I
had to renew my passport before I could go anywhere, and so I had
planned 3 weeks of being in Malmö and Copenhagen prior to the trip. I
managed to get my passport 3 days before I flew. Talk about a great way
to break in my new passport, an exit stamp from Sweden!
One of the many specular buildings in downtown Skopje.
After
arriving in Skopje, my buddy Dule, picked me up from the airport and
took me into town. I had booked a hostel for the first two nights right
in downtown Skopje.
Gate Macedonia, right next to my Hostel!
Skopje
is a really interesting town, with quite a few really massive statues,
and some "old" looking buildings that are actually quite new. After
checking into the hostel I met a British guy to wander around with. We
headed out to go look at all of the monuments and buildings. I think I
can safely say that Skopje is the most unique town I have ever visited,
both in terms of the architecture and the monuments. Only one block
from a huge 25m statue, that looks suspiciously like Alexander the
Great, is the same style architecture that you find all around the
former eastern block.
Alexander the Great?
Up
the hill through the old bazaars you will come across a centuries old
church, and a castle. The castle was really nice to wander through, and
offered an amazing view of the city.
The castle in the center of town.
After
wandering around Skopje for the day and spending the next morning
chatting with the staff in the hostel, Dule came back to Skopje to pick
me up. We headed south to Bitola with a coffee stop in Prilep first.
On the drive down we went through the mountains passes, and enjoyed the
views. We enjoyed a couple more cups of coffee in town, and I tried a
delicious baked cheese dish at Dule's cousin's restaurant.
That
night was Dule's birthday, so he had a few friends over and afterwards
we went out to the bar. The night life in Bitola was fantastic, and the
drinks are really cheap (around 1 euro each) .
The lake front in Ohrid.
The
Saturday after was a recovery day, so we all headed to Ohrid, a town on
the edge of the lake. From here we enjoyed the fresh air and lovely
views. Dule and I made the walk up the hills to see the ancient
fortress as well as the amazing churches. From the top of the fortress
the view was fantastic.
A church on the edge of the lake.
I
was flying back Sunday, so me and Dule just stayed in Bitola. We
walked around and enjoyed the coffee and the town before making the
drive to the airport.
Fantastic
trip and I can't recommend Macedonia enough. Just if you go, make
sure you don't only stay in Skopje. There are too many other amazing
towns to visit.
Some more pictures from around Macedonia:
Some more pictures from around Macedonia:
Down by the lakeside in Ohrid
The castle in Skopje.
Me enjoying the Castle.
The Mother Teresa Memorial.
Yet another huge monument in Skopje.
