Lake Ohrid

From my book on The Balkans

The church of Sveti Jovan at Kaneo sits on a promontory above Lake Ohrid, from where you can see most of the lake and a lot of the lakeshore. In one direction can be seen boats, restaurants, and the waterfront of the town of Ohrid, and in the other trees overhang the clear azure waters.

It’s a peaceful place and as I sat under a tree and stared into the lake a calmness descended on my mind as the sunlight reflected off the water and patterns played on the stones, rocks, and fish at the bottom.

I could just imagine a monk sitting here and finding much spiritual fulfilment from the view I had, because I know that nothing much has changed in this place for hundreds of years, except for the fish. There is a clearness and a cleanness to the light that reminds me of the Greek light found in their Mediterranean islands.