This hilltop fortress in Ohrid is named after Tsar Samuel, who ruled a large empire in constant tension with the Byzantine empire over borders and so on. He was reputed to be invincible and quite cruel, and reigned from 997 to 1014, during which time he moved his capital to Ohrid from Skopje.
On Monday, Steve and I saw these lovely snapdragons growing in (the town of) Ohrid’s ancient amphitheater. When the Romans gained control of this region – so the sign tells us – they remodeled the amphitheater for gladiatorial and big-animal spectacles, instead of the classical dramas one assumes were mainstays during the Hellenistic period.
Somehow we’ve arrived in May, and my next vacation has brought me to another new area surrounded by mountainous countryside. So I’m splurging on a big post with all the remaining from my last days in 2025, all spent in the coastal range of Mendocino County.
I rarely get to add a fully-new category here, or to blog more or less live, since it’s more sharing beauty and curious inquiry that I aim for here, than live updates of my meal of the moment. That said, please allow me to introduce to the lovely village of Trpejca, on the shore of spectacular Lake Ohrid, in beautiful mountainous Macedonia (Republic of North, that is, due to various pressure from neighbors). Steve & I drove down from Tirane yesterday, and will be relaxing and exploring the area for a bit.
(so much world, so little time....) 