Final Post

Awoke this morning (after only about 6 hours of sleep) to a warm, ok, hot morning.  The sun was already up, well past sunrise, and it was surrounded by some light clouds.  Welcome back to sunny Tempe, Arizona.  While still tired, once I am awake, I am awake.  So I decided to make some iced coffee and finish the posts on my blog.  Hmmm...  not enough ingredients to make coffee so I text David to please bring me a McDonalds iced coffee and an egg McMuffin on his way home from work.  Then I worked on my blog, started unpacking a bit, went through all the mail that accumulated over the last 3 weeks, etc.  Yep, that's reality. 

But, I could not end my blog without sending out a HUGE thank you to all of the people who have made my journey so memorable and special.  First of all, The Tempe Sister Cities Program and all the wonderful members who had faith in me and chose me to represent them on this trip - I hope I made you proud.  To all my family and friends who joined me every day, via this blog, on my adventure (and to people from all over the world who are also following my blog, HI!  and thank

you).  To the warm and welcoming people in the country of Macedonia, who I now call my friends.  To a new friend, who I had to come to Macedonia to get to know better, Sarah - I hope we continue our friendship back in Tempe.  To my constant companion, and newest addition to my best friends list, Niecy - I wouldn't have had NEAR as much fun without you there with me!   And, last, but CERTAINLY not least, my new family in Macedonia...  Tanja, Toni, and Marko.  You made me feel at home from the beginning, and I can't wait to see you all again.  There's a saying in Macedonia that  President Ivanov told us... "You come to Macedonia the first time by chance.  You come to Macedonia the second time because of the first time.  You come to Macedonia a third time because you love it".  I DEFINITELY love it and will be back.  So goodbye, and until next time... 

With Love From Macedonia,
J

The Longest Day

After our wonderful side trip to Vienna, we boarded our flight headed to Dulles International Airport in Washington, D.C.  It was over a 10 hour flight, and since it was a day flight, even though I was exhausted, I got absolutely no sleep.  I read a book on my Kindle Fire, watched two movies, Big (with Tom Hanks, an oldie but definitely a goodie!)  and Playing for Keeps with Gerard Butler. I had actually already seen it, but not much else caught my eye.  I had some great food and a glass of wine with my dinner.  Austrian Airlines provided a pillow and a blanket, and yes, I even USED the blanket, as the flight was quite chilly.  The flight was long and I was continually checking the on flight program that would show where our airplane was in relation to where we took off and where
we were going.  It is so interesting to me to check that out.  We flew over England, and into the Atlantic Ocean, and then over Greenland (which was totally covered with ice), and then through Canada and down to D.C.  Our landing was on time, and we had no jaunt planned for D.C, but even if we did we probably would have cancelled it as Niecy and me were both already pooped.  When we exited the plane we were loaded into this type of transit vehicle which looked like a cross between a garbage truck, an armoured car, and something from a science fiction movie.  The hostages (us) were then taken to the U.S. Customs check in, where we had to claim any and all items purchased abroad.  It was an incredibly quick process, and we were OK'd for passage back into the United States of America...  we then had to pick up the luggage we had checked on in Skopje, and transfer it to the United Airlines connecting flight.  Both Niecy and I were sweating it, because our bags were like 10 pounds overweight! (OK, MINE was 10 pounds, Niecy's was just 5)... and we were worried that we would either have to figure out where to put all that extra weight, or pay bucks to accommodate it, but we were lucky and just had to throw our bags onto the conveyor belt, and neither were weighed.  Yea.  (A side note, we were so lucky in Skopje when we checked in our bags, because Tanja knew someone who worked at the airport (imagine that!) and he got his boss to override our weight excess with no problems!)  Thus our longest day continues...  Niecy and I then had to go check in with the United Airlines counter and get out boarding passes.  No luck here, as we were both put in rows that were miles apart.  Oh

