A step back in time - Ohrid last September

Yesterday I went back in time. You know how it is. You see or read something, smell something, that wakens your memory. I saw a Lonely Planet tweet highlighting the top 10 best value destinations for 2021. On that list was Ohrid in Macedonia. Most people I know have never heard of it, but I have the very good fortune of having some excellent Macedonian friends who insisted that Ohrid had to be on my itinerary when I visited them last year. 

One of the delights of Macedonia is that is a bit off the beaten track. This means that the international travel “bubble” that can make it seem as though you have never left home, doesn't exist there. Major towns seem to have the ubiquitous MacDonalds – but the international coffee chains are conspicuous by their absence, and not many of the high street fashion stores are represented. In their place, you’ll find a range of coffee shops that vary from really good to absolutely terrible. But it's this variety that makes international travel so interesting. For me travel is not about staying in my comfort zone by drinking the same coffee I drink at home, eating the same food I eat at home. It's about experiencing something new. Not just the scenery, but the food, the coffee, and most importantly the people.

Ohrid is truly worth the effort it takes to get there. The birthplace of the Cyrillic alphabet, it is a lakeside town with the air of a resort created by its plethora of waterside and roadside cafes and restaurants. And, of course, the lake.

Lake Ohrid is purportedly Europe's oldest lake – around 300 million years old. It's about 30 kilometres long, and in parts it's 300 metres deep. About two-thirds of it belongs to Macedonia; the other third is Albanian. It’s the picture of tranquillity in summer, although I have been told it can appear quite wild in winter. Hire a small boat for about 30 minutes one morning and sail past the old town. Relax and enjoy the magnificent views from the water. You’ll get a unique perspective of Ohrid’s churches and the impressive fort. If you're lucky your boatman will even make you a cup of coffee. Admire the tiny pebbled beaches, covered with sun lounges, and the architecture of the old town.

Apart from the boat trip, the best way to see Ohrid is to walk. Get lost. Turn up a road and see where it takes you. Stroll along for a couple of hours and you’re sure to stumble across Ohrid's main tourist attractions.

It seems that just about everywhere you turn you’ll find a church – there are dozens in Ohrid and the surrounding area. If you try to see them all you’ll probably want to call it quits before you get too far down the list. Make sure you see the 11th century frescoes in Sveta Sofija, Ohrid's cathedral. The colours and images in much of the church were preserved by one of those happy accidents that occur throughout history. In this case, the church, which was modelled after Constantinople's St Sophia, became a mosque when Macedonia came under Ottoman rule. Its beautiful frescoes were covered with plaster; an action which happily brought about their preservation.

Don't miss the hilltop splendour of Sveti Kliment i Pantelejmon. This church is fairly new – it was built in 2002. There had been a church on the site since at least the 4th century and when they decided to build this church anew, they rebuilt according to its original Byzantine architecture. Take a look at the 4th century church foundations and partially uncovered mosaics in the grounds. The ongoing excavations will probably continue for years. St Kliment of Ohrid was the first Slavic bishop and founder of the Macedonian Orthodox Church. He also is responsible for creating the Cyrillic alphabet.

The third not-to-be-missed church is a tiny church on a small point jutting out into the water. The position is sublime and combined with its architecture, it’s definitely worth a visit. The 13th century Church of Sveti Jovan at Kaneo sits in a small garden on a cliff overlooking the sea. At night it is floodlight, but I personally preferred the natural light of the early morning on my visit. Make sure you take some time to sit in the gardens, relax and enjoy the view. Though your idyll is sure to be interrupted by the click of camera shutters.

From Sveti Jovan church, walk along the lake’s edge, past a tiny village and Kaneo beach. Locals refer to it as a fishing village but to me it appeared to be a string of cafes. I guess some people go fishing too. Continue on the path and you end up in the old town with its stunning examples of traditional architecture. There’s a short boardwalk over the water – in the early morning there were people fishing here. Plaques for each sign of the zodiac are place along the boardwalk and the idea is that you throw a coin, touch the "sing" (sic) corresponding to your birth sign and make a wish. I say just walk along and enjoy the view.

Back in the town take the time to look at Ohrid Pearls. The ‘pearls’ are made from fish scales and the techniques are handed down through families. Watch out for fakes – I’ve been told there are many. Insist on pearls that come with a "certificate".  Also check out the delicate silver filigree work.

