Food is a fundamental element in the travel experience – eating a local dish can evoke ancient traditions stirred into age-old recipes or bring to light new cultural movements whipped into modern fusion cuisine. Today, many of the world’s most food-obsessed countries are making their culinary culture all the more accessible through hands-on time with local cooks, open tasting rooms and behind-the-scenes tours, Lonely Planet writes. 

Moreover, the selection of some of the most mouthwatering food-touring experiences from around the world also includes Macedonia. 

Fascinating, micro food-producing communities exist all over this Balkan state, where home-cooking, home-growing and local foraging are simply part of village life. Mountain herbs, paprika, porcini mushrooms, walnuts and fruit rakija are stockpiled in markets; and local cheese is central to meals thanks to celebrated traditional cheese-makers that produce salty, raw-milk sheep’s cheeses in the Mavrovo National Park. Unsurprisingly, restaurant menus are effortlessly locavore and farm-to-table. The elevated old-stone village of Dihovo at the base of Pelister National Park makes a bucolic base for tasting the regional cuisine. Here, local man Petar has helped pioneer community tourism, reimagining his family home into a pay-what-you-think guesthouse starring home cooking and food, wine and beer tastings. Visit the village’s apiary, kitted out in protective gear, for tales of bear sightings and tastings of woodland honey with the resident beekeeper. 

See the full article here.

Alternative tourism is becoming an increasingly important part of the global tourism market. Statistics show that people are losing interest in vacation packages, preferring to fill their holidays with various unconventional activities instead.

In keeping with worldwide trends, Ohrid, Macedonia’s most famous tourist destination, has started to offer active forms of tourism, including mountain climbing, cycling, paragliding, and scuba diving. Lately, however, recreational fishing trips have become one of Ohrid’s most popular attractions.

Ohrid native Ljupcho Stojkoski-Lepi is a passionate angler, outdoorsman, and fishing guide who has successfully introduced sport fishing as one of the alternative tourist activities the town has offered in the past three years.

Stojkoski has tried to actively incorporate his experiences from Germany and the Netherlands into his promotion of recreational fishing at Ohrid Lake. He offers tourists a unique way of enjoying the lake’s natural beauty while catching fish.

“A large number of tourists bring their fishing equipment to Ohrid,” Stojkoski says. “I organize day trips on the lake, providing experienced fishermen and amateur anglers with everything they need to catch fish – from transportation and equipment to access to the best fishing locations, whether for shore fishing or open-water fishing.”

Foreign visitors who decide to catch fish at Ohrid Lake are usually recreational fishermen and outdoor enthusiasts. Most of them release the fish they catch, but there are those who want to keep their fish. The organizer provides all of them with a fishing license that allows them to both fish and to keep some of their catch (up to 5 kg per person, or up to two fish if they happen to catch Ohrid trout).

Best of all, anglers can opt to take their catch to an interesting locale, such as a picnic area or a restaurant, where they can have the fish prepared using traditional local recipes, or in their own preferred way.

Many visitors have taken recreational fishing tours at Ohrid Lake, including tourists from the Netherlands, Germany, Poland, the Czech Republic, Norway, Hungary, Italy, neighboring Balkan countries, and even China.

“Depending on the kind of fishing they opt for, tourists can fish from fishing boats, various lakeshore locations, or local fish ponds,” Stojkoski says.

“Some of them prefer to catch the fish that will be their dinner. The positive feedback from the fishing tours confirms that recreational fishing deserves its place among the activities Ohrid offers.”

When it comes to Ohrid Lake fishing, it truly is a unique experience for tourists.

“Catching chub from a boat can rival open-sea fishing since we fish at depths of 20-30 meters. The lake’s clear water, combined with beautiful weather and picturesque surroundings, offers a truly unforgettable setting that, as many tourists have said, cannot be put into words, but can only be experienced.”

Surprisingly, however, Ohrid travel agencies have shown little interest in offering this type of recreation. Even worse, according to Stojkoski, some agencies have tried to improvise unprofessional fishing tours, which risks leaving tourists with a bad impression. Stojkovski adds that hotels along the Ohrid riviera, fortunately, take a more serious approach, recognizing the potential benefit from expanding the recreational activities they offer visitors.

Stojkovski is trying to incorporate recreational fishing into the town’s tourist offerings by suggesting it be advertised alongside the town’s attractions at tourist fairs, even if it means simply distributing brochures.

There is no doubt, however, that the best advertising is word-of-mouth. For example, positive feedback and comments from Dutch anglers resulted in Ohrid Lake’s recreational fishing being mentioned in a specialized fishing magazine in the Netherlands a few years ago. Now, a number of Dutch tourists have already booked recreational fishing tours at Ohrid Lake for their next vacation.

Aleksandar Bachikj

Translated by Magdalena Reed

Nestled in the Maleshevo valley in the East of Macedonia, Berovo does not seem, at first glance, all that different from any other little Macedonian town. But when you meet the townspeople, when you see the beautiful Berovo Lake and the beech, oak and pine forests stretching across Malesh mountain, and when you learn about its cultural heritage, you will understand why this little town attracts thousands of visitors every year.

There are two legends about how Berovo got its name. The first one says it was named after a farmer called Bero. An argument for this is the existence of a field known as Bero’s field between the villages of Machevo and Robovo.

The second story goes that people gathered (in the Berovo dialect: se berele) in that spot, coming from the old villages of Turtela, Selca, Ribnica, Razdolo, Klepalo, Dobri Laki and other small towns in the Maleshevo region.

In recent years, Berovo has become an alternative tourism hotspot, even though only a decade ago few thought it possible.

Tourism has become the town’s strategic priority because of its potential for sustainable development of the community. Berovo’s mayor Zvonko Pekevski says the municipality has been working hard on projects important both for citizens and for visitors.

“One of our major projects,” Pekevski says, “is the repair and upgrade of Berovo’s sewer system, which will solve the problem of wastewater, including surface runoff. So far, we have reconstructed eight streets and put down completely new asphalt.

“We are currently building a water treatment plant and a water supply system for the Berovo Lake tourist area, financed by the EU and the city of Sandanski, Bulgaria.”

The project includes developing an interactive smartphone app and a website listing local tourist attractions, information about various local events and places to visit.

“We are also planning to build a walkway around the lake with rest areas, gazebos, benches, wastebaskets, notice boards, and signposts,” Pekevski says.

