Week 38: Ohrid, North Macedonia (posted by Eliza)

We arrived in Ohrid on Friday, March 20 from Bitola. It was less than a two hour drive. The first thing that struck me about Ohrid is that it is gloomy but beautiful. I mean it was very cloudy and cold on the day that we arrived, although it has a giant lake with snow-capped mountains in the distance.

We went on a long walks through the town and along the lake and saw some rocky beaches. We also spent the week thinking our brains out for our research projects. So there was lots of walking around and lots of studying. I did my presentation on basketball in the Balkans and Annie did her presentation on Balkans food.

Mom and Dad found a basketball court while they were exploring on top of the old fortress hill. It looks out over Lake Ohrid and it is very scenic. Later, Jane and I went with Dad and had a lot of fun playing basketball. Annie cooked yummy stuff for our dinner, specifically mushroom soup, stuffed zucchinis, and stewed apples. Mom helped a lot.

Some other highlights included exploring the medieval fortress and visiting Orthodox churches that are over 1,000 years old. The churches had very interesting frescos that told the story of Jesus. Some of the faces were rubbed out during the Ottoman era because in Islam you cannot worship false idols.

Overall, this week was pretty chill, but still very fun. I would recommend Ohrid because of the stunning views and the rich culture -- which is kind of what we say about every place.