The Norwegian author and poet Tor Obrestad wrote: "Here is the navel of Europe, who has not made that discovery must come, get into the lake and make his own experience."

A PARADISE - LAKE OHRID - STRUGA 
MACEDONIA
cradle of culture - land of nature
 

I AM HOOKED
3 Years ago I hardly new what Macedonia was. But circumstances led us to this country - which in many ways have become our dream world. We are hooked. Our family has since visited the country every year.  I am also studying their proud history and culture. Again, this year we had our holiday there, in spite of the difficult circumstances. We could not resist our longings to Lake Ohrid, our friends, Struga with its vibrating life, the beach, the water, the atmosphere, the rakija, the people in Hotel Drim. It was a long journey - by air to Budapest, and then by train through Hungary, Serbia and to Skopje. And bus from Skopje to Struga. We chose that way in order to visit friends also i Belgrade. Our Norwegian poet Tor Obrestad writes:
"We got into the mild waters of Lake Ohrid and washed our tiresome journey away".  To me the Lake Ohrid are waters of healing and refreshment.

I have always chosen to stay in Hotel Drim, even that there might be cheaper alternativs. It is still cheap compared with the prices in our country.  I love the atmosphere, the people, the beach that is only a few seconds away. 

Lake Ohrid is about 700 meters above the sea level. The lake and the river Drim makes the air life-giving and quickening. It is warm, but not too hot.  The fresh winds from the lake fills the air.

The town is alive, with its restaurants, it's market and small shops and a dozen of internet cafés. After 3 years we know a lot of people. They greet us "welcome back".!

We are in the middle of European history - and at the heart of church history from the early beginnings 2000 years ago.

We are close to Ohrid - the historical city - with hundreds of churches - and close to Sveti Naum.

The situation in Macedonia at the moment (summer 2001) is not exactly inviting tourists to come.  We were some of the very few who could not resist - and we do not regret.  We so much wanted to say to our Macedonian and Albanian speaking friends:  "We are here with you. We believe in forgiveness and reconciliation"
We know it is very hard or impossible for our friends in middle of the situation  to believe the same. "Impossible" things have happened before, why not hope for that again?

A DAY IS COMING
Days without fear -  days of weeping and forgiveness.  Days of joy and dancing in the streets of Struga.  Days when the tourists, the friends, will return and fill the guesthouses, the hotels and the restaurants - days of joy and prosperity for George with his boat  who will explore the Lake Ohrid with thankful tourists.

They will buy the produce of the country.  They will enjoy the art, the wine, the rakija, the air, the water, the friendliness and hospitality and the peculiarities of Struga. 

"There is no other town like Struga", says the folk song praising the second largest town on the shores of Lake Ohrid. Struga is the birthplace of the distinguished Macedonian poets and educators, the brothers Dimitrija and Konstantin Miladinov. It is also the capital of world poetry: poets from around the globe have been coming each year in late August since 1962 for the Struga Poetry Evenings festival.(2)    (Ante Popovski is chairman of the Festival) 

God Bless the people around Lake Ohrid - Struga - Macedonia its cities, towns and villages! I will soon be back and walk the streets, the shore, the country roads and shake your hands!

Tore Lende
Sandnes - Norway
00 47 51 66 78 11
E-mail: lende@lende.no

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You might go to or from Ohrid by Adria Airline   You are there!  Or you can fly to Skopje and go by bus or taxi from there.  Approximate 3 hours by bus.. .
E-mail: to Adria Airline: booking@adria.si
Macedonian Airline (Avioimpex Air Company ) have also flights from Zurich and Dusseldorf.

Ohrid Airport, P.O.B. 134, Ohrid 96000, Republic of  Macedonia

tel..: ++ (389 96) 31 656/ 34 079      fax.: 33 616 
Telex: 53 873      E-mail:ohdap@airports.com.mk