View from my room
The lake itself might be one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen. The water is crystal clear and clean and absolutely filled with tiny little fish everywhere. As you look out over the still water, it shimmers blue and reflects the mountain ranges surrounding the town and the nearby national park.
Also, if you stroll just a few yards from my accommodation, there is a little walkway over the lake which goes around the cliff and brings you out at secluded Kaneo Beach. Here, you can go for a swim or sit in the peaceful bar and watch the odd fisherman's boat go by.
Now that it is October, the water is still warm enough to swim but you get the place virtually to yourself. There is a diving platform by the shore which is great too and underneath the water is dense with shoals of little tetra fish which will swim right up to you.
Fisherman's paradise
On the edge of the cliff by the beach is the Sveti Jovan Church. It is not so special in itself but it has a stunning location and is probably the best spot to look out over the nearby scenery. Slightly further inland through the trees is the slightly more impressive Sveti Kliment Church. The surrounding area is being excavated for the ruins of the original settlement which stood here in 1500 years ago.
Elsewhere in the old part of town is the (now fairly predictable) Roman Ampitheatre and the Sofija Cathedral. The cathedral is particularly nice with plenty of columns and old painted frescos on the inside. Both of these places hold festival performances in the summer months too.
The major non-lake draw though is the impressive hilltop stone castle. Here you can climb the well preserved turrets and battlements and you get a great panoramic view in every direction with the lake one way, the city another, and the mountain ranges that I came from stretching out another way. As well as the fortress, the stone walls run right through the old town where you can only get through by the Gorna Porta Gate.
The last night in town, I thought I should sample some traditional Macedonian food before leaving so I went to try some "uviac" (meat rolled into a sausage shape with cheese in the centre) at a local restaurant. The only thing on the menu with an English translation was called "Girls Dream". The waiter chuckled when I ordered it which made me a bit nervous and it was only after my meal arrived that I got what the joke was all about. It still tasted pretty good though.
It was a great way to end my stay in one of my new favorite places. Ohrid is anything but 'orrid.
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