Posh Mum's Journeys

Well, Poshmum is in a new country. How exciting is that! Flew from London Gatwick direct to Lake Ohrid beautifully situated in North Macedonia. Close to Albania, Greece and Kosovo. Temperatures are high for us Northern UK people at well over 30 degrees.  Little wonder the lake tempts bathers to cool off in its rocky bottomed basin.

North Macedonia has a closed currency, so you can’t preorder from your home country. There are ATMs in the centre, and credit cards are accepted in stores and restaurants.

Stayed at https://villa-veron.macedonia-hotels.com/en  well situated close to the lakeside yet quiet.  It is described as a boutique hotel, but for me, this is a friendly family run but fairly basic pension. That said, bedrooms have aircon, a fridge and balcony all really important in these extremely hot conditions.

Dined at https://www.restorani.com.mk/restoran/restoran-amfora-ohrid close by. Delicious dinner of grilled mushrooms and strong goats cheese salad. Shared a speciality dish, pot of roasted pork and chicken. Little more than 30 GBP for 2.

We all live in a pseudo submarine………

Tonight, we dined at Orfej restaurant, also very close to the Villa Veron. The live folk music was much appreciated. I winded up having stuffed cabbage leaves as they ran out of peppers, but this is a very traditional dish and got thumbs up from Poshmum!

Was hoofing back a North Macedonian version of a Magnum right outside the market where said delight was purchased. Local expensively botoxed WAG asked me to step away from her car. Well, I guess it was a Porsch! But hey, Poshmum’s rear never touched it once!

Friday seemed a good choice to take a cruise from Ohrid to Sveti Naum monastery. In my opinion, the best value is to take the boat that leaves at 11 am and stops off at the intriguing Bay of Bones settlement en route. Just turn up on the day half an hour in advance and pay 900 mkd (15 Euros) on the boat. I can’t vouch for the Captains choice of cruise music, but it was certainly loud enough! It made the speaker vibrate! See http://boatohrid.com/?utm_source=worldplaces.me&utm_medium=organic for more information.

The journey takes about 90 minutes each way, excluding the stop at the Bay of Bones.  Arriving at St Naum, we found that whilst visitors can still enter the Chapel, the rest of the complex is now pretty much a hotel with gardens.

We were steps away from the Albanian border and also the Galicica National Park, but given that we only had 2 to 3 hours, we spent this time chilling. Many people bathed in the lake, and the beach bars and restaurants were busy. So probably better to visit on weekdays rather than the weekend.

Saturday seemed like a good choice for shopping. Look for the market behind the main shopping centre. A Turkish quarter is useful for a coffee and grill fix. Instead, Poshmum found a coffee and black forest chilled cake most pleasant. We also found a nice big store with adult and children’s clothing. Lovely little outfit for our grandson and a chic rara skirt for our granddaughter.

Back at Villa Veron, we see mummy stray cat searching for her children. They are still suckling, but she’s got little to give.

Well, we tried the top Tripadvisor rated restaurant tonight. The Lion Ohrid https://g.co/kgs/dtYzrL is right on the lake front. It didn’t disappoint. Poshmum was pretty pleased with shrimp on skewers, and carnivore loved his Lion special ribs. At £36 including drinks still very pocket friendly. Nice walk along the lakeside served as a calory free dessert.

The heat here is challenging at 34 degrees, but our home city in the UK is scraping 14 degrees, so would rather have the problem of cooling off with an iced drink than deal with the reality of home!

Sunday arrives to the sound of  (many!) church bells. We decide to clamber up to St Samuel’s fortification even though we were forewarned that there is little to see other than the view of the lake – most spectacular.

Bakeries here sell freshly baked sweet and savoury pastries throughout the day. Ideal for a balcony snack whilst the most intense heat eases.

We revisited Amfora restaurant. I tried the very special lake Ohrid trout. Very delicate flavour and well presented. I have never had trout like this before. The carnivore enjoyed his steak. Lovely walk along the lakeside afterwards. Nice to see so many families out strolling. Wonderful atmosphere.

Strolling past the harbour and up into the old town is an easier ascent for St Samuel’s fortification. Shame we scaled it on a Monday when it’s closed! More than earned a light lunch of a wood fired flat bread with a glass of wine down below. Right opposite another pearl shop. Apparently, the pearls are actually made from fish scales. Ice cream is a treat here and far cheaper than at home in the UK.

Dinner slightly out of town at Biljanini was one of the dining highlights so far: https://www.restorani.com.mk/en/restoran/restoran-biljanini-izvori-ohrid lots of outdoor seating and a traditional menu. Even the carnivore loved the barbecued egg plant, mushrooms and Zucchini. The local feral cats did well out of us too. Barbecued chicken tempted them to risk their safety for a few morsels.

Nice stroll towards the springs area. Very hot indeed, so glad of a bit of respite in a lakeside cafe. Must admit consuming beer is on a needs must basis as it’s pretty bland for Poshmum, to be honest. Nice rest on our balcony. Warm but out of the sun. A final dinner at Orfej. It’s really nice and the quartet of local musicians is wonderful.

Apparently its rained daily in the UK. No sign of any here even though slightly cooler at 27 degrees!

Tip: Nothing to spend your Denar on back at the airport, so therefore, there is no point in keeping just in case. A basic kiosk will sell you poor instant coffee for 130 Denar and absolutely no food available, so that’s all you need. Overpriced duty-free shop with prices in Euros. Take snacks with you is my advice. Drop any leftover currency in the charity box before you board.