Any investment in tourism generates income for the municipality in one way or another. This includes building tourist objects and paying property taxes, as well as charging tourist tax.

“Tourism helps citizens supplement their budget, and it also helps producers of food and souvenirs. For some, it is their only source of income; it is their family business. I am glad to hear plans for building several large objects and expanding existing hotels, which should offer further employment opportunities,” Pekevski says.

Berovo is one of the first towns to categorize its tourist capacities. This helps promote the town, ensure visitor satisfaction, and standardize tourist options. 

“Also important is the fact that we keep track of the number of overnight stays and follow strict accommodation standards. We regularly collect tourist tax, as well,” Pekevski says. 

“At the moment,” Pekevski adds, “there are 45 objects with a total of approximately 500 beds, not including hotel capacities outside of our competences. I am pleased that citizens have started offering improved accommodation conditions, some of which rival the standards of some developed European countries.”

Pekevski assures us that the municipality will continue to support all citizens who decide to provide visitor accommodation. They want to ensure high standards and include more citizens in the promotion of Berovo as a tourist hotspot. 

In addition to improved infrastructure, cultural events are part of Berovo’s strategy to attract more visitors. 

“The Maleshevo region,” Pekevski says, “apart from its beautiful nature and clean air, the abundance of wild fruit and medicinal herbs, healthy food, and local delicacies, is also known for its traditions, which we keep alive by organizing events to attract tourists.

“The Ratevski bamburci carnival has grown from a local tradition older than 2000 years into a regional carnival and a tourist attraction.

“The local custom of selecting the hardest egg, the kachor, has become an organized competition during the Easter holidays when most natives are back in town and many tourists come to Berovo to enjoy their spring vacations or long weekends. 

"During the summer, there are several major events as part of the Berovo Summer Culture Tour program, such as the Vladimirski ilindenski sredbi (“Vladimirovo village Ilinden meetings”), the Maleshevsko dzvonche (“Malesh bell”) children’s music festival, the Etno ploshtad (“Ethno Square”) festival that takes place in August and brings many concert performances to Berovo, as well as the Maleshevijata na dlanka (“Malesh at your fingertips”) fair of homemade food and crafts.”

Berovo will focus its energy on improving its infrastructure in the near future, as well, to build a better image of Berovo as a tourist town.

“We will continue,” Pekevski says, “to improve the conditions, such as the Berovo Lake tourist area water supply and sewer systems. We will also work on pedestrian and bicycle lanes, and traffic signal equipment. We plan to create a pedestrian zone along the Bregalnica river and to improve street lighting by using energy-efficient technology. Also important is the reconstruction of the highway to the Klepalo border crossing between Macedonia and Bulgaria, and we hope the central government will see to its opening soon.”

In collaboration with the municipalities of Pehcevo and Delchevo, Berovo will reopen its tourist bureau.

“Our goal,” Pekevski says, “is to promote the region by providing an integrated approach and building a network of local participants. The bureau will bring us closer to the employees in the tourism sector and, more importantly, tourists themselves. It will offer promotional materials and information on natural resources, hiking trails, local souvenirs, healthy food and local products. Berovo has great potential as a tourist destination and it has not reached its zenith yet.”

The story of the Maleshevo region is known far and wide. It attracts visitors from all over the world, mostly from the Netherlands, Israel, Bulgaria, the UK, and the US. They all want to experience the unique beauty of this area. And, during the past ten years, Berovo’s local government has been busy not only promoting the town but also fulfilling its duties: to visitors by providing high-quality services, and to investors by providing incentives to further develop Berovo’s tourism.

Daniela Takeva, Translation by Magdalena Reed

Kokino (Macedonian: Кокино) is a Bronze Age archaeological site in the Republic of Macedonia, approximately 30 km from the town of Kumanovo, and about 6 km from the Serbian border, in the Staro Nagoričane municipality. It is situated between about 1010 and 1030 m above sea level on the Tatićev Kamen summit and covers an area of about 90 by 50 meters, overlooking the eponymous hamlet of Kokino.

It was discovered by archeologist Jovica Stankovski, director of the national museum in Kumanovo, in 2001. In 2002, Stankovski together with Gorje Cenev (who is the head of a planetarium at a Youth Cultural Center in Skopje) published the claim that the site contains a "megalithic observatory and sacred site".

The oldest archaeological finds date from about the 19th century BC, corresponding to the early European Bronze Age. It shows signs of occupation for the period from the 19th to the 7th centuries BC. Finds from the Middle Bronze Age (c. 16th to 14th centuries BC) are the most numerous (mainly ceramic vessels, stone-mills and a few molds). An agglomeration from the Iron Age was discovered in 2009.

The Kokino "megalithic observatory" should be distinguished from the wider Kokino archaeological site. While the observatory consists of two platforms of a combined area of about 5000 square meters, the site covers about 30 hectares. From this area, an abundant amount of fragments of ceramic vessels, dated to between the 19th and the 11th centuries BC. Also found was a mould for casting bronze axes, and a pendant. The remains of vessels filled with offerings were found deposited in cracks in the rocks, which gave rise to the interpretation of the site as a "holy mountain".

The claimed archaeo-astronomical site itself consists of two platforms with an elevation difference of 19 m. The claim of the site representing an astronomical observatory was made by Stankovski and by Gjore Cenev in 2002. According to this interpretation, the site includes special stone markers used to track the movement of the Sun and Moon on the eastern horizon. The observatory used the method of stationary observation, marking positions of the Sun at the winter and summer solstice, as well as the equinox. Four stone seats or "thrones" are placed in a row on the lower platform. According to Cenev, A stone block with a marking on the upper platform marks the direction of sunrise on summer solstice when viewed from one of the seats.

Kokino was mentioned in a poster made by NASA's "Sun-Earth Connection Education Forum" in 2005.

The Cultural Heritage Protection Office of Macedonia's Ministry of Culture declared the site a "property under temporary protection" on 13 November 2008 (Decision nr. 08-1935/6). In 2009, Minister of Culture Elizabeta Kancheska-Milevska declared Kokino "one of the priorities of the Ministry of Culture’s 2009 programme".In 2009, the Republic of Macedonia also suggested the site be inscribed on the World Heritage Site.

Grouped together in a tiny area of just 74 acres, 120 massive stone pillars stand at attention and have stood there for 100,000 years. Or, depending on your beliefs, since a local woman cursed her wedding party when her husband chose a different bride.

