Balkan Experience - Sofia, Bulgaria to Ahmedabad, India- 4/5 October 2026

My plan was to reach the Sofia airport at least 3 hours in advance as web check-in facility is not available for code share flights. With this in mind I had scheduled to check out of the hotel by 5.30 am. I was able to meet the deadline and walked out of the main door of the hotel to face a nippy weather. The Metro station, just 300 metres from the hotel, was reached in less than 10 minutes.

I used the currency note/coin-operated ticket vending machine to buy a ticket. The fare is 0.80€, which can be used to transit between metro lines within 30 minutes. I had to take the Blue Line for three stations and tranship on to the Yellow Line at Serdica to go to the airport. The transit to the airport, including the changeover, was smooth and easy. I reached the airport by 6.30 am, as planned.

The check-in counter opened shortly thereafter, and I completed the process quickly. Initially, the girl at the check-in counter booked my baggage through to Ahmedabad. I asked her if that was the right thing to do, because I knew that even though boarding passes are issued through to the final destination if it's a single PNR, baggage has to be collected at the first port of entry, where immigration would also be completed. Thereafter, the bag has to be handed over at the transit desk of the airline prior to going for the domestic boarding gate. The counter clerk went over the rules and apologised for the mistake. She reissued the baggage tag and handed over all three boarding passes, Sofia to Istanbul, Istanbul to Mumbai and Mumbai to Ahmedabad.

The Passport Control was just before entering the gates for international departure. near gate. The Turkish Airlines flight left Sofia 30 minutes late for Istanbul. That didn't matter to me a wee bit as I had a layover in Istanbul close to 7 hours!

Gates are announced in Istanbul airport only about 75 minutes to scheduled departure. I used the time to plan the next trip to Kosovo and Montenegro later this month. I had just a cup of coffee in Istanbul airport, which is relatively quite expensive. The medium sized cappuccino cost me the equivalent of Rs. 700.

The Indigo flight boarded on time and departed exactly as announced at 1755 hours. The long flight was quite uneventful. We were served a meal and a snack during the flight. The flight touched down in Mumbai before time at 4.05 am. Immigration was over quickly. But baggage retrieval took some time. However, again it did not matter because of the four and half hour’s layover in Mumbai for the flight to Ahmedabad.

The duty free in Mumbai was as busy as usual. While picking up a couple of liquor bottles, I mentioned to the staff in the duty-free shop that I would be travelling to Ahmedabad. He told me to inform the counter staff, at the time of making the payment, so that the bottles can be placed in a sealed bag. I deposited the bag at the Indigo domestic transfer desk after securing the bottles in the check-in bag.

The inconvenience of staying in Gandhidham is that one has to travel nearly 6 hours by road to reach the Ahmedabad international airport. This travel is inevitable because of the poor railway connectivity and/or poor connections from Bhuj or Rajkot airports. By the time I reached my house in Gandhidham I had spent more than 32 hours since leaving the hotel in Sofia the previous morning!

Balkan Experience - Skopje, North Macedonia to Sofia, Bulgaria - 3 October 2026

I was booked to leave Skopje for Sofia by the evening bus at 5.30 pm. The reservation was made through FlixBus. I had the boarding pass as well as the payment receipt. Therefore, I was shocked when I received an email from FlixBus on the 1st evening that my reservation was cancelled as I did not have the required documents to enter a Schengen country!

How ridiculous that argument was is borne out by the fact that I had travelled from Sofia to Skopje using a FlixBus reservation, where the multiple entry Schengen Visa was scrutinised at two borders, namely Bulgaria at the time of exit and North Macedonia at the time of entry on the 30th of September. FlixBus also sent me a refund voucher of a piffling amount as compared to the original fare. This completely put the spanner in the works, so to say, of my leftover program in Skopje. It also jeopardised my return to India too. I spoke with my son in UK and requested him to take up the matter with the FlixBus customer care centre in the UK. I sent him the details of my reservation as well as my visa document.

