Letter from Paul (definitely no Saint) to the Macedonians

When I have previously thought of Macedonia, I sort of associate it with biblical stuff...letters from St.Paul etc and I have to confess that, before I started to plan this trip, if you had asked me where Macedonia was exactly, I would not have been able to tell you. Well, Macedonia has had a chequered history of a couple of millennium, and more, of occupation by other peoples and so it has been associated with other countries rather than itself and it's own people. Even now, the ancient Macedonia is not what you see now as parts of it are still absorbed into northern Greece, southern Serbia and Eastern Bulgaria. The rows still continue, and despite wanting to be called Macedonia, in a recent bid for EU membership,(which they really ought to have), Greece vetoed their name, and their membership. What right Greece have exactly, with their record, is very debatable, but nonetheless they still have to call themselves the FYROM, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. That is as stupid as all the old Yugoslav countries having to do the same. Yugoslavia was a political bundle rather than a democratic alliance, but the problem is property, power, wealth and possession, and when borders have changed as a result of wars, even after the wars have stopped, it seems that, as always, the winners are those who can persuade, or buy,  allegiances in their struggles to maintain lands gained.

Well, I shall refer to the FYROM as Macedonia, influenced largely by how I enjoyed being there, and also, because I think they have an absolute right to call their country Macedonia, even if it is missing some captured bits.

Enough of this.  That is too much of a prologue when I know that attention spans in reading the blog can usually only be about 5 minutes.

Lakeside Ohrid

Central Ohrid

Old 11thC Church Ohrid

Inside the ancient church

Ancient clock tower Ohrid

Old buildings down side street Ohrid

Macedonia was a really beautiful country, still quite poor by western standards but with a wealth of the most beautiful countryside, fields, plains and mountains, and an amazingly friendly and hospitable people. I say that not simply because I met 6 lovely people personally, but because I had such a warm welcome by everybody I met. It was such a relief after the northern part of Albania, especially since Macedonia was a complete unknown.
The first place I went to was Ohrid, the most visited city in Macedonia and one of the most ancient settlements. It is on the shores of the beautiful Lake Ohrid,    ( where they have an endangered trout species). The impression is that one is at the sea, because it is an inland resort with a beach, but the old town is generally where most people visit. The outstanding place I saw was an 11thC church but this was built on the foundations of one from the 8thC. There were many interesting side streets with some lovely old houses. One of these housed a two room paperworks where the artisan is making paper in the ancient way from wood pulp suspended in water and stirred and sieved to a sheet which is left to dry. He also prints on this paper on a press that William Caxton would have recognised!

The old Officers' Club at Bitola

Villa on way into Bitola

Central Bitola

Off then to Bitola, another lovely surprise. The entry is down a 2 mile, run down boulevard with the river running down the centre of the dual carriageway. Each side is lined with villas, from the 18th/19th centuries, now mostly run down but still showing their heritage and still reclaimable. On the way in I was looking for the Hotel Capri as I have stated and I had my first run in with the law, a most pleasant and extraordinary experience which I think really typifies the warm hearted and welcoming people as I was to find out. The city centre is dowdy but beautiful with the old Imperial type of building all over it, mostly in a tatty condition but still rendering the place with considerable style. The Old "Officers' Club from the late 1800s being a classic example, though now closed since the Military Academy there, is long since become a museum. ( It was here that in 1912, Mustafa Kamel Ataturk, the revolutionary who was to be the founder of modern Turkey, did his military training.....no jokes about Mustafa camel please.....that was Lawrence of Arabia who often settled for a lot less!)

Back Row: Elena, Dean, Me, Goran, Djan
Front row, Alex(in trousers he has had since he was 12) and Oliver....yes that really is his full height. (He rides a 600cc  skate board)

From Bitola, I set out for an area in the mountains where they grow most of the grapes which used to make Yugoslavian wine so famous and well loved in the U.K. ( Yugoslavian Reisling was a favourite tipple in the 1960's) This area centres around Kavadarci and Negotino. I just rode through the region enjoying the countryside and the ride, and did not stop in Kavaraci since basically all I saw were lots of apartment blocks and some large wine processing plants. So for some reason I ended up coming into Negotino, the entrance to which reminded me a little of Bitola, though a lot less grand and more rural in nature. It was Monday 2nd August and I rolled up into the town square ablaze with sunshades and resturants but seemingly devoid of people. I had thought it was quiet everywhere before I arrived here, but apart from a dozen or so people there was very little. I sat at a table waiting for a drink but nothing happened and so I went to the cafe and asked the lass if I could have a coffee. She told me that it was a National Holiday for the founding of the country and she was on holiday and not working. However, typically again, she offered to make me a coffee and bring me an iced tea. I sat in the shade of the umbrella just chilling and noticed a chap came round several times on a motorcycle and stopped close by but then moved on. About the third time, he stopped. He came over to me and said hello and sat down asking me in excellent English, where I was from and was that my bike? I was a bit suspicious at first but he asked me if I would like to come to his house where he was expecting friends for dinner and his mother was cooking. It turns out that Goran Necev is an internal medicine doctor in Skopje, and, the same as me, his father was a doctor as is his brother, Alex. He was quite insistent and since I had nothing else planned I thought I would take a chance on a pleasant afternoon. That choice was the making of my trip to Macedonia and the absolute epitomy of the impression I already was gaining about the welcoming and warmth of the Macedonian people.  I followed Goran on his "motorcycle" (a Chinese 250 cc cruiser thing about which even his friends are rude, so I think I can be too!) to their family home where I met his delightful and welcoming mother, and his brother Alex.  afterwards, his friends arrived, Dean (Dan) with his girlfriend Elena, on his Yamaha 650, and Djan (John) and Oliver. We had a lovely meal together of a particular Macedonia style which was delicious and they all spoke brilliant English. English that was good enough to be able to joke and really understand and get to know each other. I loved them all very soon and know that we shall remain in contact. Isn't just amazing when you get these few hours together and just "click", despite the enormous difference in our ages!

