Macedonia

It takes nearly 4 hours by taxi from Sofia, Bulgaria to Skopje, the capital of Macedonia. We enter this little-known country with a population of 2 million which achieved independence from the former Yugoslavia in 1991 without bloodshed unlike Croatia and Bosnia. It does not take much research, however, to realize that it has not been easy here. With  the current unemployment at 30%, the economy has stalled ever since independence. Macedonians have mixed feelings about many of its neighbors, to put it mildly: Bulgarians some of whom feel Macedonia should be part of their country as it was at times throughout history, Turks whose Ottoman ancestors were occupiers here for 500 years, Albanians who comprise a 20% minority within Macedonia many of whom flooded the country as refugees of the Kosovo war in 1999, and last but not least Greeks who has vetoed Macedonia's entry into NATO on a name issue which is only the latest manifestation of historical identity disputes.

We walk out to the central area in Skopje and are greeted by monuments honoring an unlikely pair of well-known figures Macedonia claims, not without controversy, as their own. First is a giant statue that dominates the square over a music fountain. Its official name is "Warrior on a Horse," but who are we kidding? Shall we just say it bears a striking resemblance to Alexander the Great? I am not sure if this was enough to pacify the Greeks who don't want Macedonia to own the lineage of the ruler of the ancient kingdom of, well, Macedonia.

Skopje: Dominating the central square is the statue of, let's just say (in order to appease the Greek government), a man with canny resemblance to Alexander the Great.

The second is a modest but welcoming museum honoring Mother Teresa, who was born in Skopje and left for India at age 18 (and the rest is history.) Her parents were ethnic Albanians, hence the understanding that the world has that she is Albanian. But she never lived in Albania and this is the neighborhood where she was born and bred.

Skopje: Mother Teresa Museum, built on the site of the church she attended growing up. She was born just steps from here. The museum contains her handwritten letters among other things.

The Square leads to Stone Bridge over the historically important Vardar River, which roughly divides the northern Muslim section from the southern Christian one. This bridge is the historic landmark of Skopje, whose name derives from the ancient Roman settlement of Skupe. From the Stone Bridge, you have a 360-degree view of the architectural elements representing the various influences throughout history. Many of the monuments and buildings have been built and rebuilt in the last decade and from this alone you would feel that there is dynamism of a young nation struggling to establish its identity.

Skopje: a view from Stone Bridge showing the new Archaeological Museum soon to be open

Skopje: A daylight view showing a statue of the Roman Emperor Justinian, born not far from here, and the Stone Bridge on the right.

Skopje: A statue of King Phillip II of Ancient Macedonia over a music fountain with his young son below (future Alexander the Great). A domed Turkish bathhouse (hamam) is seen in the background, located in the Turkish quarter.

Skopje: Turkish Quarter

Skopje: Shopping in Turkish Quarter for antique woman’s belt buckles, different versions of which are apparently found throughout Southern Balkan. Ethnographic Museum has a nice collection of traditional costumes.

We have a bit peculiar situation where, in addition to the Macedonian guide for the day to show us around, we are joined by the Albanian driver and guide who will take us to Albania after we are done in Macedonia. When the conversation inevitably leads to the regional history here, while remaining politically correct,  they all agree good-naturedly that in the Balkans everyone takes credit for anything good that has happened in their history but blames everyone else for anything bad. And perhaps more importantly they state in agreement that left alone they would have gotten along just fine but it was the superpowers that ultimately brought strife.

Next stop, a few hours' drive away, is what the Bradt guide describes as the jewel of the Macedonian crown - Ohrid. And that would be a completely justified description. Nestled on the shores of a lake of the same name,  which is almost like the sea to this landlocked nation, Ohrid has the feel of a laid-back resort with hills and cobbled stone streets lined with houses and restaurants adorned with flowers. It is welcoming to the visitors without being touristy.

Lake Ohrid: a tectonic lake, often compared to the likes of Titicaca and Tanganyika. See how this country's name is spelled on the ship.

Ohrid, town and lake: although it may not be as sophisticated as some of the Italian coastal cities or Greek islands, it is quite attractive while not overly touristy. 

Ohrid: a papermaker who also has a copy of the Gutenberg printing press, which he stated is only one of the two in the former Yugoslav Republics. I am thinking to myself, “Hmm, we saw one at Bled Castle in Slovenia, also. How many of these are out there?” He goes on, as if he read my mind, “the other one is in Lake Bled.” Trust in humanity restored.