When he spoke to the customer care centre, they told him that there were typos in visa details I had entered when I had made the original details and that had triggered the cancellation. I told my son that FlixBus had never asked for the visa details at the time of booking and hence, their claim of typos is incorrect and totally baseless. When he spoke to FlixBus with these facts they changed tack and mentioned that the cancellation was due to operational reasons!

They confirmed that an email for a full refund would be issued within a day and the full amount would be refunded into my account within 14 working days. Can you imagine a German-based company indulging in such fraudulent business, putting passengers to immeasurable agony and discomfort?

The fallout of the uncalled for and fraudulent cancellation was that I had to curtail my tourist activities in Skopje, find another bus reservation to travel from Skopje to Sofia and also book a hotel in Sofia. Curtailing the itinerary in Skopje was hurtful as I had planned a detailed tour of the Old Bazaar as well as visit the Mother Teresa Memorial House. As for finding a bus reservation was concerned, I could only find a morning service from Skopje to Sofia in the 3rd. I made the reservation through Gjirafa, instead of FlixBus with who I had burnt my schedule. This change in program meant that I had to travel more than 10 hours earlier from Skopje and spend more than ten idle hours in Sofia with nothing to do there. A complete waste of time coupled with unnecessary stress and anxiety. In fact, to say the truth, I was on edge till I got into the bus this morning at 7 am in Skopje.

I had expected the bus to be fully occupied as it was the weekend. People travel freely between Sofia and Skopje. Therefore, I was surprised that a few seats were empty when we left the Skopje Central Bus Station. In about an hour and three quarters we were at the North Macedonia border crossing. It was incredibly cold at this place. In a short while we crossed the Bulgarian border too after passport control and Customs check. By 12.15 pm the mini bus docked at the Sofia Central Bus Station platform, which is beside the Sofia Central Railway Station.

It was a ten-minute walk to the Millenia Hotel, where I had made reservation for the overnight stay. The lady at the check-in counter told me that I would have to wait till 2 pm to occupy the room, or pay extra for the early occupation! Since I didn't have anything specific to do in Sofia for the rest of the day, I waited in the lobby till I was told at 13.45 that the room is ready. The decently sized room with attached bathroom was neat and clean.

I checked out what I could do in the neighbourhood and came up with nothing. Therefore, after some bit of final packing I decided to explore the Central Railway Station and also check out the metro connectivity from the hotel to the airport. The Central Railway Station is the main passenger railway station of Sofia as well as the largest railway station in the country. The original railway station building was opened for traffic on 1 August 1888. It underwent many expansions and renovations prior to the most recent one in 2016. One can travelnto international destinations like Bucharest and Istanbul from the Sofia Central Railway Station. Many more international destinations were connected prior to the Covid pandemic such as Belgrade and Thesaaloniki.

In the rotunda plaza outside the main entrance of the Central Railway Station is the Mother and Child monument, also called the "Serdica" sculptural complex. It features a central crowned female figure holding a child to symbolize Sofia and its future. It was designed and erected in 1976 during the brutalist development of the station area.

The Sofia Blue Line metro has a station at the Central Railway Station. I went there and spoke to a counter clerk about the early morning metro connectivity to the airport. She told me that services would start at 5.10 am and that I could change at Serdica station for the yellow line to the Sofia airport. She also told me that I could buy my ticket from the machine as the ticket counter would be open only after 7 am.

When I got to the hotel I checked with the hotel reception, just to be doubly sure. She told me that the it would be better to take another metro station which was less than 300 meters from the hotel. That was better news. I went to the metro station and checked it out. The counter clerk told me that the service on Sunday would begin at 5 am and have a headway of 12-15 minutes till 6.30 am. That suited me fine as my flight from Sofia airport to Istanbul was scheduled for only 9.25 am.

It was time for the last drink in Bulgaria signalling the end to successful visits to the 74th and 75th countries. Skopsko is a pale lager beer brewed in North Macedonia by the Heineken stable.

Balkan Experience - Day Trip To Lake Ohrid, North Macedonia - 2 October 2026

Today was another day tour from Skopje to the most recommended Lake Ohrid. I reached the meeting point well ahead of the 8 am start. The driver of the tour company, who doubled up as the guide, told us - a group of seven - that the trip would take about three hours with a 20-minute stop for breakfast about halfway through.