According to local lore, a man was struggling to choose between two women. Not able to make up his mind, he figured he would marry both on the same day and not tell the other. Unluckily for him, during his morning wedding the second wife came to check out the scene and was horrified watching her husband’s double-crossing nuptials. In a rage, she cursed the whole wedding party and they turned to stone where they stood and created Kuklica.

Whether you believe the legend or not, the area has a been described as having a somewhat mystic aura, and the stone formations, that were actually created by volcanic rocks and uneven erosion, have managed to draw in visitors for decades.

Getting to Kuklica is not an easy task and there are few signs marking the way. The easiest way to find the field of pillars is by asking a local or hiring a tour guide to lead you to the petrified wedding party.

In 1903, a group of brave Macedonians charged into battle against the Ottoman Empire, sparking a movement that led to the creation of a free Macedonia. In honor of the uprising, a bizarre space-age monument and memorial complex was constructed 70 years later. If the artist and surrounding memorial park didn’t state explicitly that the building was in honor of the Ilinden Uprising, it stands to reason that no one would ever make the connection.

The Makedonium almost looks like a heart valve, except it’s white and has around 10 massive stained-glass skylights poking out from its circular base. In Macedonia, it has become a symbol of statehood, even making it onto the national currency on the 10,000 Denari bill. It overlooks the town of Kruševo from over 4,000 feet, which makes it fairly prominent, but that’s where the symbolism ends.

There are no statues of soldiers holding a flag or grand statements of statehood. There is only a weird African-cucumber shaped modernist expression of freedom. Maybe that’s the point of the monument, it is looking toward the future, where free expression meets innovation without the stifling influence of a crumbling Turkish empire. There are probably no right answers, but a trip to the Makedonium will at the very least allow visitors to overlook a beautiful and well-preserved medieval town while they scratch their heads in confusion.

Ohrid is a stunning medieval Ottoman town on the shores of a mountain lake. The old town drags and clambers all over the hills behind the lake. Terraced cobblestone avenues run between tall, narrow houses, and age has tinted the facades of the buildings so the whole city looks tea-stained. We got lost in the flower-strewn corridors of the old city. We saw a church of dusty brown stone which looked like a dribble castle. We swam in the cold blue of the lake and walked along the beaches.

We went to cafes in the public square in the morning, and we went dancing at a club on the docks at night. We stopped at a café in a stone house which had been a private mansion until it was sold in the 80s. And, while searching for the bus station in the new part of town, we walked through a rustic village and saw a fat brown bulldog lounging on a porch behind a custom-made BEWARE OF DOG, which portrayed the same fat brown bulldog sitting on that same porch in the same pose. Ohrid is a beautiful old Ottoman town in a crater lake in a geographic nowhere and I love it.

Most of what I learned about Macedonia, and the town of Ohrid, happened over a plate of kebab, and came from a Slavic-origin dog enthusiast from New York.

We were walking down the square in Ohrid away from our hostel when a man in a dirty gray t-shirt saw our dog and came over to pet it. His wife, smoking spindly cigarettes, descended on the dog in a frenzy of sweet words, cuddles, and cooing. The guy, Kosta, was from Brooklyn, but his parents were Macedonian and he had partially grown up in Skopje. He recommended a kebab place called "Delicious" (Fkuzna), the thought of which apparently made him so hungry that he and his Slovenian wife came with us and ordered for us. We got Macedonian kebab, called "cevap," tiny logs of meat served with amazing grilled bottle-green peppers. Kosta said that he and his wife visited last summer for about two months and kept meaning to try other restaurants, but they just kept coming back here, every day. This was their favorite restaurant in Europe, maybe the whole world which meant that they ate ten tiny meat logs every day for like two months. Fkuzna.

Macedonia, or the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), was the last state to break away from the former Yugoslavia. The name itself comes from the region of Europe they're in, Makedonia (with that hard k sound), but even that's controversial as it is also the name of a region in northern Greece. This is why when they entered the United Nations, they had to pick a name that wouldn't make Greece upset, hence the somewhat off-center acronym of FYROM.

Ohrid: A medieval town in search of its roots in the 21st century

Secondly, they have a bit of an identity crisis, since their language and the Bulgarian language are mutually intelligible, for the most part. Bulgaria used to have this big ol' kingdom in the middle ages which included modern-day Macedonia. The city of Ohrid was an ancient capital of the kingdom, and Bulgarians still feel like it was stolen from them by the Macedonians, who are certain that it was the Bulgarians who'd usurped the just Macedonian king from his throne. You see how complicated this stuff is.

Macedonia as a nation has this need to distinguish themselves. Though most Balkan countries feel a deep need to assert their nationalism, organized around a heroic figure, Macedonia most recently started playing this game, as they only became a republic in the nineties. Out of this great need for a national pride, in Republic Square in Skopje, a colossal gold Alexander the Great rises out of the earth on a pillar, surrounded by phalanxes embossed into the pillar's base, obscured by a spray of mist from the fountain. When people ask, hey, what's Macedonia? Anyone in the country can say, "Take a look at that enormous pillar."

When we first arrived in Ohrid we noticed none of this nationalism – just a lot of history concentrated in one beautiful spot. It was a bit too late to start sightseeing, so we dropped our things at Sunny Lake Hostel and headed to Çınar restaurant in the Turkish quarter for some kebab. Cinar, for our non-Turkish-speaking readers, means "Sycamore," and an enormous Sycamore tree was rooted in the cobblestone roads, sheltering the outdoor tables at this restaurant.Before being a suburb for rich Turks, Kosta informed us while as were sitting down for meat logs at Fkuzna the next day, Ohrid was a Slavic university town from the middle ages which has 365 churches, actually literally truly one church for every day of the year. Good Christians would actually visit a different church for every day of the year in a peculiar keeping-up-with-the-Joneskis medieval contest. The Cyrillic alphabet was invented here, at the University of Ohrid, by a couple of monks who felt the Greek alphabet was inadequate to describe the liturgy in the Slavonic dialect of the time.

Ohrid: A medieval town in search of its roots in the 21st century

Lake Ohrid is nestled in a hollow between the mountains. If you walk around the lake, you can see the ridges extending far into meadows where you will never walk. From the old town, a boardwalk runs along the side of the lake bolted to a sheer rock wall, and then the trail goes up past a ruined church – the Church of Sveti Jovan (St. John). This is probably the most photogenic building in the whole town. It's easy to see why: against the backdrop of the plaintive blue lake and low sloping mountains, a series of bricked octagons topped by a zigzag tile roof cuts into the horizon. Inside, if you want to pay the 100 Macedonian Dinars as admission ($2) you can peep at all the icons.

