As planned, I sleep in and wake with no stress nor great plans. Today I would have been sitting in the bus from Vlora all day so it’s basically an extra day that I think of spending in a very relaxed manner. After breakfast, I take the bike and ride along the Ohrid shore towards the left. The water is completely calm today, the sun is shining and everything is at least as calm as yesterday. There are some people walking, some biking, some sitting in the park and some in the water.
As I drive further and further it gets warmer and I start looking for the best beaches. At the end of the quiet road there is a bigger beach with an old water slide that is not working anymore and a camping.
I turn around and go all the way back to the center of Ohrid to find the beach that Nade had recommended. I climb the old town up towards the castle and descend through a pine tree park back to the lake. A small footpaths leads steeply down to the shore and the nice rocky beach she had told me about. Everything is quiet and there are maybe 10 more people, some even making camp in a tent or hammock. Besides the sound of occasionally passing boats, there is only the soft wind and the splashing of the water hitting the rocks.
The water is a lot warmer than I expected and very clear. I cannot remember the last time I swam in a lake like this. They were either so cold that is was more a 10-second bravery test or muddy and without visibility. I miss the salty taste on my lips when I first dip in and the flora and fauna is very different of what I had seen swimming lately. Leafy and grassy plants, tiny little fish and lots and lots of small shells covering the rocks that close up as soon as you come near them dominate the subaquatic picture.
I spend the rest of the day reading and swimming. Even if this sounds like a prototypical vacation day or even weekend for some of you, for me it happens in very rare occasions and deserves mentioning.
When the sun starts getting weaker, I pack my things and ride back to the center and through the busy pedestrian streets, stopping here and there to take a look at something in a shop.
I get a roasted corn for my way back and finish the day strolling along the shore while the sun goes down.
I still feel very comfortable here and I’m thinking of maybe coming back to live here for a month or two some time.
If you’re interested in my impressions from two years ago and some more information, check out the blog posts on Ohrid.
