North Macedonia

Skopje, North Macedonia

My short one hour flight from Belgrade, Serbia to Skopje, North Macedonia with Air Serbia was very pleasant and we were issued with a snack of a bottle of water and a pack of biscuits. There were not many passengers, and we were flown on a small, propellor plane ATR 72 - 200. The air hostess was very slim, glamorous and made up, like she had stepped out of the 60s. I made my way to Skopje centre and checked into the pirate ship lookalike - Hotel Senigallia. The fact that a fake boat based on a 17th century Danish sailing ship should be on this river between two low bridges didn’t make sense, but then again little makes sense here. I felt I was back on the Waverley!

The accommodation itself was actually very good - a large en-suite cabin / bedroom with (fake) antique furniture was very comfortable and had good air conditioning and Wi-Fi. I was given the warmest of welcomes by the friendly receptionist - ‘welcome aboard!’ she announced ‘it’s a pleasure to have you on the vessel’. There then followed a bizarre conversation: ‘you have a wart, John?’ she enquired. I said sorry, I don’t have a wart, and my name is not John. ‘But I am trying to save the ‘erbs and I need to know if you have wart, John?’ Glancing at her computer screen, I noticed she was studying a website about herbs eg thyme, basil etc. ‘Ah!’ I said, ‘Maybe you mean St John’s wort? Her face lit up ‘that’s what I say, you have wart, John in your country?’. I was very pleased with my knowledge of herbs, but declined her offer to join her herb society. ‘But we must save the ‘erbs’ she pleaded. I smiled in agreement and fled to the safety of my cabin.

That evening I enjoyed a walk round the nearby Ćaršica (Old Town) and ate in one of the many street cafés, dining on the standard fare of kebab-type sausages, bread, raw onions and peppers, with a highly recommended side dish of baked haricot beans in a tomato sauce. It’ll be windy in the old town tonight!

After a comfortable sleep on board, I joined another city walking tour and had a great guide - Mihar. Skopje is the strangest of capital city centres. It is surrounded by what looks like a grand set design for an ancient civilisation - huge neo-classical buildings, massive monuments featuring heroes, warriors and lions, and dozens of statues everywhere. It is all as a result of a project called Skopje 2014, when the Prime Minister lavished millions of this poor country’s resources in a massively corrupt programme. Our guide likened the change which had occurred in Skopje over the past 10 years to ‘Disneyland for adults’ or ‘Las Vegas on steroids’. Many of the buildings are fake and there is a slightly unreal feel to it all.

Our 4 hour walking tour included a lengthy refreshment break when we were plied with local beer and rakija (grape brandy). By the end of the tour we were all great friends! An interesting and very unusual capital city to visit.Read more