As we crossed the Vardar River, Nicholai, the guide cum driver, told us that the 240-mile river rises in the Sharr Mountains and flows through North Macedonia for almost 190 miles before it drains into the Aegean Sea in Greece. The river’s valley is important for agricultural production and is a major transportation route between central Europe and the Aegean. The Sharr mountain range stretches from east to west into Albania, making almost 70 percent of North Macedonia mountainous. With more than 20 peaks that are over 2500 metres in height, the mountain range is a favourite with climbers, hikers and skiers.

We reached the Upper Gate of the Ohrid Old Town by a quarter past 11, where we were joined by two more people for the walking tour of the Old Town. Ohrid is a city best discovered on foot. The Old Town rises from the clear blue waters of Lake Ohrid toward the walls of Tsar Samuel’s Fortress, with narrow streets, stone houses, medieval churches, archaeological remains, cafes, and viewpoints appearing along the way.

In antiquity, Ohrid was known as Lychnidos, a name traditionally associated with light. By the late 9th century, the Slavic name Ohrid had come into use, probably derived from words meaning “on a hill.” The city’s extraordinary concentration of churches later inspired the nickname “Jerusalem of the Balkans.” Tradition even claims that Ohrid once had 365 churches-one for every day of the year. To be

The settlement is far older than its medieval churches. Legend says that Cadmus, the exiled founder of Thebes, established a town here. In the 4th century BC, Philip II of Macedon, father of Alexander the Great, is associated with strengthening the defenses of ancient Lychnidos. Centuries later, Tsar Samuel rebuilt and expanded the fortress on the hilltop, and around the end of the 10th century Ohrid became one of the principal political and religious centres of his empire.

Religion and learning shaped the city just as strongly as kings and armies. In the late 9th century, Saint Clement of Ohrid established the Ohrid Literary School, which became an important center of Slavic literacy, Christian education, and manuscript production. Clement spent the final years of his life here and remains the patron saint of Ohrid.

The guide told us that it's best to make the climb up to the fortress first and then explore the attractions on the way down to the Lake. Just past the gate we came to the Church of St. Mary Peribleptos, a medieval Orthodox church from the 13th century. An inscription in Greek above the western entrance states that the church was erected in 1295 by Byzantine aristocrat, Progonos Sgouros, said the guide. The main part of the church has extremely well-preserved frescoes at four levels. A small room to the right of the narthex used to temporarily hold the remains of St. Clement.

After that we made the steep walk to Samuel's Fortress, the historic hilltop medieval stronghold perched high on Gorni Saraj hill, overlooking Lake Ohrid. It is thought to have been built in the 4th-century BC, possibly under Philip II of Macedon. It was rebuilt and expanded in the late 10th and early 11th centuries by Tsar Samuel, when Ohrid served as the capital of the First Bulgarian Empire. That's from where the fortress derives its current name. While only the walls of the fortress survives, the views from there of Lake Ohrid and the Old Town is unparalleled.

The walk through the Old Town revealed the various layers of the history of the city over the centuries. At Plaoshnik, the reconstructed Church of Saints Clement and Panteleimon stands amid remains dating back to early Christianity. Nearby, the more than 2,000-year-old Ancient Theatre still hosts performances. The Church of Saint Sophia, once the cathedral of medieval Ohrid, preserves some of the finest Byzantine frescoes in the region.

I took a half hour boat ride, which the guide organised for the group. Lake Ohrid is Europe’s oldest lake, estimated to be around two to three million years old. It is also the world's third oldest with the first two being Baikal Lake in Russia and Lake Tanganika in Tanzania. The crystal-clear waters, totally unpolluted, with hundreds of cormorants going about their fishing jobs efficiently, the boat ride was one to remember.