well.  The next item was finding some food (of course).  We knew we had a plethora of time, so began walking through the many different terminals there and ended up at a Gordon Biersch restaurant.  The place was extremely crowded and it didn't look like we would find a seat, but the bartender, noticing our plight, came to the rescue and asked one patron to move down so Niecy and I could get a seat together.We both ordered burgers (burgers for our last meal before we left for Macedonia and burgers for our first meal home) and fries.  We sat there for probably and hour and a half or so, making small talk with our neighbors.  One guy (a Marine who works at the US Embassy in Dubai)was headed back home and had some interesting stories to tell us about that area of Europe.  After we finished there, we went to wait at our gate.  Niecy needed a plug to charge one of her many electronic devices, and she found us a little corner to hang out in until our 7 pm flight...  strike that...  8 pm flight...  strike that again...  8:30 flight...  there was some problems with our connecting flight
that was coming in from Texas, and our day just keep getting longer, and longer, and longer...  (here is a lovely picture of Niecy and me trying to get some shut eye on the floor at the aiirport).  We finally boarded, but this 5 hour flight seemed to be longer than the 10 hour flight.  It was getting dark, and we were actually chasing the sunset because we were going from East Coast to West Coast, but still could not sleep.  I was dead dog tired, but just could not get comfortable.  Oh well.  FINALLY arrived back in Phoenix at about 10:30 p.m. Arizona time (which was 7:30 a.m. Macedonia time!)...  28 hours of travel time.  David (my hubby) and Micah (Niecy's guy) were there with open arms to welcome us home.  Finally...  the end of the longest day.

Breakfast in Vienna

The first leg of our flight was a short, uneventful, one hour stint.  And I was NOT looking forward to sitting in the Vienna airport for over 4 hours waiting for our next flight.  Oh, did I happen to mention that I have an AMAZING travel partner, Niecy?  Well, I do.  Niecy did some homework, and had planned a quick jaunt into the city of
 Vienna during our layover.  As soon as the plane landed, Niecy and I hit the pavement running to catch a 6:23 subway train #7 that would take us into the city center.  Our plane landed early and we were able to catch the 6:04 train into town.  It was a heady feeling just to be taking the chance during our layover to see this beautiful city, and we were not disappointed.  The subway ride took about 20-25 minutes, and we enjoyed the view of small towns and open fields
from our window.  Niecy (the navigator) carefully checked and rechecked the map to ensure we got off at the correct stop.  We jumped off the train and headed out to the city, which was just awakening.  We walked along curvy streets, taking in all the sights.  We stopped for breakfast at a little umbrella covered Coffee Company, and had a delicious fare, including the first iced coffee of my entire trip.
Niecy had consulted her GPS and saw that there was a huge church close to our location, so ever trusting as I am of my friend, we set out in search of it.  And when we found it, OH MY GOSH!  It was breath taking! (My pictures do NO justice to its beauty...) The outside of the enormous building was darkened from years of exposure to car exhaust, time, and the elements.  You could tell they were in the process of cleaning certain portions of the cathedral because the color was much brighter, creamy white.  We entered the quiet calm of the church and just stood there taking in all of the grandeur.  It is difficult to put in to words the beauty that surrounded us.  We
stayed as long as we could, then had to head back to the train station to catch our connecting link back to the airport.  OK, we were pushing it just a bit, because our train wasn't to pick us up until 9:15 and it didn't get back to the airport until 9:45 and
 our plane was to take off at 10:25.  We literally were running through the airport to get to our flight.  Security ended up being a crazy ordeal, and I think we had (or parts of our luggage) had to be scanned and rescanned at least 4 or 5 times (did you know that an underwire bra can set off the security scanners?
 Well, I sure found that out!).  Anyway, we made it through, and yes, we were the last ones on the plane, but it was so worth it to spend a few precious hours in the inspiring city of Vienna.

The LONG Journey Home

It is almost midnight, and I will be getting up in 2 1/2 hours to leave for the airport at 3 a.m. for our 4:30 a.m.flight.  OK, WHO set up this flight...  they owe me big time...  anyway, you will not hear from me again until I reach Arizona at 9 p.m. on Friday night, but that is a looooooonnnnnnggg time from now.  

We fly first to Vienna, and then have a 4 1/2 hour layover before our long

 flight to Dulles. Once we reach the states we have another long 5 hour
layover there.  Then the final leg that takes us back to Phoenix, and home sweet home.  It is a total of over 26 hours of travel.
 Yep, we will definitely be dead on our feet by that point.  But, we will be happy to be home at last.  Bittersweet as Niecy said does not really match the feeling...  look for one
 last wrap up blog entry when I return home to the blistering heat (116 degrees vs. the gorgeous 75 degrees in Macedonia) in my beautiful state of Arizona.

