Mon 18 Jul 2016. Ioannina to Florina (Greece) to Ohrid (Macedonia)

Mon 18 Jul 2016. Ioannina to Florina (Greece) to Ohrid (Macedonia).
Watched a dinghy being removed from water by giant winch, no loading ramps here. On "highway of 100 tunnels", plenty of tolls. Running at height through green mountains, valleys and rivers below. Pulled in for fuel - could not understand why in the midst of mountains, with no towns nearby, there was a café-cum-bar (dark blacks and reds, private booths) with its own swimming pool and loungers. Weirdest concept! Is it for truck drivers needing to rest? (it wasn't a hotel, so do patrons then get on road after drinking alcohol??)

 









Turned north to Kastoria - signs say to beware of bears!! Must be longest “zoo” in world - km after km of strong barbed-topped wire fencing along both sides of highway. Kastoria is the Fur Capital of Greece, warehouses, showrooms, signs for long ago festivals. Pulled up by police entering Florina, younger one (born in Oz!) examined passports asking where towns of birth were, whilst checked us out on computer. Happy waves goodbye, enjoy Greece!

There's a bear in there....

...but we didn't see him.....

10km on came to border with Macedonia at Niki. Sign saying “declare your smuggling!” Hilarious. Through border in half hour, passports only on Greek side, full check of all papers and examination of all country stamps visited in passport at Macedonia side before adding their stamp. Look inside our house by customs – then, "welcome to our country"! So excited to be commencing the Adriatic leg of our journey. Soon noticed difference to Greece, purposeful people, obeying road rules, tidy towns, parking in designated areas, pretty painted repaired houses, shops and businesses, verges trimmed, flowers in bloom - all the appearances of a country that respects itself, so far.

Forestry...

Timber...

Crops...

Silage...

Hive of rural industry

Repaired roads!

Mowing! Trimming! Topiary!

Through Bitola township to first lake, Prespa, turning away half-way along the shore, up the steep windy mountain road (an hour to do 30kms), very narrow passing when came across vehicles travelling in opposite direction, often no barrier to immeasurable distances below - quite unnerving at times and hard on the driver this late in the afternoon. Gorgeous terrain through the Galicica National Park though, wild flowers, dark forests, rocky steep crags, dizzying depths to lake and miniature villages below. At other end on shores of Lake Ohrid, felt it was definitely worth €4 entry (exit??) to National Park.

More and more switchbacks on the way down...

Drove along to seedy fairly-full camping ground with an amazing number of 25yr old vans, half of them stripped down to skeleton and left to rot in place. Next along shoreline was Auto Camp Sveti Naum with an abundance of vans and tents, all tarpaulined and pegged firmly into ground; many families, heaps of young boys around the place. Day had been long enough not to have to go further and search out another camp (there had been absolutely no level ground for a free camp), so here we stayed. All sites but one on lake edge were taken, obviously just waiting for us! All facing winds strong enough to blow away everything not pegged down; waves like ocean. 

Broke this year’s tradition and had sundowners on water’s edge, but gave it up to move indoors and have salami and potato salad for dinner. With this many people and children, decided we'd use our own rather than the shared amenities. Bed early to read and blog.