The views of churches, fortress and landmarks we had visited on foot looked majestic from the Lake. Nearing the mooring point in the jetty near the main square the awesome panorama of the Old and New Towns remains etched in the mind. The excellent weather, bright and sunny, with not a cloud in sight, presented the best opportunity for photography. Lake Ohrid's shoreline offers beaches, promenades, restaurants, and broad views across the water, providing a welcome contrast to the steep lanes of the Old Town.

The late lunch in Hotel Alexandria of sweet potato fries, Italian bruschetta and a helping of Risotto with wild mushrooms, sitting beside the lake was the true icing on the cake, as it were, of the visit. In the main square of the New Town is the monumental statue of Saint Clement with a model of the city in one hand while extending the other toward the viewer. He seems almost to be saying, “Come and have a look.” Indeed, a most charming city with amazing views.  

Balkan Experience - Day Trip To Matka Canyon, North Macedonia - 1 October 2026

I had booked a day tour to the Matka Canyon, the Vodno Mountain and the Millenium Cross in advance through Viator. The site had informed that the cable car to the Millennium Cross is under repair and hence, that would be off limits for the trip. I was asked to meet up with the guide cum driver at the Museum of the Macedonian Struggle for Independence by 7.45 am. It was just a 15-minute walk from my apartment, past the Macedonia Square and across one of the modern bridges over the Vardar River.

Quite close to the Museum of the Macedonian Struggle for Independence is the Holocaust Memorial Center for the Jews of Macedonia. It was opened in 2011 to commemorate the 7,144 Macedonian Jews and other Balkan Jewish communities who lost their lives during the Holocaust, primarily at the Treblinka camp.

Another attraction in close proximity is the Macedonian National Theatre, which is the premier and oldest professional theatre in North Macedonia. It was originally founded in 1945, but the original building was destroyed during the catastrophic 1963 Skopje earthquake. The current structure was rebuilt and opened in 2013 as part of the Skopje 2014 project. The building houses the Macedonian National Theatre Museum, which preserves historical costumes, props, archives, and artifacts.

Dua, the guide and driver for the day, reported early and the small group of nine left for the day's excursion ahead of the scheduled time. During the ride to the Matka Canyon, Dua kept up a lively conversation giving us a flavour of the life in Skopje and North Macedonia, in general, it's geography, history, culture and food scene.

We reached the parking lot of the Matka Canyon in under an hour. After a short toilet break, we trudged to the Matka Dam. It was by no means a simple walk. Often times I wondered why Dua had not brought us up any further than he did, because many taxis and even some vans parked much closer to the Dam. It was a warm day and did get a bit uncomfortable.

The Matka Dam is a concrete arch structure on the Treska River located in the Matka Canyon about 15 km from Skopje. Built between 1935 and 1938, it is the oldest artificial reservoir and first dam built in North Macedonia. It stands 29.5 meters high and 64 meters long. The objectives of the dam are to generate power through the Matka Hydroelectric Power Plant, aid local irrigation, and protect Skopje from flooding.

After a few minutes at the Dam, we walked further ahead, with rock overhang adding to the beauty of the surroundings, especially as the Matka Lake was shimmering in bright sunlight. Very soon we reached St. Andrew's Church at Matka Canyon is a medieval Eastern Orthodox monastery built in 1389 right on the edge of the Treska River. The church is open only once a year.

There are many activities one can indulge in in the area. For instance, one can explore the cliffside trails leading to medieval churches like the 14th-century St. Andrew's Monastery. The other is to rent kayaks to explore the canyon waters independently. Boat tours are the major attractions in the Canyon area. There are two types of boat rides; the first is a 30-minute 'cruise' and the other is a one-hour tour in the lake with a visit to the Vrelo Cave.

I took the boat ride on the Matka Canyon Lake to the Vrelo Cave, which is listed as one of the top 77 natural sites in the world. Vrelo Cave has many stalactites including a large one in the middle of the cave known as the "Pine Cone" due to its shape. There are two lakes at the end of the cave, with one larger than the other.

Though the exact depth of the cave is unknown, it is believed to be among the deepest in Europe. There are two lakes at the end of the cave, with one larger than the other. The smaller lake is 8 metres at its longest length and 15 metres in depth at its deepest point. The larger lake is 35 metres at its longest length, and 18 metres at its deepest point.

