Skopje

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In 1963, a magnitude 6.1 earthquake shook Skopje, then a provincial town in Yugoslavia. Over 1,000 people were killed and 80% of the buildings were completely destroyed. Rebuilding took place throughout the '60s and '70s with the help of 78 donor countries and the result was a rather grey, utilitarian city.



Our loft apartment is about 15 minutes walk from the main square, though we could catch the number 12 red double decker bus. We're in a building that survived the 1963 disaster and our loft is a rather wonderful space, full of eclectic furniture, pictures and fabrics. We have the choice of sleeping in a little corner room that has windows on every side or on a mezzanine 'shelf' in the roof.



In 1991, Skopje became the capital of the country now named North Macedonia. A new image was needed; the Skopje 2014 project was born and its results are everywhere. There are lots of pedestrianised streets and squares, new bridges span the river and those '60s buildings now boast columns, murals and statues. It is a bit over-the-top in places but the new Skopje is a really lovely city to wander through. The weather is dry and warm, perfect wandering weather.



The project has resulted in statues appearing everywhere, we've never seen so many. There are warriors on rearing horses, artists and musicians, mothers and babies, entwined lovers, dignitaries, lions and Roman soldiers. They appear in squares and beside roads, on columns and plinths, on bridges and alongside the river and atop building large and small. Goodness knows how many statues there are but we counted over 130 on our half-hour walk back from dinner yesterday.



Across the river from the main square lies the Turkish, or Muslim, quarter with small winding streets and dark marketplaces. One street is dedicated to gold shops, another lined with carpets, rugs and kilims. There is a coffee shop on every corner and plenty of domed mosques and narrow minarets pointing skywards. On one evening we ate in a old caravanserai; it was easy to imagine that a thousand years ago traders from afar would have sat here, arguing about the price of silk or salt over a bowl of turli tava, the traditional stew of meat and vegetables.



Eating out here is cheap and the dishes are really tasty which is a pity as we really fancy shopping in the farmers' market across from the apartment; they offer such an enticing selection of fruit and veg. There is also a local bakery selling bread, pastries, cakes and all manner of unidentifiable goodies, many laced with honey or chocolate.



Towering over Skopje is Mount Vodno, topped with an Orthodox Christian cross. A cable car takes one to the top or, today, doesn't due to a 'technical problem'. The walk back down - the cable car doesn't start until you're halfway up Mount Vodno - offered us great views across the city and of the hills in every direction. Tomorrow we will be heading further south, into the lakes and mountains of Marvovo national park.

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