When you’re ready for more walking visit Car Samoil's fort. Go up through the old town, past Sveti Sofija and the ancient theatre (late Hellenic period) and follow the signs. It's a steep hill but well worth the climb. Go during the day and there’ll be somewhere along the way where you can buy a cold drink. Stroll along the wooded path and at times you’ll almost forget that you people are living and going about their daily business close by.

Make sure you spend some time sitting in cafes watching the people and drinking coffee. In Macedonia drinking coffee almost seems to be a national pastime. Watch out though. At one cafe when I ordered a cappuccino it came with whipped cream on top! After that I found it safer to stick to espresso if I wanted to enjoy my coffee the way I like it.

The locals in Ohrid are very friendly. They love to tell you about their town and hear about where you’re from. Ohrid was celebrating when I was there and it was a local who explained to me what was going on. The Macedonian team had just beaten the Greek team in a basketball game – fireworks and partying went on until the early hours. 

In summer months you can catch Ohrid Summer - a programme of concerts that attracts local and international visitors, which uses both Sveta Sofija and the classical amphitheatre as venues.

I didn't get time on my trip for everything that Lake Ohrid has to offer. There are other towns, monasteries and museums I have yet to visit and I'm looking forward to hiking through the nearby Galicica National Park which separates Lake Ohrid from the neighbouring Lake Prespa sometime soon. One local told me that "Everyone who visits Ohrid once, comes back". I don't think he was exaggerating.

Globalisation - Love it or hate it ...?

Sometimes I rail against the ‘global society’. When I travel and find myself seeing the same stores everywhere I wonder why the British High Street is replicated in so many places. What’s happened to local flavour, individuality ...?

Of course, when we scratch the surfaces of these places we find that the local flavour is there – it just may take a bit more than the cursory glance we so often give things to find it. Stephen Fry on QI mentioned that most visitors to the Louvre go directly to the Mona Lisa, spend less than three minutes looking at it, then leave the Louvre. The cursory glance – maybe this is all that most modern tourists have time for?

When I travel I like to stay in one spot and take it in, to absorb the flavours and smells. I like to base myself in one small town and sit in cafes, watching the people go about their days, trying to understand what is making the particular place ‘tick’ – I like to scratch beneath the surface.

But I have a confession to make. There are other times when I really welcome the surfaces, the visible global brands.

On moving to Prague, I needed some furniture. I don’t want to spend a fortune on furniture. Money spent on a sofa can be better spent on so many other things in my book. So I turned to Ikea. They make it easy. They are everywhere. We’re all familiar with how the Ikea store works. In Prague there is a regular bus from the nearest metro station that takes you directly to Ikea. Of course the store is so popular it’s always crowded – in fact as I left at lunchtime, there were so many people coming there that they had to control entry at the front door. But at Ikea you know what you’re going to get and that can make it worth dealing with the crowds.

Then there’s coffee. When you’re in a new place and don’t know where the best coffee is, sometimes you’re happy to experiment and get rubbish. But when you’re feet are sore, it’s cold, you’re tired – well then, I have to say it, the pleasure I get from a double espresso in Starbucks really lifts my spirits. It’s the consistency that attracts – knowing that when I order my coffee it will be the same, good coffee I can buy in Dubai, Sydney, London or just about anywhere else in the world.

When I rant and rave about globalisation, when I complain that the main street in each major city replicates every other main street in every other major city, take it with a grain of salt. Like everyone else I like to grab a dose of the familiar to help me through the challenges of a new city, a new country, new people, new work, new language ... I admit it. I like to be able to get a Starbucks espresso. Yet I need to remember I didn’t make these changes to my life for familiarity. I made them so I could experience different things ... so from now on, only one Starbucks a week.

It’s time to find those great, local coffee places ...

More on my move ...

Arrival!

My flight landed early. The way through passport control was fast and efficient. My luggage was amongst some of the first to be unloaded. I breezed through customs.

A wonderful beginning.

I phoned Martin, my real estate agent, who had offered to come and pick me up and drive me to the apartment. He arrived promptly, helped with my luggage and was, as ever, charming and full of useful information about my new home.

After signing everything that needed to be signed and learning how to use the multiple locks, I was alone in my new, very empty home. My top priority was something to sleep on, and something to sleep under. So I harnessed all my courage and found my way to the Metro station, and on to a train with a 24 hour ticket (for some reason I always find train systems a little scary and am amazed each time I try a new one at how easily they can be navigated).