Past the church, then into the woods, a trail runs down onto a secluded beach. This was a premium spot, as nobody was there, though we did find a nearby hobo shack and broken refrigerator which had last been used to store hundreds of thousands of spiders. The scenery was ethereal.

Felix, a Swiss guy from our hostel, and I got into the water. I dived in, but jumped out soon afterward because it was too cold. Felix said "You have to meditate into it," and waded in, centimeter by logical centimeter. Cassidy, a Canadian EMT with a probably-not-coincidental zest for life, arrived late and leaped into the lake, and said Woo! Let's swim to that cave over there. His vitality was inspiring and we followed. It is an attitude I wish to emulate: take enormous leaps and then follow them through. But the water was icy: we swam and it was like swimming through crude oil. I had to keep moving to stay warm. Every time my head dipped beneath the fresh clean water, the mountains would disappear, and then reappear back into view.

Then, it was time to towel off and head to Samuil's Fortress, towering above the town. You haven't looked behind you yet? Oh, be careful, because you might get crushed by the shadow of Tsar Samuel's walls. The 11th century was a good time for the Macedonian kings. They had enough money and territory and rocks to build an impressive skyline, most of which still lines the background of any photos you might want to take.

Just below the fortress by the shores of the lake is the Plaosnik church and archeological complex. The church dates from the 4th century, and it's surrounded by the stubby walls common to enormous monastic compounds of the past. This one used to host 3,500 scholarly monks. Most weirdly, one of the mosaics on the floors of the compound features a swastika. It didn't mean anything bad back then! It was a good luck symbol! (Though, I was a bit perturbed by the graffiti swastikas on streetlights outside of town.)

After you've hit up the big names in Slavonic churches, I strongly recommend you spend the rest of the afternoon just strolling past the chunky wooden houses and along the cobblestone roads of the old Ottoman town. There aren't nearly enough gorgeously-preserved Ottoman cities in Europe, with the clean white walls and brown wooden trim of their domiciles, and every time I find myself inside them I feel a great warmth towards the many craftsman who built these houses for the Balkan middle class several centuries ago. Today, you can either rent apartments from the locals or eat in their restaurants – as in most Balkan countries, the residents of antique houses have figured out that they can rent their restored flats out to tourists for as low as 25 Euros a night. Monks in the 11th century probably paid a bit less, but you at least get to order as many meat logs as you can eat. Fkuzna.

SOURCE: DAILY SABAH

It’s barely nine in the morning, but at the waterfront café on the shores of the sparkling, crystal-clear Lake Ohrid, the owner is recommending I try a bowl of traditional fish stew – for breakfast.

I’m spending a week in Macedonia and have already encountered baked snails, giant flaky pastries and huge sausages at random mealtimes, so by this point I just shrug and say, ‘When in Macedonia’ – fully expecting a hearty dish of heads and fins.

But I’m presented with a delicious light, lemony broth, with freshly caught lake trout for just £1.20, and I manage to tear myself away from the stunning view for the few moments it takes to slurp it up.

The historic town of Ohrid is probably the biggest tourist resort I’d never heard of. It’s in the south-west corner of the landlocked Balkan republic, which used to be part of former Yugoslavia, and visitors flock in their thousands from all over the world to enjoy its lake – one of the oldest and deepest in Europe – and charming Unesco heritage sights.

It’s dotted with Orthodox churches , including the stately St John at Kaneo, which perches prettily on a clifftop above the café.

I clambered up to it for great views across to Albania, and the reconstructed, terracotta-tiled Byzantine monastery of St Panteleimon. Dating from the 10th century AD, it has been fought over, demolished and rebuilt many times by the hordes of Romans, Slavs and Ottoman Turks which have invaded over the centuries.

I also visited the impressive Roman amphitheatre, dating from around 200BC, which used to play host to fierce gladiatorial battles. Though nowadays you’re more likely to see singers like Placido Domingo warbling on its main arena, as part of the city’s annual summer festival.

A road trip around Macedonia is a great way to explore this fascinating but underrated country.

Bordered by Greece, Albania, Serbia, Kosovo and Bulgaria, it has over 50 lakes, three vast national parks and several grape-producing regions, which result in some phenomenal, and phenomenally cheap, wine – look out for the robust red, Vranac.

I flew in to the capital Skopje (birthplace of Mother Teresa ) which reminded me a bit of Las Vegas. It has some attractive old neighbourhoods – I particularly loved wandering around the Old Bazaar, a maze of polished stone streets lined with cafés, tempting bakeries and shops selling slightly odd things, like garlic shampoo.

But five years ago the government decided to give it more appeal in the wake of a huge earthquake which destroyed around 80 per cent of the city in 1963.

This resulted in a lot of money spent on building giant, towering statues of some of Macedonia’s historic figures – including Alexander the Great and former ruler King Philip II – usually on horseback, and inevitably sporting a magnificent moustache.

There are also some shiny white Caesar’s Palace-style structures lining the city’s river Vardar, which turn out to be new museums or civic buildings.

I preferred to lose myself in the authentic Green Market, a massive covered sprawl where you can buy fresh fruit and vegetables, order a tasty lahmacun – a flatbread wrap filled with minced beef and salad – or sit with a glass of black tea and watch the world go by.

Just 20 minutes outside the capital, I got back to nature. Matka Canyon is a vast, towering gorge, cut through by the Treska river, home to several medieval ruins and dozens of caves. I took a short boat trip to Vrelo Cave, and climbed down a succession of rather slippery steps into the dank gloom.

This limestone cave has been around for over 2,000 years, and its underground chambers are lined with dripping stalagmites and stalactites.

It’s also home to colonies of bats, which I heard squeaking unnervingly in the roof just a few metres above me.

A further 90-minute drive took me to the lushly forested Mavrovo National Park. In the winter you can ski in its mountains, but in summer you’re more likely to find hikers and campers, keen to spot endangered wildlife like lynx, wolves and even the occasional bear, which are all protected here.

I didn’t see any, but on a lovely wander round its lakefront I was drawn to the iconic, half-submerged 1850 Church of St Nicholas. It was covered by floodwater in the 1950s, but water levels are now controlled by dams, and the church pokes up above the surface.

