This weekend we got out of Sveti Nikole and spent a few days in Skopje relaxing and seeing friends. It was a nice change of pace, and we couldn’t have asked for better weather to officially welcome in spring after days and days of rain. Friday we checked into our airbnb (we were the first guests to ever stay there, and the host drank rakija with us at 10 am to celebrate, and then brought us three bottles of wine later in the day) and spent the day walking around, hanging out in the park, and drinking a few beers with Tome.
On Saturday Kyle had a training to go to, so I headed up to Matka Canyon with Kathy and Allan. It’s about 30 minutes outside of the city, but feels worlds away. We walked along the river that runs through the bottom of the canyon and then got some coffee at the cute little cafe near the trail entrance, but there are a few other trails you can take up into the mountains that pass by old churches and a monastery. You can also walk down into the canyon from the top on Vodno mountain, and I’m looking forward to taking that route one day soon.
We came back on the first bus Sunday morning so we could catch the last day of panajur in Sveti Nikole! We went to panajur in Kavadarci when we lived there in the fall, but the first day we went it was pouring rain, and the second day was so crowded that I didn’t really enjoy either one. Panajur is basically a huge market/carnival that’s held twice a year and sells anything you could ever want (including a “Game of Thromes” shirt that I’m kicking myself a little bit for not buying). I got two pairs of earrings, and Kyle bought an axe for woodworking. We rounded out the weekend by cracking open two of the good beers that we bought in Skopje; mine was a craft brew from Serbia, and Kyle’s was a hoppy Belgian beer. We still have some tripel and quadruples left to drink. SO worth the money!!
The Uprooted Path 