Day 11 - Skopje and Kosovo
- manicmondeo
- Jun 9
- 2 min read
Southern Serbia looked beautiful as we powered to the North Macedonia border, where we were slightly stiffed for €50. The border guard didn’t accept our insurance policy as insurance and insisted we bought a green card. We explained that our insurer told us we didn’t need it, but he kept our passports and told us to come back with local insurance. Ian’s haggling was limited. There was a 15-day option for €50 and he asked if there was a one-day pass. There wasn’t. He handed over the large note and we moved on.
Craig had been to Skopje for a week some years ago. It’s safe to say it’s changed. Shining buildings surrounded the river and everywhere that could have a statue had one. The most impressive of these was of Alexander the Great. It absolutely towered above everything else.
Gone were the fresh fruit stalls in the Muslim old quarter. They had been replaced with eateries and souvenir shops. Skopje was much more geared towards tourists but still retained an authentic Balkan atmosphere.
But we weren’t staying here. We’d booked lodgings in a neighbouring country. One where three of us wouldn’t get mobile coverage.
After a game of granite football on the way back to the car, we made our way north. Mountains surrounded us as we approached the border.
A short wait, a €15 payment for local insurance and we were in Kosovo!
This mysterious young country is perhaps most renowned back home as a trouble hotspot. That couldn’t be further from the truth these days. Yes, it’s not been recognised by Serbia, but this beautiful pocket of the Balkans is now Europe’s second-safest country.
Winding past tree-covered hills on a perfectly paved elevated road, Kosovo already felt like nowhere else. The driving into its capital. Prishtina, was interesting. There are no rules at roundabouts. Oh, and Rosemary was stored overnight in a subterranean car park, reached by a lift.
Prishtina was beautiful. Not particularly for its sights, but for its atmosphere. As with everywhere we’ve been, it felt incredibly safe. Families and friends meandered late into the night. There was laidback vibrancy everywhere. The people were wonderful; stylish, unhurried and friendly. It shattered any remaining doubts we had that Kosovo was burgeoning.
There was a slightly surreal feel too. With streets named after people like Bill Clinton and English almost the lingua franca, it felt like somewhere far from Europe. Almost like a bohemian enclave of Thailand or Bali.
The National Library is possibly the standout landmark in the city. It’s weird and looks like a prison. Inaugurated in 1982, it is covered in a metal fishing net, with each of its 99 domes come with their own symbolism.
Prishtina and Kosovo would be missed. Or will they?
Songs of the day
Jim: Straight Out of Compton by Nina Gordon
Jase: Another Girl Another Planet by Only Ones
Craig: Wide Open by Chemical Brothers
Ian: Heresy by Rush
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