 Ciao and happy travels!

Last Day in Skopje

Today is Thursday, and it is the last day that I will be here in the beautiful city of Skopje, Macedonia.  I spent the morning repacking and organizing my suitcase. I have so many more items than what I came with that I am VERY concerned about the weight...  but, never fear, Tanja knows someone who is working at the airport and all will be well.  Thank heaven for Tanja!  After a nice (huge) breakfast fit for a queen, I worked on my blog for a bit, and when Tanja arrived home we left to "check OUT" at the police station.  When that was done we went to pick up Niecy and headed for the Museum of the City of Skopje.  It is housed in the "Clock Tower" as I have named it, the former train station where the clock on the building stopped at the exact time of the

catastrophic earth quake that happened almost 50 years ago.
 As we entered the building we were greeted by a man who offered to be our guide.  The museum has a wonderful exhibit of artifacts, some dating back to 400 years BC.  There are many items like clay oil lamps, jewelry, bone tools, and even an incredible statue made o sf marble.  The history is so rich in this city, and I love to hear about it and learn more about this region.  Sorry, but we were unable to take any pictures in the museum, so you are not privy to the amazing history that I saw.  After we left the museum Niecy and I were out looking for the last few items that
we needed for gifts, and just enjoying the beautiful, cool 75 degree day.  When we were done shopping we decided to end our journey where we began it, at the restaurant Pelister.  We sat at a table right by walkway of the center, where we were able to people watch and talk with ease.  We ordered a drink and decided to share a pizza, just like we did when we first arrived here.
 As we sat and reminisced about our wonderful visit, I saw a wall of rain headed our way so instead of calling Tanja to pick us up (and chance being caught in the rain, we decided to order another drink and wait it out...  GOOD choice!  In no time, the POURING rain was upon us and we watched people running for cover.  This picture shows a desolate center as the rain pounds down.  We actually had to move our chairs back from the edge, as we were getting wet as well.  Niecy and I then decided, what the heck, let's order some dessert...  what's another pound or two at this point?  lol.  So we ordered chocolate lava cake and ice cream AND profiteroles (cream puffs with chocolate sauce).  Yum... we stayed until the rain stopped and the blue sky was beginning to peak through.  Tanja sent Marko to pick us up and he ran Niecy home, and then me.

 I finished my packing and laid down for a quick nap.  When I got up I decided to take my shower and get all ready so when I have to wake up at 2:30 in the morning, I will basically be ready, just need to touch up a bit.  After I got ready, Tanja called me out and the family gave me a few wonderful presents.  An amazingly beautiful and comfortable pair of sheepskin slippers for me, a  bottle of the finest Macedonian red wine for David, and Toni (the sweet man that he is) went and picked up baklava and tulumba sweets for us to take home to share with our families.  I had a gifts (tokens of my appreciation) as well, and gave them to Toni (a bottle of rakija), Tanja (a southwest cookbook), and Marko (a sun key chain).  No gift could be grand enough to say thank you for the amazing time that I have had being a part of their family.  So they will have to settle for my heartfelt thanks...  which they will. I am done packing, am drinking my last toast of Uzo as I put the finishing touches on my blog.  I MAY get 3 hours of sleep if I am lucky before I have to get up and leave for the airport.

Rained Out...

