When I’m in a foreign country, I always try to do a plus-one (+1): scope out a neighboring country. Bulgaria was my +1 from Turkey. But then Bulgaria also needed a +1 — so I crossed over into Skopje, North Macedonia. But Macedonia is also entitled to its +1. So, it’s on to Kosovo. Anyone see a problem with this strategy…? 🙂
A fun trivia fact from my tour guide, for my Polish audience: The Macedonian spelling of their country is Makedonia. The Polish word for poppy is mak — which originated because at one time, Makedonia was a primary source of opium poppy.
12 responses to “Scoping Out Skopje”
Basia, just look at you go girl…Spontaneous. Making many quick decisions. Applying your love of new places and travel to this unplanned diversion. What a joy it is to see you taking this disappointment and turning it into a glorious opportunity.
Thanks Joan. I think some of your quick decision-making must have rubbed off on me! 🙂
Love the shades of gray in your shots with vertical pops of blue.
Sounds like a great plan. In language acquisition theory is model called I+1 ( Input+1 Stephen Krashen). Maybe you have created a travel theory of P+1. Is the goal to be always moving in the same direction or do you rotate the direction.?
Great culinary trivia especially in December and for Wigilia, but wait, wait, there was a Macedonia as part of Greece in antiquity about a 1000 years before Poland even came into existence. Cos sie tutaj nie uklada. Maybe your tour guide already had too much mak.
But that just reinforces the trivia. The Macedonia of antiquity was an opium source, and when Poland came along, they bought opium from them, and named it after the country they were trading with. It would only be a problem if the opposite was true — that Poland (and its language) were here first, and Macedonia came later.
Now we are really getting into the weeds. The word for mak in Macedonian ( as well as in Russian) is also mak. There is something missing here. I am thinking these might be false parallels. I’ll go get some mak from Three Brothers this weekend and see if I have clearer understanding.
If you eat enough mak, all of life’s mysteries will soon be revealed.
It’s at least “often” that a Zen approach to life works well. That is , as my mom or dad would say trezba bracz życie jak ono idzie. who know you may have been saved from a hurricane at sea.
Keep your plus one going until you run out of places to go –
Your parents always had the appropriate sayings for life! 🙂
Interesting
Always happy to share interesting tidbits!
No problem. Sounds like a Plan B solution to me.
You’re right! I will carry on…