While the lake tour was indeed memorable with mangroves, rock outcrops and vegetation, the Vrelo Cave was not as thrilling an experience as I had expected it to be. Far superior are awesome spectacles of stalagmites and stalactites in the Borro caves near Visakhapatnam and the Belum Caves near Guntur.

From the Matka Canyon we drove to the Vodno Mountain, the highest point of which is Krstovar, 1066 meters above sea level. Halfway to the peak, at an altitude of 570 meters above sea level, called Sredno Vodno, there are large parking lots and several restaurants. Dua parked there for some time and explained that the access to the cable car station to the Millennium Cross is a short climb from the parking lot.

The Millenium Cross was built in 2002 in top of the Vodno Mountain and, at 66-meters height, it is one of the tallest crosses worldwide. It was constructed to serve as a memorial to 2000 years of Christianity in Macedonia and to honour biblical passages citing the evangelisation activities of St. Paul within the region. The Cross illuminates the city of Skopje at night. My days and nights in Skopje started and ended with awesome views of the Millennium Cross from the balcony and bedroom of my apartment.

The monument has become a symbol associated with Skopje. As a landmark, the cross turned into a tourist destination with the best observation point to see the panorama of the capital city. The summit is reached by a cable car system, which, unfortunately, was out of service at the time of my visit. The cable car route is 1,750m long, with the ride lasting 6–8 minutes. The adventurous and the strong trek all the way up to the summit.

From the parking lot of Sredno Vodno Dua drive us to the Church of Saint Panteleimon, a remarkable medieval Macedonian monument. The church was built in 1164 and was dedicated to the protector of health, St. Panteleimon. The small brick work church is constructed in the traditional shape of a cross and contains the most famous treasure of Byzantine painting from the time of the Comnenian dynasty. The views from the site are to die for too. The terrace used to be rented for functions, but that seems to have stopped in the event past with restrictions on drinking in the premises.

A few paces away is the traditional Macedonian village constructed for tourism. It is called the Makedonsko Selo. It is an authentic ethno-complex and cultural replication of a traditional 19th- and 20th-century Macedonian settlement. It features 16 distinct houses showcasing regional architectural styles from various parts of the country. Of particular interest to visitors are the cobblestone streets, traditional craft workshops, a hotel, and a restaurant serving local Macedonian cuisine.

Dua took us to a shop, where the craftsman was engaged in filigree work. His works are so exquisite that he has won many national and international awards for his creations. Besides the filigree work he also polishes rubies and turns them into marvelous pieces of jewellery. The remarkable feature is that the 'pink' rubies are embedded within pure marble slabs!

I also dropped in to check on a craftswoman doing filigreed work with gold and silver threads. The creations were so attractive that I was tempted to buy some of the pieces. However, before I left from there, I bought a few boxes of traditional sweets, lokum, commonly known as Turkish delight. I sampled a couple of flavours and fell for them. They are cut into small cubes and dusted with desiccated coconut to keep them from sticking.

After getting back from the tour, after resting a while, I visited the Church of St Clement of Ohrid, located opposite to my apartment. It is the largest cathedral of the Macedonian Orthodox Church. This rotunda-type church is composed only of domes and arches and is one of the most interesting architectural examples in recent Macedonian history. 

Balkan Trip 2 - In Skopje, North Macedonia - 30 September 2026

I had booked a city walking tour in Skopje through Guru Walk. There was some uncertainty about the tour as the tour guide messaged saying that the tour would be confirmed only by 3 pm as he didn't have enough guests for the 5pm tour. Fortunately, he messaged soon again that the tour is on and that we should meet in the Macedonia Square. We were only 7 guests for the evening tour. Zohran mentioned that he runs his business entirely on gratuities received and that the expenses of his two 'expensive' daughters also have to be borne by him!

