North Macedonia travel blog
A brush with fame in Mavrovo, North Macedonia I’ve always fancied having a crack at cross-country skiing. I figured it would be a great way to get out and about in the snow, away from the noise and crowds on the downhill slopes. I was in Macedonia in the middle of winter, and Mavrovo ski resort was less than two hours’ drive from Skopje, so I reckoned it was as good a place as any to start my cross-country career….
Out and About Around Skopje, Part II I woke up grumpy. That irritated, stressed, annoyed grumpiness that manifests in sudden outbursts of anger and swearing. Where everything seems to go wrong and everything is against you. After an irritating breakfast, a stressful time packing my bag, and an annoying walk down the stairs and out to the car, I headed off towards Matka Canyon. The traffic shit me. The navigation map pissed me off. Oh it was going to be…
Out and About Around Skopje, Part I Although North Macedonia’s capital Skopje has a population of over 600,000, you can still find some peace and quiet close to the city. Two natural attractions are right on the doorstep: Mount Vodno and Matka Canyon. And if you choose to visit them in the middle of winter, you pretty much get them to yourself. I did, and I did. The 1066 metre high snow-covered Mount Vodno lies to the south-west of Skopje,…
You don’t have to spend much time in downtown Skopje to notice the city has a lot of statues. And when I sat a lot, I mean heaps. Literally hundreds. Whoever was in charge of Skopje’s Statue Departent clearly took the ‘more is more’ approach to their portfolio. I’m not sure how many statues stood in the city prior to the Skopje 2014 project (so named because it began in 2010) which saw the installation of a further 34 monuments…
I’ve always liked getting my head in the trough, and discovering new cuisine has been one of the joys of my Odyssey. Having said that, I must admit that when I front up in a new country and don’t speak the language (i.e. everywhere I go), trying out the local food can be confusing and intimidating. However, when I reached Skopje in North Macedonia I was in good hands, with my friend, local resident and foodie Ljubica (Lyoo-bits-ah) there to…
When I checked in to my apartment in the North Macedonian capital of Skopje, the landlord mentioned that the following day was a public holiday. He explained that a ceremony, involving hardy souls plunging into the freezing Vardar River, would be taking place in the city, and that it’s something I might like to have a look at. He was right. Later that day I did a little research as to why the aforementioned hardy Skopjens would choose to dive…