Snails, Islands and Timber-Frame Houses 06/28/2010
Guess what? Our couch finally did move a little:) Well not our couch per se, but we did. These past 5 days we've been at our 100yr old house in the mountains just up from Bitola, in the village called Magarevo which is just at the edge of one of Macedonia's (if not the) most beautiful national parks - Pelister. We come here once in a while in the wintertime and quite more often in the summertime, always with visions of absolute laziness, sun-soaking and long uphill hikes. In practice, our stays here are a mix of really hardcore garden work, the occasional home improvement project and (really towards the end of our days) a couple of lazy morning hours, book gulping and rakija-induced afternoon naps. Despite the blisters on our hands and the really embarrassing tan lines that reek of fieldwork, and no matter how short our stay in this little getaway, we openly daydream about moving to the countryside where we'll blend in with the local folks that live beyond 90, wake up to the sound of birds, eat from our vegetable garden, and perhaps even get used to the idea of sketchy TV reception, no neighbors to steal wireless from and the ever-present village gossip.
Add Comment Right in the middle of last week, a very refreshing multicultural wind blew through our house, temporarily alleviating the heat horror that was Skopje. While we were melting at temperatures dangerously approaching 40C and tried limiting our need to step out of the house to a minimum, 2 extremely ambitious souls were making their way around the Balkans with trains and buses (I shudder at the thought of being in a bus in that weather). The heat was so unbearable that for the first time in our CS hosting history we couldn't muster up the strength to go and wait for our guests at the bus station. As I wrote an sms to them explaining which bus to take, into which direction and how to ask the driver for help with getting off at the right stop, I kept thinking "oh, this is a bad idea". If you know me you know that I have issues with control and the public bus system in Skopje completely throws me off.
One unusually warm and sunny day in February, we were anxiously awaiting Dominique. And I should tell you, Dominique was not just any couchsurfing guest. He is, to our great delight, a very talented illustrator from Montpellier, France.
Dom came to Skopje via Sofia after a long trip that went all the way to Armenia....and was going to continue traveling around the Balkans only to end up in Romania, sometime in March, to live and work on a Wwoof farm. Its so amazing when a) guests arrive on Friday afternoons b) they are extremely talented and c) the weather is great all weekend. Having guests during the work week is always accompanied by a somewhat bitter taste when they leave - there's often simply not enough time to do stuff together...but on weekends...and when global warming gives us a spectacularly gorgeous day in February, just perfect for long walks and outdoor coffees...life is plain awesome. . |


