A short flat morning ride in bright sunlight along the lake shore to move to Ohrid - where we will be basing ourselves for the next four days. Our hotel - Villa Kale - at practically the highest point in Ohrid's old town. Katie and our long-time much-loved friend Sarah arrive in Ohrid early afternoon, having caught the bus down from Skopje. The old town of Ohrid is charming. Red tiles on white-walled houses climbing steeply from the lake. The lake shore packed with bars & cafés. Narrow cobbled streets, with ridges across along the steeper stretches, like on hills along British canal-side paths, to give purchase for horses' hooves. Ljubčov, the grand-father founder of Villa Kale, talks us through the route we should walk and the buildungs we should visit. The main shopping street lined with small stores - a lot of them selling jewellery and pearls. Ohrid pearls are apparently hand-made using a secret process involving the scales of the Ohrid lake plasica fish. Of course there are now also quantities of imitation pearls imported from China. We visit the 13thC Church of Holy Mary Peryvleptos, walk past the 3rdC Roman amphitheatre up towards the fortress (to be told by someone coming down thst it is closed on Mondays) and then down to the lake, dropping in on the 10thC St Sofia Church. We find the Turkish quarter and choose the most crowded restaurant for supper. The chief chef takes an immediate shine to Sarah, who chatters with him in Turkish. We think we have ordered lamb kebabs - but instead receive a plate piled (literally a pile on each plate) of succulent barbequed lamb. Too too much - but delicious. Three days in & around Ohrid with Katie & Sarah. On Tuesday we took a motor boat across Lake Ohrid to visit the 10thC St Naum monastery on the southern shore. Fine ancient frescoes inside; in the garden two peacocks displaying valiantly in vain attempts to win over a disinterested white peahen. Then a short ride in a rowing boat on the crystal clear stream of water through underground aquifers from Lake Prespa. Miniature ducks bobbed around enticingly. On the way to St Naum, we had called by the Bay of Bones reconstruction of a village on stilts in the lake, and the Holy Mother of God Zahumska lakeside church. We finished a happy day with several gin & tonics in Sarah's room. On Wednesday we hired a car from the estimable Vladco at Escape car hire, drove along the eastern shore of the Lake to Trpejca, then shaply left and 850m uphill to a point where we could see both Lake Prespa and Lake Ohrid. Down to Lake Prespa for lunch, then back to Trpejca for a quick dip (Hereward on my shoulder!) in the still winter-cold waters of Lake Ohrid. On Friday - sight-seeing in Ohrid, including the Fortress and the wonderful Icon Museums.