Most of them could have been my children! After dinner, they decided to take me on a visit to local winery and so Dean and Elena, Goran and myself departed
on the bikes with Djan and Oliver in a car following. Oliver took some pictures of us riding on the way which was great as one seldom gets a picture of one actually ON the bike and moving.

Look....no feet on the floor

Amphitheatre at Scobi

Named seat in amphitheatre

The following day, Alex had offered to show me the archaeological site at Stobi, a few miles west of Negotino. He had his morning surgery in Negotino so we met after lunch in his "siesta period." It must have been nearly 40 degree when we strolled round the dig sites. Quite wonderful with enormous amount already discovered of the ancient Roman settlement which was at the junction of the two rivers. The two outstanding features for me were the

Pavement at Scobi

The Roman Baptistry

amphitheatre with the carvings of the Roman families names on the seats and the fact that there are original gladiatorial entrances. and perhaps the most beautiful of what has been discovered, a 4th C Basilica which has adjacent to it, a most beautiful mosaiced Baptistry which has two steps down and three steps out signifiying the baptism in the trinity. Predating this are many other Roman houses, and remnants of the Forum and also of a very large cauldarium or bath house. We were both dripping by the time we had finished, and we certainly did not need a hot bath house after this. It was sad to have to say goodbye to Alex, but he had to get back to his surgery and I had arranged to meet Goran near his apartment in Skopje, so we bade farewell to each other.

Old market place Skopje

Goran

I moved on in during the afternoon to Skopje, the capital city, where Goran works and we met and shared coffee at the street cafe next to his apartment,
where Oliver also rocked up and Dean and Elena. Goran and had I dinner together at one of the restaurants on the hillside overlooking the city. The following day he had taken as holiday and he took me on a guided tour of the old city and the castle. We also went into the amazing old market area, a place which sells the most beautiful fruit and vegetable and spices and herbs and almost anything else that one could possibly want. Note the stills for making home made brandy!  I felt as if I had known Goran and his friends for years and yet it was still less than 48hours. We ended up about mid afternoon in the modern centre at a cafe which is almost opposite the memorial building and statue of Mother Theresa who was a  Macedonian nun! ( well I bet less than 5 % of you knew that) (Just a thought, (bearing in mind what I have seen happen from the cabinets in the Cathedral at Kotor, )while she is waiting to see if she is granted a Sainthood.....do you suppose that they have kept her limbs and other bits ready to encase in gold as reliquaries around the world?  If so how many legs and arms do you reckon there may be?...I am sure she would prefer the money to go to the people she worked for rather than into the coffers of the Church.) Soon after we arrived, Dean also turned up to say goodbye. He works as the manager of a local radio station in Skopje and popped out "for a business meeting"!

Domestic size or kitchen size sir?

Mother Theresa statue. (Unfortunately,
 it does look slightly as if she is sitting on the loo,
 but you will notice her foot behind her, so I think
she is only genuflecting)

Dean and Goran "ride off into the sunset"

Yes, Skopje had a lot to see and is a pretty nice modern city although it feels like most others and there is little in particular that stands out. If there is one thing at all that I shall remember about Macedonia it is not the beauty of Ochrid, or the fascination of the old empires at Bitola or Stobi, and not the old Ottoman areas of Skopje; it is the remarkable warmth of its' people, especially these six. I know that, God willing, we shall meet again and hopefully ride together.

It was with a big lump in my throat that I left them all and said goodbye to Goran and Oliver who also came to see me off the following morning.   I set off for the Macedonia/Bulgaria border.

Monastaery at Kriva Palanka

The porch of the church at Kriva Palanka

As I approached the border town of Kriva Palanka, it was getting very cloudy and an ominous black cloud covered the mountains. I had hardly noticed it and hoped that I could make the last few miles without getting wet. Luck was not with me however and I rode into a curtain of torrential rain, from dry to soaking wet within a 3 minute period. I was absolutely drenched through but could not be bothered to stop at that stage and it was warm so I simply rode on. Water poured across the roads making riding dangerous and I stopped for half an hour inthe shelter of a service station on the outskirts of the town. I was heading for a famous monastery here which had a tradition of hosting travellers. It was some 3 miles up a mountain road to the south of the town. I climbed through a couple of tight hairpins on a narrow road and then crossed a small bridge over the steep gorge to the monastery. What a beautiful place! No longer an active Monastery, it has specialised in its role as a harbour to travellers, and although there was no room in the smart parts, the senior brother there offered me a dormitory bed which I actually had to myself for the night.(NOT THE BED.....the room!) My washing facility was in their laundry which had a hand basin

My dormitory

Onward, upward and eastward to Bulgaria

 between two washing machines and also had a shower and toilet, a bit public for my tastes, but nevertheless accepted as I was pretty fed up by the time I arrived. Sadly I left the lovely shaving brush that Ann had given me on the top of the loo, but otherwise, it was clean and comfortable if somewhat basic! The charge was just 10Euros! It continued to rain for some hours and also to thunder which, rolling around the gorge, was quite atmospheric. The following morning I left for the border and passed into Bulgaria.


Best wishes, Doc.

P.S.  Posting pictures is still a nightmare...it takes an hour to write the text and about 3 to load the pictures.  Eventually, when loaded, it is very hard to move them into the place you want and then the  text doesn't always wrap properly. Being a Google facility you would think they would have made it idiot proof by now, but we idiots will just have to struggle on and I hope that the slight displacement of photos doesn't spoil the overall read.  Doc .