Our weather has been so absolutely beautiful here during our stay in Macedonia, that I guess it was inevitable that it would change.  So,  the day before yesterday it was a bit rainy, yesterday it was a bit MORE rainy, and today it just decided to rain for almost the whole day. So the trip that Dobrin had planned for us to go first to an ancient observatory, and then later to a winery, were rained out...  total drag.  I was really looking forward to going to both of these places, but who am I to argue with Mother Nature?  So I had a lazy day, and actually got a taste of reality, as I finally checked my home and school email.  I vow NEVER to look at them when I am on vacation, as it is such a "reality check" and when I am on vacation, I am SO not ready for it.  But, with nothing else to do this morning, I caught up on the 60 school emails that awaited me, and some personal ones as well.  With that done, Tanja came home and made me some lunch, and then Niecy, Ana and her 2 kids picked me up to go to the mall and do some final souvenir shopping.  We had a great time at the mall, and I finally found a "high/low dress" as I call it.  It is a beautiful blue and very comfortable and airy light.  (See picture below).  Sarah dubbed this dress, "The Mullet Dress".  lol!
She is so funny.  After the mall, Niecy and I were still in need of some more stuff, and the kids were tired, so we talked Ana
 in to just dropping us off at the open air market/Old Bazaar to continue our shopping.  We spent another couple of hours wandering around the Bazaar and looking for treasures.  I found everything I needed, and Niecy did well, also.  My greatest treasure was a gift for my son in law, an antique book from 1913.  I hope he loves it!  I took a taxi home and Tanja fed me again, and then I took a quick power nap. Tonight is our "girls night out", even though the original

plan was a salsa Latina discotheque, the rain and time washed that out, so we all got dressed up nice and cute and headed for the mall.  We ended up at a nice Italian place where we had a variety of drinks
and appetizers, including caviar on toast (Niecy's first time!), and some flambe (flaming!)  pancakes (crepes).  Since the restaurant could NOT light the crepes on fire at our table, I was invited to join them in their kitchen to take a picture of the happening!  It is so wonderful to be treated like a queen!  :)

 As we sat together and received our first drink, I tried to make a toast, but ended up getting choked up at the thought that our time is almost through. But I pulled it together and we toasted to "New friends, lifelong friends".  We spent the evening reminiscing about our trip and the memories we would be taking back with us.  Then we began to plan ahead for the reunion when Tanja and Ana come to join us in August.  We have so loved our time here and can't wait to reciprocate the pleasure of hosting our wonderful exchange teachers & showing them how amazing Tempe is.

Catching Up...

It is kind of hard when you are so busy and you forget to write down everything that happens...  so, I need to catch up on a couple of things.  First of all, these things happened the day before we left for Lake Ohrid, so at least you know where they fall.  I will try to figure out how to put them in the right order later.  But for now, here it is.  After we went to the school for the blind, and the Skopje Zoo, Tanja took us to a wonderful Serbian restaurant called Roulette.  It was a beautiful place and we sat outside to eat, as the weather was so nice.  Right after we sat down the owner of the place came over personally to welcome us (yes, Tanja knew him very well).  We decided to eat "family style" and left the choices up to Tanja and the owner.  Niecy, Sarah, and me were happy to eat whatever they put in front of us.  Our meal was, of course, delicious and we overate as is now our norm. We had a delicious meal of salad, fried zucchini, potatoes, & a plate of amazingly tender & delicious meat as well.

After we finished we went with Tanja to visit our favorite travel agent, Sashko, @ Elite Travel, and he booked us another amazingly inexpensive trip to Lake Ohrid, complete with a chartered bus and a private apartment.  We were getting a bit tired by then, and  we tried to talk Tanja into letting us take a nap, but her response was, "You can sleep when you are in Arizona!" Such a slave driver!  lol.  When we completed that task, we were off to meet Meri (the head honcho lady in charge of the TSC coordinating program here in Skopje) as she had arranged for us to do a double decker bus tour of the city.  We all met up at the "arch" as Niecy and I were calling it, but it is actually called the gate.  Our bus arrived and we were the only people on it, so it was a private tour!  We had a guide to talk us through our sights and the tour was wonderful.  We decided after that to go have a drink and some dessert.

 I am not sure of the name of the place we ended up at, but it was right off of the River Vardar, so it was a wonderful setting for us to sit outside.  We all got drinks, and then some delicious dessert choices, which most of us chose a chocolate lava cake with ice cream.  DELICIOUS!  We sat around and talked for over an hour and a half, and the conversation was delightful.  Some shop talk

about TSC and the program of course, and some just relaxing, friendly talk as well.  Meri has done so much for us and is a real asset to this country, this program, and to each of us!  Tanja and I had to head out a little bit before the rest, as we STILL had a graduation  party to attend for a neighbor's daughter.  And yes... Tanja told me there was a whole 'nother meal coming!
Off to Zorica (Zor ee saw) and Strasho and their daughter Elle's celebration.  Yes, more food...

