For our day ride, we’ve chosen an out and back to Lake Prespa. There are other destinations we considered - Korça would be a good base for a longer stay with day rides in several directions - but Prespa seemed just too important to miss. The issue was whether to see it this way, on a day ride, or by passing it tomorrow on the way to Lake Ohrid by the high route. It’s 68 miles to Ohrid by way of Lake Prespa and only 46 by the direct route; and with thunderstorms in the forecast tomorrow it doesn’t seem wise to lengthen that ride.
Lake Prespa (the two lakes, Greater and Lesser) are astounding in all ways. It’s one of my few regrets about this tour that we didn’t budget more time here, saving a few days somewhere else (we’re looking at you, Corfu) and staying overnight at the lake. The lakes sit at the boundary between Albania, Macedonia and Greece, and all three have national parks that cover the whole area. It’s a very important biodiversity region, and culturally of great interest. And dead quiet, with virtually no traffic. Now accessible by a new highway, I imagine it won’t stay this quiet for long.
In writing this page, I browsed the Wikipedia article on Korça and was bemused to read its section on climate. Korça is one of the driest cities in Albania, protected by a rain shadow; and June is its driest month. The city was hammered with rain during dinner the night we arrived, and today when we returned to town at 3 we arrived just before a great thunderstorm began that continued for the next four hours. The forecast for tomorrow, thunderstorms; and for the day after, rain.
Bruce LellmanThey look like some sort of small apple such as a crabapple which they are obviously drying probably to feed to pigs or horses. There are no doubt lots of these trees growing wild in the area and not to waste the fruit, leaving it to rot on the ground, they needed to dry it for future use. Just my guess. Reply to this comment 5 years ago
Looking back toward Korça, ten miles out at the horizon. On the left is Mount Morava. This broad basin is absolutely flat, like the plain of Thessaly. It must have been under water eons ago.
Scott AndersonTo Emily SharpOh, my gosh. I’d forgotten that some amphibians might be following along. So insensitive of me - I could have at least headlined the post to warn them to avert their eyes. Reply to this comment 5 years ago
Wonderful. If we were doing this tour again, we’d overnight on Lake Prespa and bike all the way to Ohrid this way, along the high route. It’s about twenty miles longer though, and too long for us to do in one day in this weather.
Scott AndersonTo Andrea BrownOf course. If I see this enough times maybe it will finally start sinking in. I did pretty well with the red poppy though, huh? Reply to this comment 5 years ago
Lake Prespa. It’s a huge lake (two lakes, actually; this is the greater one), and we’re just seeing a finger of it here, near Globoceni. A bit to the right of the island is the tri-country border, where Albania, Macedonia and Greece come together.
Descending back to the plain, hustling to get home before the storm (it begins minutes after we arrive, and rains ferociously for the next four hours straight). We’re looking here at the abandoned old road, crossed by the new highway.