Zohran explained that the Macedonia Square is Skopje's largest and main public square covering an area of 18,500 sqmt along the banks of the Vardar River. The key feature of the Square is a massive equestrian statue of Alexander the Great, officially named "Warrior on a Horse". It depicts the ancient king on his horse, Bucephalus. The monument was given its neutral official name to avoid diplomatic tensions with Greece.

The monuments surrounding the Square are dedicated to notable figures. The Square acts as the primary gateway connecting to the historic Stone Bridge, the Old Bazaar, and the Mother Teresa Memorial House. It transforms into a bustling social hub after dark with vibrant evening lighting and pedestrian crowds. The square that we see today was redesigned under the Skopje 2014 urban project featuring neoclassical civic buildings and colonnades.

From the Macedonia Square we took a street and Zohran stopped us some distance away from a building and then told us a poignant story. The building was the Old Railway Station in Skopje, a historic landmark and a powerful memorial to the devastating 1963 earthquake. It now houses the Museum of the City of Skopje.

Built between 1937 and 1940, it was considered one of the finest modern interwar public buildings in the Balkans. The prominent clock on the station's facade is permanently frozen at 5:17 AM, the exact moment the catastrophic 6.1 magnitude earthquake struck on July 26, 1963. He showed us the photos of the building in its former glory

Leaving the Old Railway Station, we walked to the most vibrant avenue in Skopje that captures and exemplifies the essence of Skopje. The Macedonia Street serves as a bustling thoroughfare for locals and visitors alike. It connects the iconic Macedonia Square with the area housing the well-known Ramstore Mall and Skopje City Museum.

Macedonia Street will immerse you in the dynamic rhythm of Macedonian life. The street is perpetually animated, teeming with people enjoying a leisurely stroll or engaged in various activities. The lively atmosphere is complemented by an array of establishments lining the street, offering a mix of restaurants, cafes, bars, and stores. Whether you're in the mood for a culinary adventure, a coffee break, or some retail therapy, Macedonia Street has it all. Macedonia Street stands as a symbol of Skopje's enduring vitality.

Standing at a pedestrian crossing of the Macedonia Street Zohran pointed to the city's famous double decker buses. He told us how the Leyland double-decker buses were originally a gift from the British Government. Skopje used them during the 1950s and 1960s. It had become a beloved part of the city until the devastating 1963 earthquake.

With 80 percent of the city devastated, the city could no longer maintain the double-decker buses, the costly spares of which has to come from UK. All the buses were junked. As part of the Skopje 2014 project, the tradition was reintroduced by ordering 217 custom-built retro-style double-deckers, including 15 open-top versions, from China's Yutong factory. They are a major attraction in the city and serve as a useful public transport mode.

At one end of Macedonia Street lies two major attractions. We came to a sculpture of Mother Teresa standing by the side of the Mother Teresa Memorial House. Mother Teresa was born in Skopje in 1910 and lived there till 1928. Her statue is placed in the location of the former Sacred Heart of Jesus Roman Catholic Church, where Mother Teresa was baptized. The building was destroyed in the 1963 Skopje earthquake. The new building near the statue is a museum dedicated to the Catholic saint and Nobel Peace Prize laureate. The memorial house was opened to public in January 2009. Inside the museum is part of her relics which were transferred to Skopje by the Catholic Church.

Standing majestically, adjacent to the Memorial House, is the Church of Sts. Constantine and Elena, two of the most important figures in early Christianity. This grand church too, an impressive architectural project, was part of the Skopje 2014 initiative. The stunning exterior of the church and the unique bell tower captivates visitors with its beauty.

The church was built in a traditional Byzantine architectural style, combined with modern construction techniques. One of the most striking features of the church is its golden central dome, which dominates the skyline of the city center. The church symbolizes the spread of Christianity as Saint Constantine was the Roman emperor who legalized Christianity, while Saint Helena is remembered for discovering the True Cross in Jerusalem.

From the church we walked to where the Assembly of the Republic of North Macedonia is located. The Sobranie Palace was constructed in 1938 during the time of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. It was Initially intended to house the administration of the Vardar Banovina, it became the seat of the new post-World War II Yugoslav constituent Socialist Republic of Macedonia in 1944. Since 1991, following the country's independence, the building has served as the home of the Assembly of North Macedonia. It also served as the office of the President of the Republic of North Macedonia till 2009.