Ohrid

And Ohrid is also a treasure trove of historically important (and attractive) churches as well as archeological artifacts spanning many periods, dating back to Illyrians and Romans, reflecting its rich history.



Ohrid: our local guide grew up across the road from here. Any modification of houses in Ohrid Old Town,  a UNESCO heritage site, requires permission,  as historical artifacts may turn up anywhere. Her mother still thinks life was better under Yugoslavia, as independence in 1991 brought closure to a local texture factory, for example.



Ohrid; All over town, artifacts of all ages are discovered, including here within the ancient walls

Ohrid: first sighting of Church of St. John, the Theologian, Kaneo, in the southwestern corner of the Old Town

Ohrid: entrance to Church of St. John, Kaneo

Ohrid: More St. John Church

Ohrid: More St. John Church

Ohrid: More St. John Church

Ohrid: More St. John Church - I could be shooting from different angles all day and evening.

Ohrid: St John Church – this setting is becoming one of my favorite corners on earth

Ohrid: this has to be the world's most valuable picnic table - an ancient Roman artifact!

Ohrid: We hear dramatic dialogue, follow the sound, and stumble upon this performance in the courtyard of St. Sofia church. Did not understand a word but stayed for a while.



Ohrid: “Macedonian salad,” with a view of St. Sofia

It is time to cross the border into Albania, but not before a short stop at the large and historically important monastery started in the early 10th century by St. Naum, one of the two important saints from this area (along with St. Clement).

St Naum Monastery: peacocks roaming the grounds

St Naum Monastery: the sprawling complex has nearly turned into a non-descript resort

Leaving Ohrid, Macedonia: wildflowers don't respect the national boundaries

Bulgaria 2: Rila and Sofia

A four-hour drive from Plovdiv takes us to Rila, the site of the largest Orthodox church and monastery in Bulgaria, which is on the UNESCO World Heritage list.

As we climb into the Rila mountains, the riotous display of red poppies continues.

 

Rila: Every house in this town has the vine growing in front.

 

 A major decision faces us: to eat before or after we see the monastery? The drive is taking longer than planned, partly because our guide is a very careful driver but also because there are cameras installed to catch speeding cars, an EU mandate. We realize we are on vacation and choose to eat first.

Rila: excellent and inexpensive lunch by the river, including Bulgarian Burek (left upper) and a claypot (not shown) 

Lila Monastery



Lila Monastery

Lila Monastery

 

It is finally a two-hour drive to the capital.

This eye-catching statue of St. Sofia is located, well... in Sofia.

Our hotel is close to the pedestrian district and we walk to a most interesting restaurant for dinner. The 30-page menu is supposed to consist of recipes from different monasteries. It even has a before- and after-dinner prayer with an obvious attempt at black humor.

Sofia: Street musicians in the pedestrian district - kind of generic

Sofia: On Page 20 of the menu at this restaurant, mysterious descriptions of rabbit dishes are found.



Sofia: Nothing mysterious about this salad, where all 14 ingredients are there to see.




Blueberry beef, "green" stew, and that crazy rabbit dish with an expired shooting license. And rakia (a national drink).  We went with server's recommendations after being totally overwhelmed by the encyclopedic menu.

 

Now equal coverage to breakfast.



Some claim Bulgarians invented the yogurt ("Check the name of the Lactobacillus!") There are only a few kinds of cheese (maybe only two) in Bulgaria, but they seem to pop up at every meal and are virtually in every dish.

According to our guide, the best place for picking up silver ornaments for souvenir is the Museum Shop at National Art gallery. As odd as it may sound, we have trusted him so far on everything, and we are not going to change now.



Sofia: Traditional costume on display at the National Art Gallery shop

Boyana Church houses important 13th century frescos which are some of the earliest to depict individual faces and have earned the church a spot on the UNESCO World Heritage list. At nearby National Museum of History, Thracian gold treasures from a few hundred years BC are in display, along with artifacts from even older settlements. 



 Sofia: inside Boyana Church, the middle section has 13th century murals of great historic value.

Sofia: National History Museum is in an impressive building.



National History Museum: Thracian Gold

We visit a home where a lady has prepared traditional Bulgarian lunch for us. As the owner of what could pass as a typical middle-class American house, one would think she is doing reasonably well, but to the contrary. She can barely pay utilities on her meager pension and is worried that her grandson's unemployment may continue. She states bluntly that life under the Communist rule was better. "Now we even have to pay for a doctor's visit!" Our guide chimes in and declares he is not optimistic about the country's future because of lack of a vibrant young workforce, a result of "brain drain" and the low birth rate.

