This is the eighth in series of posts. Previous post is HERE.
Did you know that there used to only be “Macedonia?” Neither did I. Technically, it is The Republic of Macedonia. Like the other Balkan countries, the geography has been carved up depending upon who is in charge. I’ll spare you the history lessons.
Why come here? People we know well who know the Balkans well speak very highly of this country. I can tell you for a fact that I thought Bulgaria and Romania were quite affordable to visit. NM is really inexpensive. I don’t care for the term “cheap,” but I’d use it when I can get a 90-minute deep tissue massage for $64. And not at some questionable place either.
The Marriott in the capital city of Skopje is the highest rated hotel in the city. Overnight hotel parking? $15. Shouldn’t that be the cost everywhere?! I keep using the currency converter just to be certain and sure enough, it’s very inexpensive here. With just under 2 million in the entire country, it is the smallest by population of the countries we visited on this trip. Below, we’re at that point where the hubby finds the incessant food photos tiresome. Or he’s just resigned to it. But aren’t those ice cream containers the cutest??
The drive from our last stop in Sofia, Bulgaria, was roughly 3-1/2 hours. A restauranteur in Sofia shared with us that once one ventures out from that capital city, the rest of the country is quite primitive. Having now seen it, I agree. But the scenery is beautiful regardless.
Crossing the border from Bulgaria to North Macedonia was a bit funny. The agent kept asking to see our “green card.” What? We’re not going to work in NM — we’re just visitors! Then we finally remembered that part of the car rental agreement included a “Power of Attorney” that is an actual green card. They verified we hadn’t stolen the car, stamped our passports, and let us proceed.
The infamous green card below!
Everyone who speaks about this country recommends seeing Lake Ohrid, a jewel in the proverbial crown. Ideally, however, a visit would be for more than a lunch. Even better, staying for a few days to experience the beautiful surroundings. Alas, ours was a short stay but enjoyable nonetheless.
On the way back to Skopje, a thought occurred to me. What the hell are a couple of 70-year-old’s doing driving a windy mountain road in a not-too-populated region? This is the type of question that stops many others from doing a trip like this. Even considering that this is the 31st foreign country in which I have driven (thus I am pretty confident), it is still something to ponder. And then when the “monsoon” started (see BELOW) — I mean, zero visibility from immense rain that turned into hail — well, one must wonder.
But here we are, safely back in the hotel, none the worse for wear. We came, we saw, we survived! I will admit it was lovely having our guide Daniel take over the driving in Romania. And I am not opposed to opting for that scenario again.
It is said that one decision might lead to unexpected experiences while obviously not knowing the outcome at the time. That was exactly the case upon deciding (with some expert advice) to skip Kosovo, although it is just an hour north of Skopje. Instead, we used the time to see the capital city. Below, the statue of Macedonia’s monumental leader, Alexander the Great, is prominently displayed in the city center. Our hotel is just to the right.
The first stop once over the well-known “stone bridge” was at the Holocaust Fund of the Jews of Macedonia. This is a very impressive spot to learn and see the horrors that essentially wiped out the entire Jewish population in the country. Prior to the war, there were nearly 12,000 Jews in the geographic area of today’s North Macedonia. Today that number is in the low hundreds. Many of the Jews who survived the war emigrated to the newly formed State of Israel; thus the number has remained low. 
Above, the “stone bridge” over the Vardan River; below, the Holocaust Museum.
We asked to speak to the person in charge and were told no one was available. However when the hubby shared that he served on the US Holocaust Memorial Museum board, that got attention. We were soon in the presence of Maja Nanou (BELOW) who gratiously met us. After touring this impressive building, she called her colleague at the Jewish Community in the Republic of Macedonia/Beth Yaakov Synagogue, our next stop.
Aleksandra Subotic shared with us how the multi-purpose facility is used for holiday observances and even has a Kosher kitchen. And this information from the website Conference of European Rabbis:
The Beth Yaakov Synagogue in Skopje is the only functioning Jewish house of worship in the country. It was consecrated in the building of the Jewish Community in 2000 with the assistance of the Macedonian government, the JOINT, and the Jewish community of Pasadena, California. The country’s Macedonian-born chief rabbi resides in Israel but travels to Skopje to officiate on Jewish holy days. Macedonian Jews maintain close contacts with the Jewish communities of Belgrade and Salonika.
Aleksandra (seen ABOVE) has an amazing story of her grandfather coming from Eastern Europe as a young teenager. He survived the war by being a Yiddish translator while never admitting to anyone he was a Jew. After the war, he married a Macedonian woman, had children and a successful career.
While on a business trip, he happened to engage a journalist with whom he shared he had no idea the fate of any family members after he left Eastern Europe and whether anyone survived the war. He was shocked to find out there were people in Israel who could help. They found a cousin living in California and they spoke by phone, at which time he discovered he actually had some surviving relatives. A relationship was created that thrives to this day. What a magnificent story.
As I alluded to above, the decision to skip Kosovo led to these two extraordinary connections. Who knew??
Our last dinner in Skoje was at the Hotel Panoramika, named for the outstanding and sweeping views (BELOW).
Dinner at Panoramika: Tuna tartare, Arugula & Parmesan Salad; Lemon Sorbet; sharing the veal chop with chips (fries)
During our (delicious) dinner, a man seated next to us (with his family) introduced himself. He is a native Macedonian who has lived in Chicago for over half his life, and has a successful career there owning two high-end hair salons.
We talked about the vast difference in the ways of life, the business community there versus his native home (he returns three times annually), and many other subjects. And then he excused himself to go to the lobby to handle his payroll — electronically and half a world away. One cannot make these things up.
And then, we departed the Balkans. We flew to Vienna where the hubby and I parted ways – he to begin the journey home and I to go on to Italy for a week of cooking. The trip highs & lows covered in the next post, plus my week in Tuscany to be covered in depth!
“Parting is such sweet sorrow” … depending upon where one is headed next, of course.
One Response
My husband has relatives in Skopje and I’ve never been there. Luckily our son visited the family located there and took along another Macedonian friend who also wanted to visit his roots. So glad they two of them made the trek from their overseas study term in Milan. From your photos, it seems I might be missing out.