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This is the statue of Metodija Andonov-Čento in the heart of Macedonia Square, so although I hadn’t heard of him, it was evident that he was a nationally important figure. This statue was installed here in 2010 and he was awarded the “Order of the Republic of Macedonia” which sounds rather grand. This all means that because I saw a statue in Skopje, I now want to know all about him. I’d like to suggest that’s because travel broadens the mind, but it’s really because I get very distracted down rabbit holes.

Metodija Andonov-Čento (1902–1957) came from Prilep (now the fourth largest city in Macedonia) and he first emerged politically in the interwar period, when Vardar Macedonia was part of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. He became associated with demands for Macedonian rights, including the use of the Macedonian language, and was imprisoned more than once before the Second World War for activity the authorities regarded as separatist. He was seen as a sub-optimal figure, they didn’t want this nationalism interfering with their wider country which was already a balancing act of different people. In short, the state was already finding him inconvenient and his political career was going to be interesting to say the least.

During the Second World War he refused to collaborate with the Bulgarian occupation authorities and became involved with the Macedonian Partisan movement. His role was largely political rather than military, which is perhaps just as well, as every revolution needs someone who can think beyond the immediate business of running around with rifles and looking purposeful. This is really the sort of thing that I would become involved with, a desk job involving gossip, rather than doing any of the dangerous fighting bit. He duly became part of the wider anti-fascist structures that were shaping the future Yugoslavia, while continuing to press for a stronger Macedonian national position.

His most important moment came in 1944, when he became the first president of the presidium of ASNOM, the Anti-Fascist Assembly for the National Liberation of Macedonia. ASNOM helped establish Macedonia as a republic within the new federal Yugoslavia, making Čento a central figure in modern Macedonian statehood. In normal circumstances this would have been the point at which history rewarded him with a commemorative stamp, a few civic dinners and the right to look solemn in official photographs, but the Balkans rarely arrange things that neatly.

Čento soon once again came into conflict with the Yugoslav communist authorities, particularly over the question of Macedonian autonomy and the idea of a united Macedonia. He wanted a much more independent Macedonian political path than the one acceptable to Belgrade and the new communist leadership in Skopje. In 1946 he was arrested, tried and sentenced to eleven years in prison on charges linked to separatism and alleged anti-Yugoslav activity. It was very much a show trial and Čento was out of favour.

He was released in poor health in 1955 which at least showed some vague attempt at kindness and he died in Prilep in 1957, an outcast figure whose name was unlikely to go down in history. But that logic fell apart when the communists were thrown out of office and attitudes changed quickly when North Macedonia became independent. The 1946 verdict was overturned and he was rehabilitated as a major figure in Macedonian national history and he is now seen as a hero of the people. The victors get to write history and all that, although in Čento’s case the posthumous editorial board appears to have made some substantial revisions.

Macedonia Square is the grand, theatrical heart of Skopje, full of statues, fountains, wide open space and a clear sense that nobody involved was aiming for understatement. It also has these exciting holes to surprise and delight (well, maybe not delight) any unsuspecting pedestrians….

For my first trip to Skopje I booked a hotel near the airport as the flight arrived late and it seemed the most efficient thing to do. Another handy advantage is that they offered a free shuttle from the airport and the hotel dog also came along to say hello.

I didn’t get very many photos as the whole arrangement of airport pick-up was so efficient that I walked from the terminal to the car. The check-in was swift, the staff member was friendly and the room was clean, cool and modern looking.

The bathroom arrangement, all very comfortable.

As an aside, this in my view is the best kind of tea, nice fruit flavoured tea.

The view in the morning from the hotel room.

I only realised in the morning that I had a balcony which had views over the local countryside and the hotel’s tennis courts. It is always slightly pleasing to discover an amenity after the event, like finding a bonus feature on a DVD, for those of us old enough to remember when that sentence meant anything.

Breakfast was included and I could pick anything from the menu.

I opted for the bacon and eggs with an espresso, all very agreeable it was too. They suggested sitting outside and that seemed like a pleasant option and there were no annoying insects out there to annoy me.

The helpful staff member gave me a book about the city to read during breakfast. There I was, eating bacon, drinking coffee and apparently bettering myself.

The interior of the hotel was modern, clean and welcoming, it’s quite a new arrangement and the online reviews are very positive.

One thing that was looking to be a little complex is that I needed to get back to the airport to get the airport bus into central Skopje. Fortunately, the hotel offered a cheap shuttle run straight into the city centre for me, dropping me off at the museum that I wanted to start my little expedition around Skopje from.

I’d certainly stay here again if I come back to Skopje, which I’m sure I will at some point. Fast communications, friendly staff members, a clean environment, a welcoming atmosphere, a comfortable room and a decent breakfast. All really very lovely, and with a hotel dog as well, which is the sort of extra facility booking websites should really start listing properly.

This isn’t the better known clock on the front of the former Skopje railway station building, but it shares the same time of 05:17 which is when the earthquake hit the city on 26 July 1963, killing over 1,000 people. This clock was located in the front desk hall of the railway station and was produced by Siemens in 1938 ready for the newly redesigned building. Under normal circumstances, it would probably have disappeared without ceremony, either thrown away, reused somewhere else or quietly lost in the sort of municipal storage arrangement from which objects rarely return.

As I have far too much imagination at times, I stood in the museum wondering how many people looked at this clock and were annoyed that they have missed their train. I’m fortunate to not have more things to worry about I think…..

Aneta Svetieva (1944-) is a Macedonian artist, sculptor and ethnologist who lives and works in Skopje. She studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Belgrade, later gained a doctorate in ethnology and became known for work often rooted in clay, memory, folklore and Macedonian cultural traditions. I’m not sure what to note about this artwork from 1983, but it was certainly noticeable when I was walking around the museum. A wonderfully expressive head, wide eyes, an anxious mouth and a look that suggests that the figure has decided that the modern world is broadly unsatisfactory.I rather liked it…..

