Kliment Zarov, portly, alert and totally white-haired, is a household name around Ohrid (very well known in the Netherlands once Den Dolard's novels became obligatory reading for the schoolchildren) and quite recognizable in Macedonia. Somebody told me that he worked on the project of the notorious Max van der Stoel University in Tetovo. Thus, he may be known to the Dutch too. At 75 he is a patriarch of a family of architects who help him bring most of his plans to reality. This may sound somewhat preposterous but Kliment Zarov is one of the most interesting figures in contemporary Macedonian architecture. One of these days I will have to dedicate a whole blog to his work and philosophy related to the question "Is there a Macedonian style in architecture". Although he suffered a crippling heart attack in early March scaring relatives and friends that he will not survive, he recuperated within 5-6 weeks and was all laughter, up and working when I visited him two weeks ago. He rents some of the best apartments on a top location in town to support the maintenance of his property.
Ohrid has always been my favorite domestic destination. Easter, First of May and Ilinden are the three official holidays which Macedonians love to spend out there. Thousands of families from Skopje, Bitola, Veles and Stip move over to their resort apartments and villas or simply reside in hotels or rent rooms.
The scenic ride to the lakeside is a pleasure. After the most comfortable 30 or so kilometers westwards towards Tetovo at the foot of Shara (a beautiful snow-capped mountain even as late as June) the road takes a southward turn a before long one hits the curves which bring the traffic above the small valleys right up to the national park of Bistra. This time there was plenty of holiday traffic from Kosovo. Mist and fog up in the mountains and then, descending to the lake, peaceful and tame, opens the valley of Ohrid. Apple orchards and vineyards surround the International Airport awaiting tourists.
This old town is a small place and it quickly fills with everybody who is somebody in this country. By 7 p.m. one can find thousands of people strolling along the canyon of shops which forms the central thoroughfare or by the waterfront gardens stretched between the port and Hotel Palace. Novices and oldies would embark on longer walks and foot after foot climb up to the recently restored Roman Amphitheater, just off the Upper Gate or carry on towards the St Kliment Church less than 100 meters away. Occasionally I like climbing the moderate steep which leads to the Main Gate of the Samoil Fortress and then walk along the new walls and towers. The archeological purists frown at the final result: too much new stone was nicely carved into the crumbling, totally derelict structure, too many chambers and nicely placed stonework indicating the position of medieval walls. The enclosed ground of the fortress used to be a medium sized meadow where locals had their small herds of sheep graze during the day while experimenting directors would stage exclusive theatre performances after the late summer sunsets.
One could not climb any of the walls. The stones were shaky and often fell of by themselves or disturbed by a tiny lizard out there. For years almost all the bosses of the Yugoslav communist party had small, usually very modest private houses here and missed a lot of action if not around them during weekends between May and October. Even President Tito himself had an official villa (which he very rarely visited) atop the evergreens of Gorica, a tiny peninsula protruding into the lake. It hosted an occasional head of state, like Leopold Senghor, the King of Sweden or some of the Windsors on their visits here.
Much latter, about a quarter of a century later, my petite friend and most talented violinist turned politician, Mrs. Ganka Samoilovska-Cvetanova, the former minister of culture, mobilized the government and restored the totally decayed Fortress of the one and only Emperor, the miserable Samoil. In my eyes this restoration is the most significant project ever executed in the country. Macedonia claims Samoil her own while the Bulgarians insist on documents that he was one of them. Ohrid is mostly history and history in the Balkans has always been a fierce battleground.
Next: what does one do in Ohrid?

Volgend artikel in dit blog