We were heading out to dinner in Ohrid. We saw the cutest little turtle running across the dirt road. He burrowed into dried up leaves that were pushed up against an old fence. Maddux picked him up and put him in a safe place.  🐢 ❤️

The Canyon is a half hour drive from Skopje, Macedonia. It’s well worth the trip. We kayaked to a cave and swam around the lake. The water was super cold but refreshing. The dogs were happy to join us on our adventure. If you ever get there, rent from the people by the small church. There was a 10 year old kid there working with his dad. He was wonderful. He wanted to practice his English and was telling me all about the people he meets from all over the world.

The spread is pretty simple and the coffee isn’t as strong as I like it, but I love drinking my coffee on the patio while listening to all the different languages being spoken around me.

I was amazed to learn that it wasn’t until 1991, after Communist rule ended, that people could have cars here. It is a crazy place to drive! Roads were built so long ago- they aren’t built for today’s traffic. There are people, bikes, scooters, motorcycles and cars. You have to really pay attention. We are loving the people and the food. The energy here is a huge party vibe. Lots of techno music playing. You have to get up early to pay for beach chairs and you definitely need an umbrella in this sun.

Packing and moving around fast. We usually don’t stay longer than a few days in one spot. We stayed at a hotel near Ohrid called Villa Prague. It was a little oasis. Had everything we needed and the owners were so friendly. They even had a dog friend for Maizy and Dottie.

It was over 100 degrees while we were walking around. I didn’t even take note of how many steps we walked that day. They have a lot of cars like the little red one. So much easier to manoeuvre in tight alley ways.

In the town square, I noticed an open window with a cool wood beam. I love stuff like that. I wonder how old the building is. I’m happy no one ever updated the ceiling or brick walls. The second photo is of a mall. The boys were watching a stray cat. The mosque was so pretty lit up at night. There are loud speakers that announce the adhan which is a call to prayer. This happens five times a day. If you listen closely, you can hear it in the second video. The first video is some women doing a traditional folk dance. We thought we saw our Macedonian friend, Janet, from Princeton! But, sadly, it wasn’t here. I miss you, lady! Wish you were here.

The monastery is between the Rilska and Drushliavitsa rivers and about 120km south of Sofia so we figured we had to go a little out of our way to see it. It is the largest monastery in Bulgaria.  It was founded in the 10th century. 

I read that its name comes from the first Bulgarian hermit who was a monk named John Rilski. He was revered as a saint while he was still alive. He was called the wondermaker. There are stories of wild animals walking along side of him and birds landing in the palms of his hands. 

The monastery was absolutely beautiful. So unique. 

Drove about 270 km today. Stopped in Rila to see an extraordinary monastery.

Jesse and I went to a Mother Theresa Museum and walked to a bazaar and the fortress. 

This city is the land of statues! They’re everywhere. I love it. 

Even though we were in the car a lot today on winding roads, we managed to walk over 15,000 steps. 

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