So to Pankrác station – just one stop further out of town. A yoga mat, a duvet, and I was set for the night. I have to say, that after two nights of this uncomfortable arrangement, my white cloud of an IKEA mattress is beckoning.

Of course, I’m still trying to get the hang of the heating controls – but I haven’t really needed the heating. My kitchen cupboards are bare. But I have found the Tesco Express just down the road. My biggest challenge now is finding my way to and from the station. First time was in daylight. No problem. But in the dark (just after 5 pm – short days here now!) everything looked different and I walked and retraced my steps twice before finding my way. I am optimistic that from now on I shouldn’t have any problems.

An update - I've moved to Prague!

Well, after a long absence I have returned to the screen of my blog. A word of explanation for my silence. I've been busy moving. The dream of a 'real' life in Europe is, I trust, going to become my reality. I have moved to Prague, got myself connected, and am embarking on new adventures.

But first, some musings on my final hours in Dubai ...

Last Day in Dubai

As ever, Dubai gave me memorable experiences right until the last moment.

I was reminded of Dubai-Sharjah traffic. I hadn’t been on this road for many years because of the traffic. I had completely forgotten how ghastly it can be. And on my last day I battled with it twice.

Rude taxi drivers – I know most of the taxi drivers are fantastic. But there are the bad ones, and two of my last three taxi rides involved these. First a taxi driver who gets a flat tire, on a road with no other taxis, and who refuses to contact his company and get them to send someone. A second taxi arrives and stops. I ask, hopefully, can you take me? No, of course not. He’s helping the one with the flat tyre. Have these people never heard of customers? Are we not how they make their money? A bit of help would have gone a long way. But none was forthcoming, so my wallet remained firmly shut.

Then there was the ‘moaning’ taxi driver on the way to the airport. The traffic is so bad. These signals cause the bad traffic. A woman who lives over there didn’t pay the fare yesterday. I have visited twice asking for the money but she just tells me to come back. Last time I went she didn’t open the door. (It’s not that these aren’t legitimate moans. The traffic was bad, the woman who didn’t pay her fare unspeakable – but I just want to relax and get to the airport.)

Of course, it’s my last time leaving Dubai and I have excess luggage. 20 kilos of the stuff. Here was a bright point in my leaving. I still had to pay it all but a lovely man took pity on me and I only paid for 14 kilos. Of course, being Emirates, this is still an extortionate amount, but it was all stuff I need.

I look out of my window now and see green, I see uncongested roads. And what’s that I hear? A car horn? No, not a car horn to be heard. I’ve got a lot to do before I truly feel I belong here, and I probably won’t end my days here. But it’s nice to call Prague home.

Just curious ...

I've been wondering ...

Why is it that the more expensive the hotel room, the less likely you are to have free wifi?

Do border guards regularly ask random strangers for lifts home in Serbia?

Do all waiters think that a single woman of a certain age is fair game?

Why do taxis in Dubai fail to understand that if you wanted a taxi you would signal them to pick you up - they don't have to add to the noise pollution with their incessant 'tooting'?

Why is it more fun to get lost in a strange city than to get lost in the city where you live?

Why the more television channels you have available, the less there is that's worth watching?

More things that delight me (Part 2)

• The smell of eucalypts after rain
• The Fog Sculpture at the NGA in Canberra

• A good strong blue cheese
• Staying at home with a good book
• Ripe tomato with fresh basil and some good Murray River pink sea salt
• Waking up in the morning and knowing there’s no one I have to see, no where I have to be
• Making the decision about where to spend my next holiday

•  The look on visitors’ faces when they see Dubai’s faux Egyptian shopping centre Wafi in all its glory for the first time – think sun streaming through glass pyramids, concrete statues of Ramses II and general typical, over-the-top, Dubai style excess
• Stormy seas – waves pounding against rocks under dark clouds, with or without rain
• Swimming in a thermal spa in Italy in the rain in autumn

•  The faded splendour of Venice – the boats collecting the city’s garbage in the mornings, the subtle Christmas lights in December, getting lost walking and discovering glimpses of gardens, eating a crepe with melted cheese near the Rialto Bridge
• Dipping my feet into an icy cold river on a hot summer day
• Bach’s Cello Suites – Pablo Casal’s recording is my top preference but there are many other good ones
• Mario's gorgeous tower in Montemarcello 

• The sound of a lover's voice on the phone when you haven't seen them for a while ...