When I arrived in Koritza, my dragoman told me that I could find interesting antiques in the town. I asked the men who were said to have valuable items to bring them to me. They showed me poor-quality new Austrian rugs and bad Greek pictures. I explained that I only wanted antiques. One man suddenly had an idea. He told me he had a wonderful antique that was at least two thousand years old! He wasn’t sure whether it was Greek or Roman, but he was sure it was very valuable. It was a bull’s head, carved in precious metal. I was curious and asked him to bring it to me. He did, wrapping it in a handkerchief. When he unfolded it, I saw that it was just an ordinary tin opener with a bull’s head on the handle. The tin opener was broken, and it seemed like a traveler had thrown it away because it was useless. It was not an antique at all private bulgaria tours.
Difficulties with Horses
Next, I wanted to travel across country to Kastoria, but it was impossible. There was no road, and the road that did exist would take two days to travel. When I learned that there was a good road, I discovered that there were no horses available to rent. The real reason was that there were Bulgarian revolutionary groups in the hills between Koritza and Kastoria. The horse owners were afraid their animals would be taken by the bands, so they wouldn’t risk lending them. They didn’t mind if a foreigner was captured, but they were worried about losing their horses The Wedding Celebration.
Changing Plans
So, I had to change my plans again and decided to go back to Monastir. I followed a road along the western side of Lake Prespa, which was a pleasant and beautiful route. The road by the lake was lined with fir trees, and there were small farms along the way. The area was peaceful, with shady vines, and grapes cost just a penny a bunch. The lake had a couple of small islands with Greek monasteries. It would have been wonderful to stay there for a month, boating on the lake and visiting the caves by the water.
Returning to Macedonia
That day, I left the Albanian region behind and entered Macedonia, where the population was mostly Bulgarian. The men in my group were happy to let their horses cool off by splashing in the lake.
