Macedonia: Skopje

I spent two days in Skopje at the end of my trip in the Balkans. We started the day with a walking tour of the downtown area. We walked along the main boulevard passing by several statues that decorated the main pedestrian walkway. We viewed the old railway station that was in disrepair after a large earthquake at the latter part of the last century.

Our first stop was at the museum to Mother Teresa who was born here in Skopje. The museum was well done with several old pictures, letters, and belongings of the Saint, including her habit and rosary. There was a small chapel built at the top of the museum that was all about love, acceptance, and mercy.

We then continued on to the main square, where a statue of Alexander the Great stood, surrounded by a large fountain. Every couple if hours, classical music would play, and the fountain would "dance" to the music, shooting jets to the music.

We continued on to the Old Stone bridge, which crosses the little river that bisects the town. We crossed the bridge into the old Turkish Quarter that was dominated by a bazaar and old shops along both sides of the main pedestrian thoroughfare.

We visited a old monastery that was located about 30 minutes outside of town, and then returned to town for a leisurely lunch. The rest of the afternoon was free, and I walked along the streets, enjoying some quality people-watching.

Our group's farewell dinner took place at an old caravanserai, which was built in 1492. We had an amazing meal and were treated to some local music. One of the musicians was a 21 year old violin prodigy, who was so extremely talented.

After dinner we said our goodbyes and then turned in for the night.

I stayed an extra day in Skopje after the tour to decompress and prepare myself for the long trip home (I fly from
Macedonia to Slovenia to France to Atlanta and then finally to Shreveport). I spent the day wandering around town. I had an excellent lunch in the main square watching the fountain and the people, did some last minute shopping, and then returned to the hotel to pack everything up. I have to leave the hotel at 2:30am for my 4:45am flight, so I called it an early night.

This has been an amazing trip. It was called the Crossroads of Cultures, which was an aptly named tour. I will leave with fond memories of new friends and the warmth and openness in which we were welcomed by the people of the Balkans.