A much-needed break from work took this Malaysian to numerous fairytale lands in the Balkans.
A captivating view of the Church of Saint John in Lake Ohrid, North Macedonia. — Photos: ANGIE LIM
As the timing was perfect and did not clash with any urgent work matters, I signed up for the tour. In anticipation, I had hoped that the tour would provide several “wow factors” as I really needed a break from my hectic work schedule. Feeling refreshed the next morning, I realised that our tour group was made up of mostly middle-aged folks, and a handful of retirees who were well into their 70s. In comparison, I felt “young” being among them, so I should be able to endure the somewhat hectic itinerary for the duration of the tour, which was two weeks.
The rides traversed villages and small towns. Many of these places seemed to be from a fairytale. The houses and buildings were almost similar – rectangular with a triangular roof, surrounded with fruit trees and flowers that were mainly tulips. In the background, there were snow-capped mountains that enhanced the landscape.
Old cities inscribed in the Unesco World Heritage Site list which had influences and remnants of the Roman and Ottoman Empires were evident in the Balkans to this day. The Roman Empire lasted for approximately 1,000 years while the Ottoman Empire about 600 years; both left an indelible mark in this region.
In Ohrid, North Macedonia, we visited the Church of St John at Kaneo, situated on a cliff overlooking Lake Ohrid. It was breathtaking. The Old Bridge in Mostar, a 16th-century town in Bosnia and Herzegovina, is an Islamic architectural masterpiece. Completely destroyed during the Croatia-Bosnia war, the bridge was subsequently rebuilt and opened to the public in 2004.
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