Zohran said that the controversial Skopje 2014 project began from this building. The Skopje 2014 was a project undertaken with the objective of giving the capital city of Skopje a more classical appeal, designed to withstand future effects of earthquakes.

The project consisted mainly of the construction of colleges, museums and government buildings, as well as the erection of monuments depicting historical figures from the region of Macedonia. Around 20 buildings and over 40 monuments were constructed as part of the project. The purpose of the project and the nearly 500 million Euros spent in it raised a stink in public. But, as Zohran said, it truly gave the city a complete makeover, bettering the life of citizens and pulling in tourists.

Facing the Assembly of the Republic of North Macedonia is the bronze statue of Prometheus which is part of the "Fallen Heroes of Macedonia" monument complex. The mythological Titan Prometheus holding a torch, symbolizes self-sacrifice, knowledge, and bringing fire to humanity. This was again part of the Skopje 2014 project. As soon as it was installed it generated controversy as the sculptor had designed and erected the Prometheus figure completely naked in 2012. This generated protests and complaints regarding public nudity. The authorities took rapid action with a bronze loincloth welded directly onto the statue to cover it up. This sparked another protest, that of self-censorship and artistic freedom. Damned if you do and damned if you don't!

Next to the Prometheus statue and close to the Macedonia Gate is the Woman Warrior Park, a small public green space, originally conceived as a memorial space to honour women resistance fighters and anti-fascist heroines of World War II. It now functions both as a compact open-air sightseeing stop and recreational area.

Porta Macedonia, Macedonia Gate, is a 21-meter-tall triumphal arch built between 2011 and 2012 as part of the broader Skopje 2014 urban project. It symbolizes the independence and national identity of North Macedonia. It also commemorates the 20th year of North Macedonia's independence in 8 September 1991.

Most importantly, the triumphal arch in Skopje, unlike most other such arches, celebrates the victory of a nation and not one man. The structure features marble relief carvings that depict important historical scenes and figures from the country's past. Zohran mentioned that the triumphal arch has two rooms at the top that can be rented for special occasions such as a marriage ceremony!

On the walk from the Macedonia Gate to the Square Zohran pointed out a plaque that marked Mother Teresa's real childhood home and birthplace. The home was destroyed in the 1963 Skopje earthquake.

He told us that the North Macedonians are fond of being number one in anything. They are happy holding the dubious record of being the country with the highest per capita consumption of cigarettes in the world! Apparently, thanks to the naturally filtered water from the Vodno mountain, Coca Cola bottled in Skopje was adjudged the best among 125 samples tested.

Standing close to the Stone Bridge Zohran explained its importance. The stone bridge on the river Vardar connects Macedonia Square on the right bank and the Old Skopje Bazaar on the left bank of the river. There are two different views about its vintage.

According to the first, it was built in the 6th century, shortly after the catastrophic earthquake in 518, during the reign of Emperor Justinian I. Therefore, he has been honoured with a huge marble statue by the side of the Stone Bridge. Others believe that the bridge was built in the second half of the fifteenth century, between 1451 and 1469, the time when the Ottoman empire was ruled by the Sultan Mehmed II the Conqueror. Whatever, the bridge is at least 600 years old. The 213 meter long and 6.33-meter-wide bridge is built of travertine stone blocks. Today, the bridge is accessible only for pedestrians. The Stone Bridge is presented as an integral element on the coat of arms of the city.

Crossing the Stone Bridge into the Old Bazaar area Zohran pointed out the statue of the 9th century Byzantine-Slavic saints Cyril and Methodius who were sent to spread Christianity among the pagan public of the time. Not finding a dialect that would help in propagating Christian literature, the two developed the broader Cyrillic and Glagolitic scripts used in the region at the time. The 31-letter modern Macedonian Cyrillic alphabet was officially established following World War II in May 1945.

