Macedonia

Strange new town

 All over the new part of Skopje, Macedonia was under construction. They were building or renewing theatres, museums and so on, which is somewhat understandable, but the strange thing is that they were making…

Macedonia

Not for sale

 I found this chicken in a shop in Skopje, Macedonia. The owner of this shop is the master of filigree and now his sons and nephews are helping him to make their intricate works….

Macedonia

Streets of jewellery shops

 The old part of Skopje, the capital city of Macedonia is very similar to the Turkish quarter of Sarajevo. It is like middle eastern bazaar, the town is divided according what the shop sells….

Macedonia

Bagpipe

 I had thought bagpipes were from Scotland, but here in Kratovo in Macedonia, this old man played their local songs by bagpipe for us. Apparently he is the last bagpipe player in the village….

Macedonia

They like Japan

 This is a village called Kratovo in Macedonia. Here the guide and the interpreter were very friendly to me. When the guide found that I was a Japanese, he gave me an extra brochure…

Macedonia

Stay overnight in a monastery

I stayed in a hotel which was a monastery in Italy, but this time we stayed in a monastery itself, St.Joakim Osogovski in Macedonia.I was prepared myself for a very simple basic room…

Macedonia

The first monastery

 We visited a lot of churches and monasteries in this Ancient Macedonia tour we joined. This St.Joakim Osogovski  is the first monastery we visited and situated in a mountain in Macedonia near the border…

Bulgaria

Changing of the guards

 This is the ceremony of changing of the guards in Sofia, Bulgaria. They are protecting the Presidency. According to our guide,  the president is a kind of symbol. She said ‘ I don’t think…

Bulgaria

Icon Worship

 Aleksandur Nevski Church is the largest church in Sofia, Bulgaria. It took 30 years to build from 1882. It can contain 5000 people, apparently. Our guide said that Bulgarian people are not so religious,…