 

Home-hosted lunch in Sofia: there was a lot more food after this interesting and delicious bread. Large portions seem to be the operating principle in Bulgaria. The host is nostalgic about the Communist days.

 

 

 

In front of Alexander Nevsky Church: a school "prom" - class unknown, reasons for picking this site, unknown. I am sure these youths would not go back to the Communist era, or come to think of it, they have no such knowledge.

 

At a Sofia party: these people are good at making extremely loud noise with simple instruments.

 

Sofia: Aleksandar Nevsky Cathedral: Just around the corner from the chaos

 

There is something symmetrical about starting and ending our Romania/Bulgaria tour in respective capitals. Part of the enjoyment has been the knowledge and intellect of our fantastic guides in both countries. Since I started with a dance photo in Romania, it is fitting that I end with a dance photo in Bulgaria.




Sofia: Bulgarian folk dance

Bulgaria 1: Ruse to Plovdiv

The border crossing from Romania to Bulgaria goes smooth - we don't even get out of the car. Our Bulgarian guide, who was waiting for us on the Romanian side for the handover, states that since both countries joined EU,  the process has become much easier. I see a long line of trucks on the other side though, who will probably take hours to cross, reminiscent of our worst border crossing yet, between Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan.

The Danube River forms a natural boundary between Bulgaria and Romania for much of their border before it heads northeast to the Romanian delta and drains into Black Sea. The water level is currently high from recent rains, which has caused major flooding in a few Balkan countries.

The Romanian-Bulgarian border is at the midpoint of this long bridge over the Danube River.

We are soon in Ruse, an easy-going town with plenty of architecture where we stay overnight. We stroll in the pedestrian district until we run into a  parade. Our guide initially thought it was a political rally on the eve of EU Parliament elections, but it turns out that it is the rowdy students who are celebrating graduation.






The following morning, we drive to the Roman ruins at Necropolis-ad-Istrum, and on the way we are greeted by an explosion of wildflowers.

Red poppy, Thistle, and Rape

Red poppy and Rape

Camomile and Red Poppy on the small road to Nekopolis-ad-Istrum.

 

 

Roman ruins at Nicopolis, much of which wait to be excavated

We had planned to stop briefly next in Velico Tarnovo, an old capital and college town, but all the roads are blocked  in celebration of a national holiday honoring the Cyrillic alphabet. We drive on since we have a long day ahead. 

 

Stork sighting on the way to Velico Tarnovo

Rape field past Velico Tarnovo

At Kazanlak is the Valley of Roses, where 60% of the world's supply of rose oil is produced. We are a couple of weeks ahead of this year's annual Rose Festival when 3000 Japanese reportedly descend upon the valley, but we do make the other major attraction in the area, the Thracian Tomb. It houses fantastic murals from the 4th century BC in the small dome of a burial chamber worthy of its UNESCO World Heritage status. I am ready to pay the pretty exorbitant extra charge that lets you into the original chamber, but alas even that practice has recently ceased, so we settle for an exact replica nearby.

Kazanlak Rose Valley: roses aren't quite ready for petal-picking for rose oil

 

A Thracian tomb with 4th century BC murals

The old town in Plovdiv is lovely and belies the fact it is within the second largest city in Bulgaria. We walk up the steep cobblestone streets with a purpose - to get to the Roman Amphitheater before it closes at 5PM. We have seen plenty of Roman ruins in a number of countries, but this one seems special: Made of marble and commands a good view of the city, it is still used for live performances. After an atmospheric visit to Old Town, we settle into a hotel where we wait for the high-decibel graduation celebration to subside before retiring.

 

 

Plovdiv: Students celebrating graduation flood the Old Town

Plovdiv: Student in a photo shoot

 

Plovdiv: Photo shoots all over town

Plovdiv: A well-preserved Roman amphitheater made of marble

 

Plovdiv: This atmospheric popular restaurant is closed for a private graduation celebration. It has a room previously used by whirling dervishes.

 

 

So we settle for an outdoor table with a close view of the Roman Amphitheater. Not too shabby. The Shopska Salad is essentially the Bulgarian national dish.

 

Plovdiv: Roman Stadium, a Turkish mosque, and a collection of other buildings on one Square



  

Plovdiv: The long-lasting Ottoman occupation left an indelible mark on many levels - baklava and other delights