Skjope 🇲🇰. 14kms 🚶‍♀️

The show must go on 😂

Electrical storms across the Balkans means that there were a series of rolling delays to aircraft arriving into many European destinations.  My 11pm departure ended up departing Cologne around 4.30am as the sun was rising, arriving into Skjope just before 7am. I managed an hour or so sleep on the flight.  Was feeling weary but exiting the airport and seeing the mountains recharged the batteries 😂. My hostel owners collected me from the airport and I had a shower and went out to get a typical Macedonian brekky.  

A delicious spinach Borek with a salted drinking yoghurt which aids digestion of the slightly greasy food.  It hit the spot! 

I had booked a free walking tour and met my very enthusiastic and knowledgeable guide and group from around the world. 

Skjope is an interesting city with 22 centuries of occupation from a variety of nations and Government styles.  They achieved independence in 1991 and have been rebuilding their nation, identity and infrastructure.  A serious earthquake damaged a huge portion of the city in 1963 and left 200,000 homeless and so many buildings were rebuilt in the late 60’s and then a huge resurgence since the 1990’s.

They have a recent passion for incredibly large statues and monuments, replica buildings from other cities in Europe and the grand scale additions to bridges, fountains and buildings are impressive.  Alexander the Great statue is the tallest and most impressive from my viewpoint.

Our walking tour passed over bridges, to monuments, through the bazaar and finished at the base of the fortress. My guide has been doing it for 9 yrs and the leader of the stray dog pack has a relationship with him now and literally calls the other dogs to join the tour.  So we were escorted by the stray dog pack for 3hrs!

I wandered up the hill to the fortress that is free to enter and not maintained but ¾ of the wall is intact and can be walked 😊. Got caught in a storm that I could see coming and enjoyed getting pretty wet on a hot day. 

Then to the bazaar for a traditional white bean paprika dish with bread.  Then to the fruit and vege markets for some fresh tomatoes, cherries and bananas.

By now I was flagging and so back to the hostel for a lie down for an hour then an hour chat with one of my room mates a late 40’s Chinese Electrical engineer who had quit her job to travel for 100 days. 

Once the storm had finished I walked to the restaurant district and to a place recommended by the hostel for an incredible meal. 

North Macedonia, I'm impressed so far!