Macedonia: Sunday May 28 2017: Day 8

Ohrid

Name of Ohrid: "hid" meaning hill, there was a woman whose man went away to war, she mourned in the hills "Ohrid" and threw herself off a cliff. So loosely "Hills of Sighs"

Ohrid Old City

201705 - Balkans - Lake Ohrid - 65 of 101 - Ohrid, May 27, 2017 201705 - Balkans - Lake Ohrid - 65 of 101 - Ohrid, May 27, 2017

Bay of Bones: Mitchov grad

Reconstructed water settlement, thatch huts. 8-12th c BCE Bones of animals found in the lake. Early settlers would hunt, throw bones of kill into lake, that drew fish they would catch

Roman watch tower reconstruction on hill overlooking bay

6000 remains of pillars from villages over time. 20 houses, 3 communal buildings. (Round ones were communal; used as meeting places, etc)

201705 - Balkans - Bay of Bones Museum - 68 of 101 - Ohrid, Ohrid, May 28, 2017 201705 - Balkans - Bay of Bones Museum - 68 of 101 - Ohrid, Ohrid, May 28, 2017

201705 - Balkans - Bay of Bones Museum - 69 of 101 - Nacionalen Park Galicica - Ohrid, Ohrid, May 28, 2017 201705 - Balkans - Bay of Bones Museum - 69 of 101 - Nacionalen Park Galicica - Ohrid, Ohrid, May 28, 2017

201705 - Balkans - Bay of Bones Museum Loom - 80 of 89 - Nacionalen Park Galicica - Ohrid, Ohrid, May 28, 2017 201705 - Balkans - Bay of Bones Museum Loom - 80 of 89 - Nacionalen Park Galicica - Ohrid, Ohrid, May 28, 2017

201705 - Balkans - Bob and Don and an Old Car - 61 of 95 - Nacionalen Park Galicica - Ohrid, Ohrid, May 28, 2017 201705 - Balkans - Bob and Don and an Old Car - 61 of 95 - Nacionalen Park Galicica - Ohrid, Ohrid, May 28, 2017

St Naum Monastery

Shrine of Saint Naum (830-910)

201705 - Balkans - Saint Naum Statue - 32 of 66 - Ohrid, Ohrid, May 28, 2017 201705 - Balkans - Saint Naum Statue - 32 of 66 - Ohrid, Ohrid, May 28, 2017

Statue of St Naum, carved a standing oak tree into image of St Naum in a fifteen hour stint using chain saw One monk, holds services Peacocks. About 20 of them, rage free. Nobody knows how they got here. Considered one of the miracles of St Naum Male Peacocks are the ornate ones. (As opposed to the Human Balkans, where the women are stunning and beautifully arrayed)

St Naum and St Clement both students of the great enlighteners, Cyril and Methodius Current church is rebuilt, dates from 15th c, interior from 18th c

St Naum died 910, buried here. Big pilgrimage destination. He is considered a miracle doer, especially for mental illness.

On the stream coming from the stream that feeds lake Ohrid Water is /crystal/ clear

201705 - Balkans - Lake Ohrid Panorama - 74 of 101 - Nacionalen Park Galicica - Ohrid, Ohrid, May 28, 2017 201705 - Balkans - Lake Ohrid Panorama - 74 of 101 - Nacionalen Park Galicica - Ohrid, Ohrid, May 28, 2017

Miracles of St Naum

  • Cured many people who were mentally ill, depicted in frescoes as lying prone or perhaps floating
  • A bear ate a peasant's ox, St Naum tamed the bear and made him serve the farmer for three years.
  • Horse thief stole a horse from the monastery; it led him back overnight to the monastery gates.
  • King Boris, fearing Naums popularity, imprisoned St Naum. Cured the Kings daughter; king gave him the lands for Monastery and supported church.

201705 - Sveti Naum (St Naum) Monastery - Ohrid, Ohrid, May 28, 2017 201705 - Sveti Naum (St Naum) Monastery - Ohrid, Ohrid, May 28, 2017

Lagoon Boat Tour

30 springs, most underwater but a few that trickle down Could see the water bubbling up through the sand Up to 3 1/2 meters deep and perfectly transparent

Lunch of Belvitsa, a fish endemic only to Ohrid. Desert was Tulumba and Baklava.

Folk Music at Lunch

201705 - Balkans - Macedonian Folk Songs at Lunch, Zdenka, Maria and Don - 75 of 101 - Nacionalen Park Galicica - Ohrid, Ohrid, May 28, 2017 201705 - Balkans - Macedonian Folk Songs at Lunch, Zdenka, Maria and Don - 75 of 101 - Nacionalen Park Galicica - Ohrid, Ohrid, May 28, 2017

Ajvar

Pepper paste (sweet not spicy peppers). It really is ubiquitous: all the Balkans on our trip -- very cosmopolitan all -- made homemade ajvar and made or had a relative who made Rakia.

Big thick meaty fully ripe Red peppers. Wash them and roast them on all four sides. Peel off the burned gloss skin, and discard the stem and seed, then wash again and drain very well. Then grind them, add salt a little bit of black pepper (and maybe a preservative). Huge pot with warm oil, put it in and mix until done.

Dinner: Macedonian Barbecue

Folk dancing! Traditionally dressed four guys four girls and a four piece band (drum, accordion, clarinet, guitar). A highlight.

  • Makedonsko Devojchek, others

201705 - Balkans - Folk Dancing - Ohrid, Ohrid - Ulica Kuzman Josifovski Pitu, May 28, 2017 201705 - Balkans - Folk Dancing - Ohrid, Ohrid - Ulica Kuzman Josifovski Pitu, May 28, 2017

Philip KromerComment