Count Down...

I can't believe that our time is almost done here in Skopje...  it is time for the final countdown.  Today is (was) Tuesday, and Niecy and I have to leave on Friday morning at 4 a.m.  We will definitely be trying to get the most out of our last couple days.  Well, today had a high of 79 F and a beautifully cool low of about 56.  Aaaaaahhhhh..  We don't EVEN want to think about how hot it is in AZ yet, so we won't!  lol.  Today I got to sleep in a little, yea, and then I got ready and Tanja drove me to Ana's to meet up with Niecy.  After breakfast we were off to Canyon Matka with

me, Niecy, Ana, and her two kids, Eliza and Emmanuel.  We spent over 3 hours walking and enjoying the beautiful canyon.  As we were walking to our car, it began to sprinkle.  Were safely in the car and on the road again, when some guys drove past us and told us our tire was "broken".  Ana basically ignored them, thinking it was just a ploy.  We hit the main road, and we began to hear a strange noise...  uh oh!  So we pulled over, and lo and behold, we had a major flat tire.  So we pulled into a parking lot and Ana's husband said to leave the car and he would come fix it later.  So we all piled out, and thank heaven there was a bus strop right across the street from where we left the car.  The sky was becoming ominous, and the thunder

began to roll and drops began to fall.  Thankfully we had our umbrellas, and better yet, the bus came quite quickly.  We were safely ensconced in the bus when the skies literally opened up and POURED just like yesterday.  The only difference was that today it continued on the whole rest of the day...  we took the bus and Ana's dad picked us up and we went and had a delicious meal at her parent's house.  Then off to the open air market for Niecy for a few minutes, and then they dropped me at home.  No sooner did I get home then Tanja was telling me I needed to get ready, as we had a graduation celebration to attend tonight.  Got dressed and ready to go in just a few minutes.  We left,( Toni, Tanja, Marko, and me) (see photo of Marko and me) and drove by to say goodbye to Tanja's mom, as she is leaving to go to Tanja's brother's house to help with the twins for a couple of months).  Then we picked up Niecy and headed to the party.  The affair was supposed to be outside, but due to the rain and COLD (lol) it was moved inside. It was at a beautiful hotel called the Hotel Romantique...  how cute is that!?  Met the parents of the the

 young man (Tanja and Toni's godson) who had graduated from 8th grade, and a ton of other family and friends.  If we had any thoughts of feeling out of place, they were dispersed within the first few minutes of being there.  The Macedonians are such a warm and welcoming people, to them, EVERYONE is family.  We ate (ya, ya, I know what you are thinking...) and ate, and ate yet some more.  That is just totally the norm here.  We also dance some traditional Macedonian folk songs again, and had great music.  The party lasted late, and we arrived home after midnight...  am I a pumpkin yet?

Another Bike Adventure???

Oh, you WISH!!!  lol.  This won't make sense to anyone unless they have read my other blog from three years ago when I did my first teacher exchange in Regensburg, Germany.  I happened to borrow a bike one day and...  well, if you want the story you will have to go to With Love from Germany (germanyjanice @blogspot.com)  and read about it!  But this bike just reminded me of the one I rode and I literally laughed out loud when I saw it.  Sorry to say that Tanja DOES have a bike, but sadly, it has a flat tire.  So, maybe no bike adventures for me this time...  maybe next time...

Professor Janice

Today I was off to the private school Filos that is literally 5 minutes walking time from Tanjas. My new friend Zorica met me just outside the door of my home, and I told it I felt like a kid and she was walking me to school. I laughed out loud, and so did she!  I arrived before 10 and met the director and a few teachers.  This school is a three story building and houses students grades K-8.  It is filled with beautiful artwork, colors, and designs throughout the  building.  It was

just lovely.
I was invited to this school by Agatha, who is an important lady there, and one of Tanja's good friends.  I came to watch (or so I thought) the final oral exams for a group of 7th grade students.
But, as soon as I walked in the room and was introduced to the teacher, she asked me to take over!  I told her I wanted to watch her do one questioning before I started.  So she did one question, and I totally understood what she was looking for, so I jumped right in.  We (Niecy also got drafted to be a professor for the day) started with one class and then were pulled to do another class. Then they decided to split us up and we would be much more able to reach a greater number of students to test.  Overall the students were positively accepting of us, and I really had some great dialogue with these 7th graders.  So, for almost 3 hours Niecy and I were professors giving English oral exams.  When we finished, we walked back to