My last port of call was the cultural city of Bitola, full of interesting monuments. I visited its central clock tower, built in the 16th century reportedly with 60,000 eggs mixed into the cement, which was meant to make the walls stronger.

There are also several large mosques (around 30 per cent of the population is Muslim) and the remains of an ancient Greek city, known as Heraclea.

There are magnificent mosaic floors here in the remnants of old palaces and churches.

After all the sightseeing I plonked myself down at one of the many cafés which line the main pedestrianised street, Shirok Sokak.

When the waiter asked if I would like a huge slab of molten chocolate cake to go with my coffee, what else could I say? When in Macedonia...

SOURCE: MIRROR

The Ottoman houses on the shore of the lake are veiled in the morning mist, as if they were white ghosts against a blanket of white. This enveloping whiteness hovers over the wooden boats scattered around the lake and swallows the crown of houses ranged around it. Nevertheless, I know how beautiful the view is, having seen countless postcard-perfect pictures of this UNESCO-listed lake, which is one of the oldest in the world.

Ohrid in winter

When tourists are gone and winter is in the air, Ohrid becomes again the picturesque lakeside town that has enchanted visitors since the Byzantine Empire.

The pale light of the sun reflects on deserted cobbled streets, and this glowing fog melts in time with the footfalls of the few people wandering around.

The ancient stones drenched with rain emanate a wet, winterish smell, which –here and there- is abruptly interrupted by the warm smell of oven-baked bureks. The churches are scented with incense. Ohrid is well-known for its churches, which were 365 originally –one for each day of the year- a feature which won it the epithet of ‘the Jerusalem of the Balkans‘.

Ohrid’s churches, as well as its architecture, span more than two millennia, but this is just one of the reasons why this enchanting city is recognized by UNESCO. Actually, it is one of the 28 UNESCO World Heritage Sites that are on both the Cultural and the Natural lists.

I didn’t stumble upon any celebrations inside Ohrid’s churches. Rather, I always found a profound silence only occasionally interrupted by footsteps tiptoeing on the marble floorings: a solemn atmosphere I bet you can only find during this time of the year, when the town becomes quiet and idyllic again.

Unlike with my usual ‘travel-style’, I visited a lot of churches when in Ohrid, starting off with an ambitious plan in the early morning, but then slowly adopting a more Balkan approach as the day passed by. This implied Turkish coffees, Skopsko beers, some meaty snacks and the ubiquitous Ohrid trout, which is the protagonist of the traditional cuisine of the area and the only thing that the Macedonian shore has in common with the Albanian side across the lake.

The area is also well-known for its centuries-old tradition of wine making. Macedonians love to drink, and Ohrid’s porches overlooking the lake are the perfect place to do it. During the summer, all these lakeside cafés are bustling, but now the paved promenade is empty and everything looks more authentic.

Even the accordion player at a fancy restaurant goes for Tose Proeski’s very Macedonian songs rather than the international repertoire of the summer. When the music stops, the only sound I can hear is the rhythmic percussion of waves on sand.

As I watch them coming and going, I can’t help thinking about the time when I was on the other side of the lake, on the Albanian shore. The two experiences could not be more different: the touristy, postcard-perfect Macedonian outline of the Ottoman houses and the rough, neglected jumble of concrete on the Albanian side.

Anyone who has visited both sides of Ohrid Lake knows that these two landscapes are not a just lake, but a whole world apart.

Source

Each week, we spotlight a dream vacation recommended by some of the industry's top travel writers. This week's pick is Macedonia.

Macedonia is one of Europe's best-kept secrets, said Margo Pfeiff at the Los Angeles Times. Twenty-five years after it gained independence from Yugoslavia, the landlocked Balkan state remains a developing nation, its roads still plied by Soviet-era cars. But it's a safe, inexpensive place to visit, and "best of all," with tourism in its infancy, the country is still "charmingly unpretentious and warmly welcoming." Earlier this year, I spent a week in this Vermont-size nation, hiking, kayaking, and biking across its "wildly mountainous" landscape. The journey afforded me a chance along the way to peer inside Macedonia's "exotic melting pot" of Eastern and Western cultures.

The capital city, Skopje, proved to be "a fascinating jumble of cultural experiences." Because a long history of invasions and occupations has littered the 2,500-year-old city with Roman, Byzantine, Ottoman, and Yugoslav architecture, "it was easy to stroll through the centuries." A new complex of government-backed neoclassical buildings is remaking a section of the city in faux grandeur, but on the outskirts of town, I found real history in a 2nd-century Roman ruin that stands in a field of red poppies. Later, after scaling Skopje Fortress' 6th-century walls, I browsed the Old Bazaar — instantly my favorite neighborhood. Lured on by the aromas of kebabs and sautéed leeks, I wandered happily past carpet shops and teahouses where locals had gathered to chat.

Later, joining a Macedonia Experience group tour, I hiked into nearby Matka Canyon. We stopped at an exquisite monastery filled with frescoes before venturing into Vrelo, one of the canyon's 10 caves. In Ohrid, a small lakeside city that's one of Europe's oldest settlements, I poked around the maze-like Old Town, a UNESCO World Heritage site. There, I came upon a Roman amphitheater that now features summer concerts instead of gladiator fights. When the sun set, I walked to Ohrid Lake, where purple jacaranda trees line the turquoise shore. At a family restaurant built out over the lake, I savored a dinner of grilled trout as the water "splashed gently beneath the planks under my feet" and music drifted from another café. "No crowds, no pressure to leave — Europe just doesn't get any better than this."

SOURCE

The Macedonia capital celebrates the heritage of Alexander the Great, and the world is invited.

Holidaymakers seeking new adventures in Europe, take note: In Skopje, an up-and-coming Balkan destination, all roads lead to the mighty Alexander the Great.

The national capital of the Republic of Macedonia has an international airport and a major highway named after the legendary warrior-king.  

Then, there is the unnamed eight-storey colossus that bears more than a passing resemblance to the conqueror and his beloved steed. Cast in bronze, it dominates the city’s main square alongside other supersized statues that keep watch over Skopje.

These giants are part of Skopje 2014, an ambitious four-year construction project that has placed this former Yugoslav republic high on travellers’ wish lists. Completed in 2014, the neo-classical facelift has transformed the 2,500-year-old city into one the country deemed worthy of Alexander the Great.

