Lake Ohrid, Macedonia

I took a stroll on my first morning around the rim of Lake Ohrid, photographing the sun as it filtered through the reeds. A local fisherman, fluent in English and pushy in business, tried to sell me a 50 euro boat ride to Albania. I thanked him and kept walking.

Around the headland the path dipped to the rocks below and a controlled stumble brought into view a half-moon of sharp white stones; a hidden beach! I came back each morning, slowly building a tan.

Ohrid’s beauty is characterized by a single church; St. John Kaneo; set high above the lakefront. The spare beauty of this 13th century church & the power of its position have made the site famous across the Balkans. I walked this way just after dawn, in the heat of the day and then in twilight, just to see the church and lake in different lights.

I bumped into the Ohrid fisherman again. “Albania, 40 euros” he said. I spread my arms in a “why would I wish to leave here” gesture. “No problem” he smiled and I brushed past.

Ohrid was a tourist hotspot but also an architectural town. Layers of history were woven into the fabric of the place; A classical amphitheatre, Byzantine churches, an Ottoman bazaar. On the waterfront were pizzerias, ice-cream parlours and tourist tat shops. The Cyrillic language developed in Ohrid but since Yugoslavia broke up the young people have schooled themselves in English and spoke it better than I did.

I stayed longer than I intended, relaxing on my beach, planning the next step to Kosovo and enjoying the lazy days. On my final night, I photographed the church in moonlight and headed home to pack. A recognizable figure barred my path. This time it was 30 euros, “final offer.” “I really don’t want to go to Albania” I pleaded.