my house and then Niecy got picked up.  I worked a bit with my camera, and got it ready to take more pictures for my blog.  I also took a short power nap and played Words with Friends.  At around 2:30 it began to rain.. excuses me, POUR!  Add some
lightning and some thunder and you have a couple of hours with the rain pounding off of the tin roofs behind our house, and a wonderful background noise to try
and doze off to.  Tanja went shopping after school and I went out to help her with her bags.  Marko put everything away.  Then Tanja made a quick meal for us, and then I relaxed some more.  I had to get ready around 6 because Niecy, along with Ana and I were meeting up with Dobrin and his wife Tina, along with longtime friend Dejan (Dean) around 7.  We met at the gate, and walked to a wonderful restaurant called The Old House.  We had a huge (ya, ya imagine that!) meal and had some delicacies like pork knuckle!  And it was absolutely fall off the bone delicious. Went out for ice cream at The Palma after that and didn't end up getting home until around 11:30.  I jumped on the computer to work on my blog, even though I am tired, I wanted to catch up!  Well thank you Dobrin for a great evening, and dobro nok (good night)!

Friends Join Us

Niecy and I were up a bit early this morning, as my host teacher Tanja and her husband, Toni are coming up to join us for the day.  We got all packed up, then headed down to find some breakfast.  I found the coffee, and Niecy got creative and found us some breakfast.  We sat outside in the cool morning air and awaited our friends.  They arrived just after 10:30 and joined us for a cup of coffee.  Tanja saw some friends that she knew, and they joined us as well.  After we finished, we headed back to the apt. to pick up our bags and get checked out.

Toni drove us up a steep hill to park the car, and then continue walking up the path, passing through a lovely part of town, on our way to Plaosnik, the reconstructed St. Clement and St. Panteleimon Church in Ohrid.  What an interesting combination of ruins, and remodeled beauty.  The inside of the church was stunning, and complemented the outside harmoniously.   We walked all around, and then down the hill where we saw a few more churches, and an open air amphitheater.  For the next part of our adventure, we met up with Tanja and Toni's neighbors, Zorica and Strasho, and their daughter

Elle.  They accompanied us around the lake to a special site called The Bay of Bones.  This was an interesting compound where it was  actually a floating museum.  It depicted the housing of a much earlier era.  Each house was complete with fur skins, a bed area, and a stove. One had a bear skin (complete with the head!) that Toni affectionately  snuggled with.  lol.  Again, such interesting history.  The day was definitely beginning to heat up by the time we were walking to our car.  Our next stop was back to the city of Lake Ohrid, and lunch (of course food was going to be next!).  We headed to a Turkish restaurant that was owned by a friend of Strasho and Zorica.  And, what do you know???  It was called ARIZ!  That was just meant to be!  lol.   Here are Niecy and I right under the
sign.  We had a huge meal of roasted chicken, rice, beans, shopsko salad, and, or course, rakia whiskey.  Niecy said she could show me the hair on her chest...  lol (inside family joke...  huh, daddy?)  After the huge meal, we had a dessert of baklava.  An absolutely delicious meal and we are all stuffed.  We walked (waddled) around for quite a while after this, trying to make a little room in our bellies to breath!   Then we were off for home.  On the way through the simply amazing countryside, we stopped at St. John's Monastery, which is possibly the most beautiful church in all of Macedonia.  We timed it perfectly and were able to view part of an Orthodox church service, complete with priests, candles, and the quiet, meaningful prayers and songs that were being chanted.  Didn't get home until about 9 p.m. Extremely tired, but extremely satisfied with my weekend.

Confused???

