Know your country and love it more Part 2

What was meant to be a quiet Saturday devoted to recuperating from a hectic couple of weeks turned into a hedonistic shopping trip to Kumanovo. At the begining of the week with a friend we pondered over the idea of going hiking to Skopska Crna gora or Shara. However as the week progressed I felt more tired and less willing to go hiking. In other words, if you can keep a secret, I missed my wounded Skopjence. I had the need for urban living. So, the weekend started, naturally with a birthday party and it progressed into a lazy late lovely Saturday morning followed by a laid-back coffee in Laika (lovely things start in the letter "L"). Drinking lemon tonic under the linden tree the phone rang almost unexpectedly. The key words were simple Let's go Shoes Kumanovo SHOES SHOES maybe lunch SHOES SHOES SHOES. (at least that's what I heard) and  pick up 10 minutes. I reacted instinctively, not on the word "shoes" but on "Let's go". half an hour later we were rolling on the road under the blazing sun through the hilly green to the different state of mind. (Can you keep a secret? What I find most unusual about this country is its capacity to hold so many different dimensions, mentalities and manners of thinking and speaking despite the tiny space it occupies. It's like every dialect is a world to itself). And we arrived.

Inquiring can take you far. After getting lost in an outskirt of the town we plucked up the courage to ask for directions to the Shoe Shops. And they were found and shoes and bags bought.

Shopska and rakija

The high sun reminded us that it was time for rakia and shopska and other earthly pleasures. After another inquiry we found our way through the narrow streets to "Baba Cana" and the magic started again. Rakija and shopska and the buds of April in the neighboring gardens. courgettes with garlic and grilled cheese and the colourful flowerpots bulging with life. I will not talk about the barbacue and the meat. The baked rib was so delicious that I have forgotten the taste of the rest of the meat.

Finally, it was not just the beauty of the town somewhere in the middle of the Balkans nor the taste of the food. It was also the company you keep the laugh that we have the songs that we sing simply to annoy.

Back in dear Skopjence and we explored the dusk and the night of the Old Bazaar with the lovely cacophony of people and not so lovely cacophony of too loud a music. And after 12 hours away from my flat it was time to head home.