Macedonia

*Church of St. John at Kaneo in Lake Ohrid*

Macedonia was another fabulous Balkan adventure. The first thing we learned was that the Macedonians in large part resent the addition of the “North” to their country name and prefer to refer to their nationality as Macedonian. In a current bid for EU membership, they are playing a careful political game. When EU member Greece demanded that they change their country’s name to North Macedonia because of the ancient Greek kingdom of Macedon and the fact that Greeks commonly refer to themselves as Macedonians, the Macedonian government complied but the people of the country are a little indignant. Much as they desire to be part of the EU, they are also a proud independent nation with their own identity. As they continue to seek EU membership, Bulgaria has now stepped up with another dispute - claiming that the Macedonian language is actually Bulgarian and that the country should acknowledge this. Complicated politics with a small country trying to find its best way. . .

We enjoyed learning the fascinating history of another Balkan nation with so much both in common with and separate from the other former Yugoslavian republics. Most of the country is Orthodox by religion and they use a cyrillic language, however a third of the population is Muslim and the country feels less religiously polarized than some of its neighbors.

Alexander the Great was a key figure in Macedonian history, ruling for thirteen years in the 4th century BC, conquering much of Persia and India and bringing an openness to other religions and cultures. HIs identity as a leader also provides background for the Greece/Macedonia naming dispute. Known as a great King of Macedonia, he is claimed by both nations, due to changing borders and identitites.

*Our one week Macedonia route, working our way from south to north*

Highlights:

Ohrid - immense lake bordered by enchanting town with ancient churches, cobbled streets and fascinating architecture

Heraclea Lyncestis - Roman ruins with beautiful mosaics in the town of Bitola

Mavrovo National Park - hiking in Radika Canyon

Our first stop was the starkly beautiful Galičica National Park. We hit the trails, steep with rewarding views.

*Hiking in Galičica National Park - Lipova Magaro trail, scenic 4.5 mile lollipop, highly recommended for a taste of the park and views!*

*Appreciating the fall colors in the trees*

Then on to Lake Ohrid, usually a summer resort destination, we arrived in fall and were pleased to encounter a sleepy town, fun to explore and with interesting architechture.

We had a great “aha” moment as we navigated Lake Ohrid. Having been recented booted in Bosnia for parking in the wrong place, we realized that the Park4Night app we always use for overnight camping was also a great resource for day parking. Lake Ohrid was incredibly difficult to park in, Andy dropped Dawn at a supermarket and spent the next 30 minutes moving around town at the behest of parking guards before he returned to pick her up. So, we checked the app and found a recommendation of a great free site for campers a short walk from town - score!

*Homes built along the cliff along the water, narrow walkways and great views*

*Architecture in the old town of Lake Ohrid*

*Love the aesthetic with the flower pots and hanging plants*

*And then it started to rain as it does in the fall and we indulged in another Balkan favorite pastime - the cafe/bar. Two hours of free wifi at the cost of $2 for coffee and tea.*

*Found a lovely spot on top of a hill at the end of the day and settled in for the night.*

*Andy’s face after dark when we realized that the church we were parked close to was going to ring its bells loudly every hour. All night long.*

Our next stop was Heraclea Lyncestis, a site of Roman ruins of an important trading stop outside of Bitola. The mosaics were the most impressive we had seen, intricate and beautiful.

*Heraclea Lyncestis, ruins of an ancient Roman town*

*Just taking in the art and the history*

Another aside for life on the road. Keeping fit is a challenge. After decades of going to the gym, living in a camper presents its challenges. Dawn carried a yoga mat for a year then finally sent it back home, never having used it. We definitely could do better with body weight strength conditioning but somehow at the end of a busy travelling day don’t feel like doing push ups or burpees. But we do walk. We are committed to walking at least 10,000 steps a day (we know this is actually a fake marketing concept made up by a Japanese company, but it still works for us as a goal). The best scenario is that we find a great hike somewhere, but sometimes it is just a series of half hour stops.

*Oh no, late afternoon, visited Roman ruins but many steps to do*

*So we headed into the town of Bitola to wander around*

*Wandered the pedestrian streets and small old town*

*Then found a great remote spot tucked up behind Heraclea Lyncestis*

Next we made our way to Mavrovo National Park. A stunning and varied place, driving the narrow canyon roads provided endless scenery.

*In the town of Mavrovo, the iconic ski fence found in mountain towns all over the world*

*The “sunken” church of Mavrovo, not underwater when we were there*

*Which meant we were able to wander inside and check it out*

*Steep canyon walls in Mavrovo National Park*

*Finding some back roads, appreciating the fall colors. When great leaves fall, the winter is at hand.*

*Swapping out the standard day pack gear - the cold is here to stay.*

*Stopped to wander the steep lanes of the small village of Janche*

*Able to examine the traditional architecture up close*

Throughout the Balkans, we noticed that roadside stops and many of the more accessible camping areas had a litter problem. Everything from plastic bags of refuse to water bottles to old food. We have no idea if this is attributed to travellers or locals, but we are guessing a combination of both. On the upside, there seems to be a strong push to work on the issue. It seemed that we were never more than 5 minutes from a strategically placed roadside dumpster that you could literally drive up to and empty your rubbish into.

*Roadside dumpster, dropping off our evening garbage*

*More rain - so another cafe/bar. One of the coolest parts of the Balkans, always welcoming, excellent coffee and access to internet.*

*Another common Balkan benefit - free roadside wells to refill the tank*

Our last stop in Macedonia was Skopje. The city felt clean, bright, and alive. It was filled with enormous statues and monuments that felt surprisingly new. The newness conflicted with knowing that 80% of the city had been destroyed in a 1963 earthquake. We signed up for our standard free walking tour and learned about the Skopje 2014 project. A government project launched in 2010 to revitalize the city and create an architectural connection to the country’s history, it has created some controversy. At a staggering cost of $700 million, some residents question the investment. On the other hand, as our guide said “it weirdly works.” He was referencing the fact that the attractive squares and open areas downtown were attracting families and young people back into the city center.

*Porta Macedonia completed in 2012, representing the struggle for and eventual triumph in seeking independence for Macedonia*

*Giant statue of Alexander the Great on his horse*

*Reconstructed facades on government buildings and museums to appear historic*

*Group of happy marchers, we think they were supporting a futbol team but since we couldn’t understand what they were saying have no idea*

*Beautiful Orthodox church under construction*

*Bridge connecting new town to old bazaar neighborhood*

*Beautiful statues all along the main river*

*Wandering the bazaar streets at night -second largest Ottoman bazaar in Europe after Istanbul*

*People shopping and eating, the small streets were lively*

Another intriguing week in the Balkans. We left Macedonia with a deeper appreciation for the people and culture. Onwards to the next adventure! Thank you for reading.

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