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Macedonia: Vacation time, Day 5: Exploring Skopje City Centre

Time for annual leave has come and with Nada we decided to have a motorbike trip, starting in Slovenia and ending on Crete in Greece. On our way we decided to spend some time with our friends in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia and in Greece.

Our 5th day was a vacation day for our bikes. We left them parked in front of Vlado's apartment. Our task for today was to explore Skopje and taste some local food and drinks.

Previous days of our vacation: Day 4, Day 3, Day 2, Day 1.

For breakfast Vlado invited us to a tripe soup that heals every hangover, called шкембе чорба - škembe čorba, served with furnarine (sesame bread).

Porta Macedonia - the arch is dedicated to 20 years of Macedonian independence and its outer surface is covered in 193 m2 of reliefs carved in marble, depicting scenes from the history of Macedonia.

Near Mother Theresa memorial house the Macedonians are building new orthodox church

 

On the 20-year anniversary of Macedonia's independence referendum from Yugoslavia, Alexander the Great on Bucephalus was unveiled on 8 September 2011 on Macedonia square.

The Stone Bridge connects Macedonia Square, in the center of Skopje, to the Old Bazaar over the Vardar river. The current Stone Bridge was built on Roman foundations under the patronage of Sultan Mehmed II the Conqueror between 1451 and 1469.

 

Several new bridges were placed over Vardar river recently along with the statue of Philip II of Macedon

 

The Old Bazaar - Stara čaršija is situated on the eastern bank of the Vardar River. As one of the oldest and largest marketplaces in the Balkans, it has been Skopje's centre for trade and commerce since at least the 12th century.

Thursty cat

Mother Teresa was born in Skopje and many plates with her saying installed all over the city.

 

Mother Teresa Square

The Prime Minister loved how Amsterdam has hospitality boats, so he built them in Skopje

 

Over the Iron bridge we visited some old parts of Skopje

 

After the beer we continued our walk around Skopje and visited one of the old monuments, Statue of Goce Delčev, an important revolutionary figure in Ottoman-ruled Macedonia and Thrace at the turn of the 20th century. He was the most prominent leader of what is known today as Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization (IMRO), a paramilitary organization active in Ottoman territories in the Balkans, at the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century.

Time for some dinner. We tasted many different local cuisines like: pohuvana tikvička, pinjur (aubergines, grilled pepper), patlidžan (big tomatoes with onion), sirenje (cheese), sarma od lozov list (sarma in grape leaves), kukurek (lamb intestines), drop sarma (wrapped liver and heart, rice). Definitely we had some local beers and žolta rakija (yellow rakia) on the table all the time.

One of the last rounds in totally local pub with our hosts Saška and Vlado.

Our motorbikes had a break, so we just walked in the Skopje city centre

GeoCaches found:
- Mother Teresa, GC4CXDE
- Thank you Galejnik, GC4DGR6
- Old Skopje, GC4D4K9
- Luna Park / Amusement Park, GC6JC2E