A stroll along Skopje’s squares and streets takes you past new statues, bridges, grand monuments, civic buildings and museums that show off the city’s burgeoning cultural hub status. Also not to be missed: Ancient attractions that let you take in Skopje’s richly layered Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman past.

Thanks to Qatar Airways, visitors looking to explore the legacy of Macedonia’s spiritual father need not ride into the city on a war horse. Skopje is now part of the much-lauded airline’s network of more than 150 cities worldwide. Four weekly flights are available between Singapore Changi Airport and Alexander the Great International Airport via the carrier’s hub in Doha.

Qatar Airways was a big winner at the 2017 Skytrax World Airline Awards in June, picking up these accolades: Airline of the Year, Best Airline in the Middle East, World’s Best Business Class and World’s Best First Class Airline Lounge.

Here’s what to do after getting to Skopje in style.

ENJOY VIEWS OF THE CITY FROM TVRDINA KALE FORTRESS

Take in a slice of Macedonian history at the medieval Tvrdina Kale Fortress.

Pay tribute to a soaring architectural treasure that has been protecting the city since the sixth century — the unmissable Tvrdina Kale Fortress (free entry). The majestic Game of Thrones-style ramparts at Carsija, a short walk from the city centre, sit at the city’s highest point and dominate its skyline. A stroll on this medieval structure that has outlasted empires lets you take in fantastic views and a slice of Macedonian history.

CROSS THE STONE BRIDGE

The graceful 15th-century Stone Bridge is a symbol of Skopje. 

In this city of contrasts, a striking medieval symbol connects the lures of the Ottoman-era old bazaar to the city’s newly manufactured grandeur at Macedonia Square: The Stone Bridge that spans the River Vardar. Built on Roman foundations and constructed from solid stone blocks, this graceful, 15th-century icon is an Instagrammer’s dream — stunning by day and breathtaking at night when it is lit.

The enduring charm of Stone Bridge and crowds of people navigating the wide crossing make it easy to forget that the structure has a darker side: The leader of the anti-Ottoman Karposh uprising of 1689 was believed to have been executed here.

BE DAZZLED BY ICONS OF THE CITY

Whichever part of town you end up in after crossing Stone Bridge, you will see a side of Skopje that will make your trip unforgettable.

The Ottoman-era Daut Pasha hamam now functions as the National Gallery of Macedonia. 

On the eastern bank of the Vardar lies the old bazaar that was the heart of the city in Byzantine and Ottoman days. Said to be the largest of its kind in the Balkans, this colourful tangle of streets is worth exploring for picture-perfect attractions such as medieval mosques, cafes serving authentic local eats, and shops selling everything from traditional crafts to fresh produce.

Cultural treasures close by include the 15th-century Daut Pasha hamam (or bathhouse), a gem of Ottoman architecture that now functions as the National Gallery of Macedonia as well as the Sveti Spas Church. The main draws at this 14th-century Byzantine wonder are its exquisite 6m hand-carved iconostasis — a large panel of Christian icons separating the sanctuary from worshippers — and well-preserved frescos.  

Byzantine Emperor Justinian I (482 to 565) was born in Dardania (Republic of Macedonia today), and is now immortalised near Stone Bridge.

On the opposite bank of the river, new landmarks for future generations dominate Plostad Makedonija (or Macedonia Square). Dwarfing visitors to the main square and its main streets are mammoth tributes to national heroes, including the gleaming Warrior on a Horse. Also promising to boost national pride while dazzling foreign visitors is Porta Macedonia — the city’s triumphal arch, illuminated fountains, and a host of cultural and government buildings.

ENJOY A HIKE TO THE MILLENNIUM CROSS

Millennium Cross on Mount Vodno to the southwest of Skopje is a towering icon of faith. 

Here is another goliath begging to be explored during your getaway: The 1,066m Mount Vodno. Located to the southwest of the city, it is home to the most spectacular views in Skopje and the sky-piercing Millennium Cross. A three-hour hike — or quicker, less strenuous bus-and-cable-car ride — takes you to the 66m cross at the summit of the mountain. This towering icon of faith was completed in 2002 to celebrate 2,000 years of Christianity. 

Take advantage of Qatar Airway's promotional fares now. Prices start at S$1,109 for flights to Skopje and from S$869 to other European cities. Terms and conditions apply.

For details, visit Qatarairways

Created by Brand Studio Productions

SOURCE: TODAY ONLINE

Sara Wheeler explores the mountains and little-visited towns of Macedonia

The ranger stooped to pick a black, conical mushroom from the forest floor. “It’s an aphrodisiac,” he said, as he slipped it in his pocket. The scent of wild thyme hung in the air and a pair of wild ducks hovered overhead, wings whirring.We were bear-watching in Mavrovo, a mountainous national park in west Macedonia. The small expedition began at 5am, when mist lingered low, threaded beneath spiky peaks. Mountains faded into violet heights and a golden eagle circled.Following the Adzina, a stream close to the border with Albania, my ranger, Hamlet, picked up traces of bears. He estimated the park population of the European brown bear to be 150 and, having worked there for 15 years, could recognise many individually. Wild lilies sprouted among the beech trees, and in the meadows Shar mountain dogs roamed with flocks of up to 2,000 long-legged sheep. The dog is so strong that it can deal with a wolf; three can bring down a bear.

We had already seen two bear cubs close to the road (they like to lick the salt that is put down to clear ice). At about 10am, 200m off among a stand of oak trees, we saw an adult female that Hamlet estimated to weigh about 300kg (660lb). She was pawing the ground, grubbing up ants. A pair of two-year-old cubs truffled in a desultory way near by.

That night we slept in a hide above the apple orchards of Brajcino. An infrared night-vision camera, hooked up to a battery-powered screen, and a removable window meant that we could lie on bunks, swaddled in blankets, watching a procession of roe deer, wild boar, hares and a bear. The proprietress of our guesthouse had prepared a picnic dinner. As with every meal in Macedonia it included four types of red and green pepper. “How does a Macedonian who doesn’t like pepper cope?” I whispered to Hamlet (he insisted on silence in the hide). “There is no such person,” he whispered back.

The next day I did more bear-watching in the 170 sq km Pelister National Park, in the Baba mountains, spreading from the Pelagonia and Prespa valleys, dividing the Aegean and Adriatic basins. We observed paw prints, grass-clogged spoor and roots that bears had torn up. At one point I heard a low growl, seemingly close by. I raised my binoculars, my heart pounding. The ranger, Pavel, had an admission to make: “It’s my tummy rumbling.”