I thought that staying on a boat in the city centre of Skopje looked exciting and since I’m easily pleased, that’s what I opted for. It looked impressive from the outside and it’s permanently moored there which is reassuring as I would have wondered where I was if they had repositioned my accommodation.

The reception area was a bit opulent, this felt like somewhere Richard would stay, although he’d want to be in the VIP area away from ordinary people. There was a friendly welcome from the receptionist and it all seemed suitably relaxed and informal.

All rather lovely.

Meandering down the corridors and it made me forget that I was staying on a boat in a landlocked country.

The room and I was pleased to see that I had a view over the Vardar River. It was sufficiently spacious with the en suite being reasonably large and there was a desk and chair. Most importantly, there was air conditioning which was essential as I might not have mentioned this, but it was too hot in Skopje. But, of course, I don’t want my preferred operating temperature being the major narrative of this blog.

I wasn’t tempted by any of it, but there was a mini-bar in the room.

The upstairs dining area. There was no movement evident from the water, this boat has been securely moored and so there was no risk of getting seasick.

Some of the breakfast selection, which was included in the room rate.

And some more.

In addition to the cold items, there was also some cooked hot options as well.

I opted for the bacon and eggs. That dessert on the left hand side was rather lovely, I had another one of those…..

Anyway, I thought that this was all very agreeable, the room rate was more than I’d usually pay at around £60, but it was something a little different and it was very central. And although ‘hotel boat in Skopje’ hadn’t been part of my life planning until a few days ago, I could get used to going to sleep whilst listening to a river thundering by.

The Boatmen of Thessaloniki, or Gemidžii, might initially sound like the RNLI or something, but they were a small group of young Macedonian anarchist revolutionaries who carried out a series of bombings in Thessaloniki in 1903, when the city was still under Ottoman control. Their targets included banks, ships, railways and other symbols of Ottoman power, with the intention of forcing international attention onto the Macedonian question. It was neither gentle nor subtle, but they are now remembered as visionary revolutionaries, and I suppose handing out pamphlets politely outside a railway station would probably not have had quite the same geopolitical impact.

This monument, near to the Stone Bridge, was unveiled in July 2010 and shows the group in a suitably heroic and restless pose. The figures are shown with bags, books and purposeful expressions, making the whole arrangement feel less like a quiet memorial and more like a revolutionary team photograph in bronze. It’s hardly understated, but then there are tens of these huge sculptures around the city centre, so this needed to have the same importance to avoid it looking apologetic……

This is the Memorial House of Mother Teresa and it’s in Skopje because this is where she was born in 1910, when the city was still part of the Ottoman Empire. She was born Anjezë Gonxhe Bojaxhiu and spent her early life here before leaving as a young woman to join the Sisters of Loreto. The memorial stands close to the site of the church where she was baptised, linking it to her childhood and religious beginnings. The church fell down in the 1963 earthquake but it has since been replaced by a more modern building, on which more in a later post.

As for the design of this building, it was meant to represent a typical residential house, although it all looks to me a little out of place. There’s an odd circular staircase to get to the museum and I’m entirely sure why that couldn’t have been on the ground floor, although they’ve made the gift shop the priority and I suspect that’s the actual reason.

This is the small museum which is free of charge to enter and which is meant to commemorate Mother Teresa’s life.

Other than for copies of numerous documents (they were marked as copies to be fair, but it would have been nice to have a few original documents from somewhere), I can’t note that there’s a great deal actually here. I understand that her finger was sent by the Pope to reside in the chapel here, although that’s not entirely what I wanted from a museum.

A photo of the young Mother Teresa from 1926.

And a handy biography of Mother Teresa, but I’m not sure that I learned a great deal about her work from this museum set-up. I’m also a little unsure of the whole Mother Teresa story as I have a great deal of sympathy towards the late Christopher Hitchens and he effectively labelled her as something of a fraud. It appears that as often things are much more complex than that, but she did appear to believe in redemptive suffering which isn’t perhaps entirely ideal when operating hospices and hospitals.

Anyway, it was an interesting way to spend a few minutes and it’s well reviewed with a large number of people suggesting that they found it inspirational, and who am I to deny religious fervous?

After an hour spent hiking around a fortress, more on which later, I decided that I’d have a traditional Macedonian dish of tacos and beer at the local Mexican restaurant. Well, perhaps not entirely traditional, unless there is a little-known chapter of Balkan culinary history that I have yet to uncover. I remain open to evidence though if that means trying more food.

The main menu with a broad selection of dishes. My usual Mexican dish of fajitas was only listed on the menu as being for two people and I didn’t want to appear greedy by ordering that. Although I did privately wonder why they supplied five tortillas if it was for two people.

And the drinks menu. The decor was slightly polished and urban, with everything feeling clean and organised.

Guacamole and the local Skopsko lager to start with, a beer that was clean, crisp and refreshing in this extreme heat. I’m not sure that there was a great deal of subtlety to the beer, but sometimes just something cold is sufficient.

And the main of grilled chicken tacos with a Paulaner Weissbier, one of German’s better beer styles in my humble opinion. The chicken was tender, the portion size was generous and there was a depth of flavour to the whole arrangement.

I would have done with being even closer to the air conditioning, but I eventually down in what I considered to be dangerously high temperatures and would define as a hostile operating environment for me. But, away from temperature based comments, the server was helpful and efficient, with the prices being reasonable for what appears to be quite an on-trend restaurant. The crowd seemed to be generally younger and there were locals and tourists all in the mix, with the atmosphere feeling suitably laid-back and welcoming.