A week in Macedonia

A week in Macedonia (as an election observer) was such a pleasant interlude. It just has so many nice things that one struggles to find in Kosovo. Within minutes of arriving, I am drinking Skopsko with an old friend in the Cuban bar, eating hot buffalo wings and a rocket and parmesan salad. Just normal nice things, in a pleasant atmosphere. The city is so much cleaner than Prishtina. Why cannot city governments in Kosovo manage to provide such basic services when everywhere else in the region can? In Skopje I feel relaxed and contented in a way that I never do in Prishtina, where life always seems to be about endurance, devoid of pleasure.

There are, of course, some negative aspects. The temporary metal wall along the river embankment, blocking off the views for all the riverside cafes (including the Cuban bar) is an eyesore. It's to enable trucks to drive along to a building site on the edge of the main square. New buildings on the square fill people with apprehension. Do the construction tycoons care about the aesthetics of the square? It is not the most beautiful square, it must be acknowledged. But it is a lively central space, a focus for the city. Will they improve it, or spoil it, as they have already spoiled the old bridge?

And then there was Ohrid and Struga. Deep snow, blocked roads and soggy feet. And then spring sunshine, lunch by the lakeside and a stroll through the old town of Ohrid, with snow-capped mountains in the distance. What a scene, what a rest for the mind.