We didn’t see a bear that day, but we did follow the high-pitched bark of a male roe deer. As we crunched as quietly as we could up the slope, he appeared, antlers proud against the blue sky, watching us. The Pelister landscape differed sharply from that of Mavrovo. Two glacial lakes, known as Pelister’s Eyes, glittered at an altitude of 2,000m, and moraines, called stone rivers in Macedonia, streamed down, especially on the north flank of Mount Pelister above Red Rock (Crveni Steni), named — so it is said — after blood shed by 6,000 French and Bulgarian soldiers who perished there during the First World War.

The star of Pelister, however, is not the bear, but the molika pine (Pinus peuce Grisebach), indigenous to the central Balkans but almost nowhere else, and as tall in Pelister as 40m. The ancients recognised its unique characteristic compared with other pines — it is the only species with five needles. We know this from the mosaics at Heraclea Lyncestis, a site close to Pelister founded by Philip II, the king of Macedon and father of Alexander the Great, in the 4th century BC. The archaeological site is remarkably well excavated and preserved — think Pompeii without the crowds — and includes an amphitheatre (not discovered until 1968) where prisoners faced death by wild beast. The largest of the Roman and early Byzantine mosaics displaying the five-needled molika appears on the 5,000 denar note.

Tourism is in its infancy in Macedonia. It is about twice the size of Northern Ireland with a population of just over two million, a quarter of whom are ethnic Albanian. It sits on a crossroads in the Balkan peninsula, buffeted by the swirling chaos of that region: for 400 years under Ottoman rule; during the first Balkan war; in two world wars; and post-1991, when the collapse of Yugoslavia ushered in independence. Bulgaria and Greece still believe that Macedonia is part of their territory, and it is unsurprising that nationalism and national identity feature prominently in the consciousness of the country.

Bitola, Macedonia’s second city, 15km west of Pelister, was once an important post on the Via Egnatia Roman trade route, and later the diplomatic and cultural centre of the Ottoman empire in the Balkans. After the Turks the city prospered — in 1900 more than 1,000 private houses had a piano. Unlike the capital, Skopje, Bitola has remained largely immune to modern development. A curious government spending spree between 2009 and 2013 plonked wedding-cake buildings in Skopje on a scale of Soviet gigantism, even in the old quarter, obliterating greenery and annoying residents.

To complete the trip I travelled through driving rain to Ohrid, a resort on the shores of its eponymous lake, a third of which belongs to Albania. The streets are so narrow that the upper floors of the houses protrude over the ground floors. In the new town behind the lake, shops displayed frocks reminiscent of the Yugoslavian past and plastic shoes. On the lakeshore, former fishing boats touted cruises and souvenir stalls flogged the fabled Ohrid pearls. These don’t come from oysters — Ohridians fashion them, using a secret method handed down within two families, from the scales of the plasica fish.

It was May and teachers were marching hordes of children around the historical sites. At the amphitheatre (2nd century AD) two boys sat picking nits out of one another’s hair. In the nearby Saint Sophia church 11th-century frescoes depicted haloed figures and angelic hosts, as clear and as moving as they must have been to the first churchgoers.

The Ottomans, who turned the church into a mosque, did Macedonia a favour by plastering the ceiling and walls with mortar, preserving the frescoes. However, the Turks had desecrated the saints’ faces with sharp stones. Is there a more powerful visual image of the clash between Islam and Christianity than a row of saints staring blindly from gouged-out eyes?

SOURCE: The Times

Skopje is the capital of the Republic of Macedonia. The territory of Skopje has been inhabited since at least 4,000 BC and lies in the heart of the Balkan Peninsula. Skopje appeals to visitors with its fortress, cultural and historical monuments, archaeological sites, caves in the canyon of the River Treska and Lake Matka, and a health spa.

Skopje has existed for 2,500 years and has seen a number of settlers, from Roman to Byzantine, from Ottoman to Yugoslav with each group leaving their mark on the city.  Much of the city was destroyed by an earthquake in 1963, and in an effort to rebuild, an international competition to redesign the city was held. The contract was won by Japanese architect Kenzo Tange and Skopje was reborn in a unique, futuristic style. To this day, the clock on the remaining wall of the old railway station remains stuck at 5:17, the moment the earthquake hit.

The cultural offerings of the city range from the Triumphal Gate to the giant statue of Alexander the Great, as well as numerous museums and the old stone bridge. Head to Makedonija street for bustling nightlife, restaurants, bars and coffee shops.

PLACES TO VISIT IN SKOPJE

Millenium Cross

The Millennium Cross is a 66 metre-high cross situated on top of the Vodno Mountain in Skopje. The construction of the cross began in 2002  to serve as a memorial of 2,000 years of Christianity in Macedonia and the world. In 2008, on 8 September – the independence day of the Republic of Macedonia – an elevator was installed inside the cross. The following year, a restaurant and a souvenir shop were opened by the cross, and in 2011 the Millennium Cross ropeway, stretching 3.5 kilometres was opened. At night the cross is lit up and shines down over the city. Take a trip on the Millennium Cross Cable Car which boasts 28 regular gondolas for eight persons and two VIP gondolas for four people. The ride last about 6-8 minutes.

Old Bazar

The Old Bazaar is one of the oldest and largest marketplaces in the Balkans, it has been Skopje’s centre for trade and commerce since the 12th century. The Bazaar came into prominence during the Ottoman era when it developed to become the city’s main centre of commerce. The Ottoman history of the bazaar in evident through the presence of approximately 30 mosques and a number of caravanserais among other historical indicators. The Old Bazaar is still home to several active mosques, türbes, two churches and a clock tower, that, together with the buildings of the Museum of Macedonia and the Museum of Modern Art, form the core of the modern bazaar.

Matka

Meaning ‘womb’ in Macedonian, Matka is a canyon located west of central Skopje, only a 30-minute drive from the city. A favourite weekend destination, this man-made lake is in a canyon formed by the river Treska. The natural beauty of the area is stunning and best taken in while on a boat, which can also take you to the Vrelo Cave, one of the more famous caves in the area. Perfect for hikes and picnics, there’s also a restaurant for those who just want to sit back and relax. The area is also home to several monasteries rife with history.

Kale

Often referred to as Kale or Kale Fortress, this Skopje fortress is located in the old town at the highest point in the city overlooking the Vardar River. The fortress is depicted on the coat of arms of Skopje, which in turn is incorporated in the city’s flag.

