Macedonia, Skopje – Македонија, Скопје

Hello everyone! Здраво!

Today I am going to write something about my journey to Macedonia. My family and I went there from August 25 until September 1, 2014 to visit the family of my sister’s boyfriend. They are living in a very lovely house in the capital city – Skopje. Actually, this trip really made my summer because the weather there was perfect: sunny and hot. In comparison, the weather at home was really bad. It was raining all the time and it was already something special when there were three days in a row without rain. Fortunately it was not too hot because normally the summers in Macedonia are. As a general rule it has over 40 degrees outside, so the people there have to stay inside all day not going out until the evening when it gets cooler. The most Macedonian I was asking how they are feeling about the hot summers said that they prefer fall. Compared to Austria’s temperature it is like our summer. To return to the start: my sister her boyfriend and I were going by bus to save money. The trip lasted about 15 hours and was very exhausting. On the other hand our conversations were very interesting and it was exciting to watch the landscape drive by and to follow how the surrounding gradually changed in nature and the buildings in architectural style. All in all, we had to pass three countries to come to our destination: Slovenia, Croatia and Serbia. As we arrived in Macedonia, they welcomed us very nicely with something delicious to eat (very good spiced and special meals through all week - paradise!) and a nice place to sleep. The picturesque city appealed to me at the very first sight and also my family loved it. 

At the evening we were making a short sightseeing tour through the city. At first we went through the new part of the city and visited the main square. Frankly, this part of the city was not the prettiest for me because it was too kitschy. There had been a building project called “Skopje 2014” which was aiming for more sights and sculptures in a classical style with the goal to make the city prettier and attract more tourists. I think it would be better if they would have spent all the money in something which is helping the local population more, for example education. Also all members of my family (which were tourists – that means: the target group) said it was too much. Additionally, everybody I have met in the city and asking about their opinion did not like the new changes and said that this part of the city was looking better before. After a while we came to the old parts of the city, which I liked more, with tighter streets and all the shops and pubs very close together. We also ate “Ćevapčići” there and drank beer. To sum this part of the text up: it was astonishing how huge the difference between the new and the old area was.

The next day we drove off to Ohrid to the campsite right next to one of the oldest and deepest lakes of Europe: the Lake Ohrid (Охридско Езеро). It is so wide that it nearly looks like the sea. We camped two days at this place having fun, swimming in the lake, eating a lot, laughing, playing cards ... it really felt like summer. As well as that we made a short journey to the Monastery of Saint Naum (Манастир „Свети Наум“) which was surrounded by a beautiful park, a lot of little shops and market stables. Lying next to the lake (the same as mentioned above) the view was amazing. 

Back in Skopje we visited the Matka Canyon. This experience was very special because the view was breathtaking and exhilarating. We floated with the boat between the mountains until we came to a cave which was a surprise for us because our hosts did not mention it before. I think that was very sweet and the cave was amazing. Coming there it was a lot cooler than outside.

At the evening some of us went out again. We visited a very nice pub in the second floor with a terrace. Sitting there, it felt like a very cool summer house party because everything was so cosy and the people were friendly and easy-going. The next days were funny and exciting as well, and I could write on and on but that would be definitely too much to read for you. Altogether, Macedonia is a very beautiful country and you would miss something if you never go there. 

Have a nice day! - J