At the foot of the massive statue of Phillip II of Macedonia, the father of Alexander the Great, Zohran explained the exemplary education and training he gave his son to ensure that he was ready to take over from him when required. When Phillip was murdered at the wedding of his daughter, Cleopatra, Alexander took over the reins of the State and set out to realise his father's goal, that of subjugating the Persian Kingdom. The raised hand of Phillip II in the statue is a matter of debate, whether it is a salute to the public or a rebuke.

The Old Skopje Bazaar, which dates back to the twelfth century, had the most active development from 15th to 19th century during the Ottoman Empire. The Bazaar represents a complex economic-trade, architectonic and cultural-traditional unit. It was built in oriental style; there are several wider and narrower streets and cobblestones streets.

Different craftsmen and trade shops detached one to other in a row. There are different traditional crafts such as blacksmiths, goldsmiths, potters, shoemakers, tailors, watchmakers, tinsmiths, coppersmiths, saddlers and other various production-catering services. Also, there are various active shops for modern industrial goods that can be found only here. The Old Skopje Bazaar has the biggest green market in Skopje. The bazaar is the centre of the most attractive catering shops offering various traditional dishes.

The bazaar was heavily damaged by the earthquake in 1555, the burning of the city in 1689, the earthquake in 1963, as well as during the First and the Second World Wars and faced various re-buildings following these events. In early 2010, the Macedonian Government began a project for the revitalisation of the Old Bazaar, which included restoration of several buildings aimed at further economic and cultural development of the site.

The Old Bazaar is still home to several active mosques, tombs, two churches and a clocktower, that, together with the buildings of the Museum of the Republic of North Macedonia and the Museum of Modern Art, form the core of the modern bazaar. The area is of significant importance to the Albanians too.

Standing at a vantage point in the Old Bazaar Zohran pointed out the illuminated outer wall of the Skopje Fortress, commonly referred to as Kale - the Turkish word for 'fortress'. According to archaeological excavations, the area on which today's fortress is located was inhabited since the prehistoric times. The fortress is depicted on the coat of arms of Skopje. The fortress suffered extensive damage during the 1963 earthquake. The fortifications, defensive towers and buildings within the fortress were ruined. Since then only a portion of the outer and inner walls have been restored.

We then visited the Kapan An, a historic 15th-century Ottoman caravanserai located in the heart of the Old Bazaar. It was built in mid-15th century by the Ottoman governor of Skopje. It is a two-storied, inward-facing rectangular building with an open central courtyard. It historically featured 44 rooms for traveling merchants on the upper level and space for horses and cargo on the lower level. The erstwhile caravanserai was restored between 1971 and 1973 after suffering significant damage from past earthquakes and fires. It currently houses local and professional businesses and a popular restaurant. The upper floor is utilized in part by a female Muslim religious school, a madrasa.

Zohran took us to the alley that was exclusively reserved for jewellery shops. The entire lane was full of shops vending gold and silver jewellery. Zohran explained the importance that gold played in the life of locals. That brought us to the end of the fascinating tour that lasted about 150 minutes, during when Zohran was constantly talking and, without any hesitation or ambivalence, answering our questions. We took leave of the kind man who had enriched our visit to the beautiful capital city, paying our share of the gratuities.

I went to a restaurant that Zohran had recommended for the traditional Bulgarian dish, tavche gravche. However, the experience there exasperated me, for I distinctly experienced discrimination. First, it took quite some time to take my order. I had to repeatedly hail the waiter. Second, after the food was ordered it took ages to be brought to the table. I had ordered a portion of tache gravche, a chicken leg, ajver salad and a helping of raki. When asked why my order was being delayed, he said that he had other customers to attend to! Seeing what was going on, the owner of the restaurant, an elderly person, came over and apologised to me. After the meal, when I had paid the bill, the gentleman came over and apologised once again. I told him how deeply disappointed I was with the experience.

On the walk back to my apartment, I sampled a portion of tres leches ice cream. I also bought a fridge magnet from a wayside store before leaving the Old Bazaar. I had read online that one must be extra careful in the Old Bazaar because of crime. I found it extremely safe and comfortable. End of a long day and time to rest.