Museums

When you visit Skopje, visit at least one of the city’s museums. The city is home to a number of museums, from the National Archaeological Museum to the Museum of Macedonia and many more. For an introduction to all the museums in Skopje, visit Hello Skopje.  

Tom Allan travels to Macedonia and explores the landlocked country's spectacular lake and layered history 

The Italian media called it ‘Lucifero’. The heat has buckled train tracks in Serbia while in Macedonia wild fires rage on the hills around the capital, Skopje, filling the sky with an orange haze.

Lake Ohrid, in the south of the country, straddling the border with Albania, offers a refreshing refuge from the heatwave sweeping southeast Europe. A trip to its clear, cool waters and pebble beaches is an annual ritual for landlocked Macedonians.

"This is the closest we have to the sea," explains a woman on the winding bus journey from Skopje. "I live in Canada now, but still try to come back each summer."

The lake is busiest in July and August so if you come then, expect beach parties and jet-skis as well as Byzantine churches, Ottoman architecture, and one of the most unique ecosystems in Europe.

"The best time to visit is September, or early summer," says local guide Misho Yuzmeski the next morning, as he takes me on a walking tour of the old town of Ohrid, the largest on the lake and my base for the week. "It’s much more peaceful then".

Yuzmeski – writer, translator and fluent in eight languages – is an inexhaustible source of knowledge on his home town.

"However hot it gets, there is always a breeze in the old town", he says as we gaze down over the red tiled roofs and twisting cobbled streets, over the 36 kilometres of silky water and beyond, to the Albanian mountains. Right on cue, a cooling wind springs up, taking the edge off the midday glare.

Ohrid has, to borrow Homer’s phrase, a climate ‘where life is easy for men’. It is one of Europe’s oldest settlements: there are remains here from the 4th century BC. That’s modern compared to the lake itself, which at over a million years is one of Europe’s oldest.

Thanks to its age, Lake Ohrid has more endemic species per square metre than any other lake in the world, according to Unesco. The most famous of these is the Ohrid trout, said to have a taste somewhere between brown trout and Atlantic salmon. It’s now critically endangered and fishing is controlled on the Macedonian side of the lake, so the trout on Ohrid restaurant menus is mostly farmed.

The first thing you notice about the lake is the clarity of the water. This is paradise for a swimmer like me: the white pebble beaches, ochre cliffs and glass-clear water are more like the Adriatic than an inland lake.

Yulvan Sekuloski, who works in the Amfora Dive Centre, 16km south of the town of Ohrid, explains that this is one of the clearest lakes in the world. The springs feeding it filter through the limestone fissures of the Galičica mountains, giving a visibility of up to 22 metres.

"I have dived all over the world, and no fresh water systems compare to here," Sekuloski tells me. Divers shouldn’t miss the chance to explore the remains of the Neolithic stilt-house village in the Bay of the Bones.

These natural splendours are matched by Ohrid’s cultural and religious heritage. For fans of Byzantine churches, this is heaven. Even a non-aficionado can’t fail to be impressed by the frescoes in St. Sofia church, still full of expression and life after 900 years, or the magnificent paintings in the icon museum.

The sheer number of churches has given Ohrid the name ‘the Jerusalem of the Balkans’, though Yuzmeski dismisses the often-repeated theory that there are 365, one for every day of the year.

"That’s something the other guides like to tell people. I don’t know how many there are but not 365!"

One thing is clear though: things in Ohrid are changing. We walk on past the Roman amphitheatre to a hilltop with spectacular views over the lake – and of a string of hotel complexes on the far shore. Once the hill was covered in pine trees and layers of Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman ruins. Now a major construction project is underway, bearing the unwieldy title 'The Instauration of St. Clement’s University at Plaoshnik’.

St. Clement was a disciple of Cyril and Methodius, the two hoary brothers from modern-day Thessaloniki who invented the Cyrillic alphabet. Clement founded a university here in the ninth century and from this hillock above the lake spread the new script throughout the Slavic world. The church bearing his name has been faithfully rebuilt, with new visitor- and study centres also under construction. "They have built the church beautifully," says Yuzmeski. "But the rest, it’s too much," he continues, pointing at the complex of buildings that will soon dominate the skyline.

‘Too much’ could be applied to other government projects in Macedonia. The infamous ‘Skopje 2014’ initiative saw somewhere between $250 and $650 million spent on gargantuan bronze statues in the capital – money, critics argue, that a poor country like Macedonia can ill afford.

The government has other plans for Ohrid, too: a 30,000-capacity ski resort in the mountains of Galičica National Park and further hotel developments along the lake shore. Unesco has warned that it will review Ohrid’s World Heritage status unless the more contentious proposals are dropped.

Macedonia, with the fifth lowest GDP in Europe and 23 per cent unemployment, badly needs tourism. The new Social Democrat government elected in June on a pro-reform, anti-corruption agenda have pledged to review all development that threatens the integrity of the lake.

"Our goal is to develop sustainable and responsible tourism by focusing on the local, authentic experience […] and all the adventure possibilities this area has to offer," government spokesman Mile Boshnjakovski tells me via email.

The government also plan to invest in new cycling and walking trails along the lake shore, he adds, improving access with minimal damage to the environment.

But with a slim majority in parliament and the daunting task of overhauling the country’s institutions ahead, this is far from assured. Yulvan Sekuloski from the dive centre strikes a final note of caution. "If carefully planned the wildlife and the lake could be preserved. But unfortunately there is a lot of damage done already. If it continues at this pace I think the future will not be so bright."

On my last night I speak to a young German couple, who tell me about a ‘performance art’ event they saw in the St. Sofia church the night before.

Part of Ohrid’s Summer Festival, the evening featured techno, UV lights and a male stripper. The 11th century frescoes must have blushed.

This evening the Optina Pustyn monastery choir from St. Petersburg perform. The closest we get to techno is the floor-trembling voice of the basso profondo, reaching depths that only Russians can, but the heat inside St. Sofia’s thick walls wouldn’t be out of place in a rave.

Shirts stick to the backs of chairs, programs are fanned and the choir look close to heatstroke in their black robes. As we empty out into the muggy night a honey-yellow moon rises over the Galičica mountains, casting an avenue of dimpled light across the lake. The soft lights of a nearby cove beckon. It’s time for a final swim.

SOURCE: THE NATIONAL