vikos Gorge.

For the majority of the time we were magnificently escorted around by Ioannis Smiris from Epirus Traveller - Diaspora Travel Greece who really puts his heart into showing visitors around this less visited part of Greece. He has lived an amazing life & it was great to spend some time with him.

Day 1 - We travelled to the North West Zagoria where the recent past is never far away. The Defensive Line of WW2 is here with a still bare hill that has never regrown from bombings, and the Monument of the Soldier at Kalpaki. It’s a moving tribute with the courage of the Greek resistance against the Italians celebrated. Details like the goat hair used for army coats make it come alive.

We visited the villages of Aristi, Papigko, Small Papigko, Vikos and Mesovouni. Also 2 of the famed stone bridges of Aristi and Kleidonia.
We also observed the magnificent Vikos Gorge from 2 viewpoints, the 1150 m cliffs of the Pindos mountains, the Voidomatis River, and the Stone Forest Mountain with it’s 5 impressive towers.
Also on the itinerary were the Papingo natural rock pools and Rogovo Stream with it’s limestone formations plus the Voidomatis River and bridge with it’s viaducts.
Mikro Papingo was particularly interesting with it’s Taxiarchon Church with it’s separate levels for men & women and internal balcony, crazy cobblestone heritage streets and stone houses of Zagorian architecture with ancient roofing. We also paid a visit to Hotel 1700 - it belongs to the Aunt of a friend in Australia and we were made very welcome. At Mikro Papingo and elsewhere it was noted that settlers looked out for the presence of maple trees-they were seen as an indicator of a good water supply.

Kalpaki Monument


Hillside that has never recovered from WW2 bombing


Also taken from memorial site


Large chicken production farm


Views of the gorge-tricky with the morning sun




Part of the drive we covered later

 

[RB]

Vikos Gorge day continued

Church at Mikro Papingo



The 5 towers






Hotel 1700 a bar area

 

[RB]

Papingo Rock Pools.






This has a very good video of the pools
Papingo Rock Pools

Aristi Bridge- low seasonal flow while we were there. Some kayaks but no rafting at this time. Young guys egging their mates on to leap from a high point-Ioannis said they used to jump from the same spot when he was growing up (not captured inn photo)


Kleidonia Bridge



Not quite so smooth when you are on it

Downstream


Downstream


Upstream


A pretty good video
Bridge Of Kleidonia – Konitsa | Greece [4K] - YouTube

We had a great day!

 

[RooFlyer]

I just caught up.

Tetovo Painted Mosque

That rang a bell. I looked up my own TR and found that there was a very grumpy mosque caretaker when we went inside (our tour leader had made all the entry niceties) and kept pressuring for donations (even without the language we could tell that!).