Ok, here you are reading along and I am meeting with the President, and next thing you know, I am rambling on about being somewhere and you have NO idea of what I am talking about because I so neglected to post where I was headed...  sorry.  Let's backtrack just for a minute.  I mentioned going back to the Villa where Sarah had been staying, and we hung out there until about 2 pm when Sashka (our favorite travel agent!) came and picked us up.  We dropped off Sarah at a restaurant, and said our last good byes to her, as she is headed back to the good ole USA on Sunday.  Sashko then took Niecy and me to the bus station where we boarded a luxury bus headed for the most beautiful town in all of Macedonia...  Lake Ohrid.  Everyone we talked to in Macedonia had asked if we

had been there yet, and since we had not, they ALL said that is was a mandatory visit.  They boasted about a 3 million year old lake that was surrounded by the most serene and green landscape.  Nestled in the valley of huge mountains, Lake Ohrid is touched by Macedonia on 2/3's of its shores, while 1/3 reaches Albania.  Anyway, our bus was big, bright yellow, and very comfortable.  The trip,  through

the beautiful countryside, then mountainous areas was simply breath taking.  We made one stop, and Niecy and I didn't think we were very hungry, but went in anyway and the shop had a wide variety of bread, and they were JUST pulling out a fresh batch of what looked like Indian fry bread, so Niecy and I quickly ordered 2, and just as quickly chowed down on them. Oh my!  Just give me a little honey and powdered sugar!  Delish!  We arrived in Lake Ohrid and were picked up by a prearranged driver who took us to our amazingly beautiful  private apartment.  We quickly checked in, dropped off our stuff, and headed

 out to check out this quaint and pristine town.  We walked along the water, checked out the boats, heard this strange sound almost like a duck, or chickens clucking, and it ended up being frogs!  So funny.  We bought a bottle of white wine, and 2 gyros for dinner and took them up to our balcony (which overlooks the entire town square, and ate our dinner in the cool evening as the day ended.  Tanja and Toni will drive up on Sunday to meet us and spend the day before taking us back home...  now, ya get the picture?

A Tranquil Morning

It's 6:50 a.m.and the streets of Lake Ohrid are empty... I made a cup of coffee and am sitting out on our tiny balcony watching this tranquil city awake.  A lone scooter roars down the street momentarily breaking the peace then all is quiet again.  As I sit perched above the street on my balcony dogs begin to bark, birds begin to sing and then the sound of a piano... Its soft sweet notes floating up as someone practiced

their talent.  The church bells chiming announce 7 a.m. The town is stirring...Niecy, on the other hand, is not. Lol!  We had a very chill relaxed morning and slowly got ready for our day.  We headed out to find a place to have breakfast.  OK...  it was too late for breakfast so we settled for lunch instead. Niecy and I ordered a HUGE cheeseburger (watch out 5 Guys!) and fries and a drink. The day was partially cloudy so it was nice but when the sun came out it was intense!  After we ate we decided to rent a boat for an hour tour of the

Ohrid Lake area.  What a beautiful trip that was!  We saw many

amazing sights like churches up on the top of a hill, and the gorgeous white houses clustered together.  We also enjoyed the cool breeze as we lounged in the boat.  We saw the villa of the President and it was a stunning sight to see.  Next we headed back to our amazing private apartment to get changed into our bathing suits and get our towels and then we headed out to the beach Podpesh.  The trek was up and down a cobblestone path along the shoreline of Lake Ohrid.  We even had to walk along a type of wooden boardwalk..  extremely skinny, long, and what an amazing view!


We found our beach and laid out on some lounge chairs and let the intense sun do its stuff! Then, around 5 we were getting hungry so we headed to Lonely Planet's "Top Choice" restaurant Letna Bavcha Kaneo.  It was further along the cobblestone pathway and we ended up at a beautiful shore side place.  We ordered a shopska salad (tomato, cucumber & finely shredded cheese), fried plashica fish (small enough that we at the WHOLE fish, head, tail, the works!), roasted cheese AND a fish soup!   Yes, we ordered too much food, but it was absolutely delicious! After finishing our meal we headed back to our private apartment to shower and take a nap.
Our plan was to head back out around 9 and check out a couple of the nicer bars that were recommended to us.  We ended up at a place called Aquarius, and just had a couple of beers (Niecy had some other cocktail), and we ate kiki rikti (small red peanuts). We left the bar around 11 and enjoyed the chilly evening as we walked back to our apt.  Once there, no, we did not go to sleep, but I worked on my blog and Niecy was on her computer as well.  Bed by midnight.  What an memorable day we had in Lake Ohrid.