Introduction
North Macedonia
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| Fog rising on Lake Ohrid |
If I had to choose one country to visit again among those I toured during this trip, I would return to North Macedonia. With its magnificent lakes, forests and mountains, North Macedonia has many secrets to reveal and possibilities both for cycling and hiking.
Like in most Balkan countries, North Macedonia is home to a culturally-mixed society. The Macedonian language predominates (South Slavic family, similar to Bulgarian), followed by Albanian, Turkish, Romani, Serbian and others. Approximately half of the population is Eastern Orthodox. Muslims constitute 32 per cent. By 2011, there were 1842 churches and 580 mosques in the country. Folk music sounds like Greek traditional songs but lyrics are in Macedonian and some instruments are Bulgarian. I am told that the rhythm of folk songs is extremely complex, such as in Pomnish li libe Todoro, which is written in 22/16 signature.
A few days before I arrived, on 5 May, Macedonians celebrated the Macedonian Language Day. On that day in 1945 a committee formed after the Yugoslav Partisans took power adopted the Macedonian alphabet, which is an adaptation of the Cyrillic script.
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| Road sign in Macedonian, English and Albanian |
Since the second half of the eighteenth century the country saw a rise of the modern Macedonian language, although referred to as "Bulgarian" by writers. After World War II, poetry in Macedonian flourished. Kocho Racin (1909-1943) pioneered the way with his collection White Dawns. Racin also prepared two books of Macedonian folklore songs. He was followed by a new generation of poets, including Bogomil Gjuzel, Petko Dabeski, Radovan Pavloski, and others. The national epic is the major theme of their generation of poets. Eftim Kletnikov and his group broke with the nationalist tradition and experimented with conceptual language and philosophical thinking. Later in the 1960s, the subjects become more urban and quotidian. An example of this later period is Zoran Anchevski.
One afternoon in a central plaza of Ohrid, I listened to the rhythmic declamation of a poet. The words flooded the sun-baked place and filled with magic the subdued conversations around the poet. Most of the people here were tourists who passed by him and continued their visit of the city. I approached and read from a hand-written sign that he was reciting traditional Macedonian poetry. He thanked briefly when I added a couple of coins to his box and looked directly at me. It was an intense gaze as blue as lake Ohrid. I will not forget that moment.
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| Ohrid town |
Day 77: Lin (Albania) - Ohrid (North Macedonia)
Today is a foggy day in Lin. I cannot see Lake Ohrid and cycling would be dangerous without the bike lights. But there is not much traffic and the sun rises over the fog before I arrive at the border crossing in Qafasan. Cycling down to Struga is a delightful experience, with the astounding views of the lake and the dense forests of poplars and oaks at Radohzda Park.
From the road I see beautiful summer houses at Frangovo. I arrive in Struga, a well-known summer resort. I buy a SIM card, change my Albanian Lek for Macedonian Denar and buy sunscreen at the pharmacy. I have plenty of time today so I sit to have breakfast at one of the coffee-shop terraces near the lake. I am happy to discover a street sign around the corner with the name Pablo Neruda, the Chilean poet who was poisoned by the regime of Augusto Pinochet. Neruda has certainly been one of the greatest literary voices of the Western canon and must have also struck a chord among Montenegrins.
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| Lake Ohrid from Struga |
At the terrace I am presented with coffee and byurek, the Bulgarian and Macedonian form of the ever-present Turkish börek. It comes with sirene crumbly cheese (similar to Greek feta) and eggs. All this I learn from the employee who speaks English. North Macedonian language is a Slavic language, and it is close to Bulgarian. It is written with the Cyrillic script. The other official language is Albanian, spoken by a quarter of the North Macedonian population.
I take up the lakeside road. Some kilometers later I see a familiar figure walking on the highway shoulder, with a guitar on the back. It is Nathan, who I met at Elbasan hostel. Now he is hiking in the Ohrid region. We chat for a few minutes and continue our ways.
I arrive at Ohrid, the historic town on the Macedonian side of the lake, along the Via Egnatia. It is said that this city, the "Jerusalem of the Balkans", once had 365 churches, one for every day of the year. Ohrid has been a focus of cultural and political struggle since antiquity, with successive invasions by South Slavs, Bulgars, Byzantines, Normans, Serbians, Albanians, Ottomans and others. In the Battle of Ohrid (15 September 1464), the Albanian troops of the Skanderbeg defeated the Ottoman army, which represented a temporary check for the Turkish advances in the Balkans.
It is warm now. I hire a bed in the Blue Lake Hostel shared room. The placid lake with its crystal-clear water is inviting. I find a nice spot under a big poplar with its leaves dancing to the breeze. I swim, I stay long time lazily in the water, I listen to the children playing around. They look like the poplar leaves. I think, I let time go.
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| Visiting Ohrid with Nathan |
I visit the busy center of the city and listen to the street musicians and artists. Nathan is now in Ohrid and he calls to meet up. We have a long walk in the Old Town, starting from the Chinar Tree near the Ali Pasha Mosque, on to the Old Bazaar Street, the Robevci Family House museum, the boardwalk on the lake and the Orthodox church of Saint John the Theologian. We end in one of the Turkish places and have a great dinner. Suddenly it starts raining and both of us part running under the shower.
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| Boardwalk on the lake, Ohrid |
Day 78: Ohrid - Bitola
The weather is unstable. It rains at times and everything is wet, with lots of puddles on the road. I stop to have a coffee in a bakery. When I start riding there is a thin drizzle that stops while I advance.
The first section, about a half of the total distance, runs on the north-east direction up to a col and then southwards down to Resen through a very nice forest. The highway is rather calm and during long periods I am the only one riding on it. The narrow road runs along a stream with exquisite creeks joining it from time to time. The ascent is not so steep and I enjoy the views.
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| On the way to Bitola |
After Resen, near Lake Prespa, the highway is busier and is flanked by many apple orchards. The road goes up again, now to the east. After a hard pass in the forest the downhill gives a good break up to the plains of Bitola in the Pelagonia Valley.
In Bitola I find a very nice apartment for a good price at Bogo's house. It is very quiet here, with trees and vineyards. Bogo is a young employee at an outsourcing company in Bitola with American companies as clients. He is married and they have an eight-month baby. He is well versed in the national literature and traditional music.
I am writing on the outside table. It is now a fine sunny afternoon even if there are still some threatening clouds coming from the west. I ask Bogo if I can share their dinner. He is going out to a concert and his father-in-law comes later carrying a tray with a great chicken with rice dinner. They don't want to accept my payment.
I read that in the Ottoman period Bitola was known as the City of Consuls. By the early twentieth century there were consulates from twelve countries in this city. Its commercial and political importance attracted people from Greece, Bulgaria and Romania. The Turkish leader Mustafa Kemal Ataturk attended Bitola's prestigious military academy.
I am eager to continue my way towards Greece.
