The next stop

I'm finding it very difficult to write something about the next place that I've visited. There are a lot of thoughts going through my mind. Although I spent there only three days, this experience will remain engraved in my memory forever. I realized once again that it's hard to predict what might happen during each journey.

I'd like to present to you a person who has left a memorable impact on me. I saw him on the street in the capital of Macedonia, Skopje. We couldn't find the way to our hotel (even GPS had a problem with it ;) ) so I decided to ask someone about it. Sasha was sitting with his friends in front of the grocery store. It was he who came to us to offer his help. From the very beginning of our conversation, he was really kind, but of course, there was nothing surprising about this. Eventually, he said that he led us to this place (by the way, it was located in another part of the city). I didn't want to bother him, so I refused his proposition.

The next morning, Sasha was waiting for me near to our apartment. It was an unexpected meeting. It turned out that the (hotel) owner was his friend. We started talking about my first impressions of the city. Then, describing himself as a patriot, he suggested that he could be our guide. Without going into details, at this point, I'd emphasise that he was one of the most helpful and unselfish person that I've ever met. We were completely surprised by his behavior. I just couldn't believe that someone wanted to help us without hoping for something in return. To be clear, I'm aware of the fact that there are a lot of good people around. However, I get the feeling that nowadays, for some people, money, success, career are more important than relationships. The meeting with Sasha reminded me that there were still some selfless people.

We spent together almost 2 days,  exploring the city, talking about history, culture and daily life of the Macedonians. It was the best history lesson I've ever had. Below, as usual, I put some photos taken during our trips.

Panoramic view of Skopje from Vodno mountain

Skopje Fortress

At first sight, it's rather a inconspicuous building, as shown in the picture below. I mean that it's quite common to see this type of churches in Macedonia.  In the same time, it's worth pointing out that the church was constructed in 12th century. Inside, you can admire the frescoes, which are outstanding examples of the Byzantine Art. Even if the church was damaged by an earthquake in the 16th century, some of the frescoes have been repainted. 

Church of St. Panteleimon

The left picture shows one of the streets in the Old Bazaar. It's a typical local and a little bit crowded market.

On the right, you can see an iconostasis, located in the Church of Holy Salvation. It's a small church so it can easily be overlooked. There is no dobut that it's one of the most splendid examples of the traditional Macedonian woodcraving. It's absolutely worth seeing. This masterpiece presents a lot of commonly known biblical scenes, figures from the flora and fauna or various geometrical ornaments.
Moreover, there are still some old frescoes visible on the walls.

It's the first part of the story and one of some memorable meetings. In my next post, I'd like to present you another part of Skopje.