ith the increasing alti- Macedonia four days earlier in the moun- with red tile roofs. On the edge of town, an tude, the humid oak tain town of Kruševo with my guide for the ascent led us around ski slopes and to the woods gave way to the first part of the trip, Christine Moore, a U.S. resort’s only ski lodge, and to the other side smooth bare moun- Peace Corps volunteer from Los Angeles. of the mountain and a mammoth downhill taintops of the Galicica Christine had lived in Macedonia for three that would take us into the wooded valley National Park in south- years, advising start-up companies and of the Crna River. Wern Macedonia. learning the language. While we remained above 4,000 feet, The strain of the climb was over, and Along with other volunteers, Christine the temperature was pleasant for cycling. MacedoniaStory and photosCourts by Paul Bike Lamarra Travel the road rounded the final bend to reach was instrumental in encouraging a young However, the valley floor that lay far below the summit of the 5,250-foot pass between entrepreneur, Zoran Grozdanovski, in set- us was already hidden in a heat-dancing haze. Lake Prespa and Lake . ting up Cycle Macedonia, the company The thrilling downhill made for an Now, above the treeline and in the cooler running my tour, and getting it to the excellent start, and the guilt that I felt air, I was pedaling freely. I had only a dim for not having earned it passed readily. memory of my sweaty struggle with the Besides, the easy start was only part of the eight miles of loosely coiled road that took reason we started from Kruševo. me from the shores of Lake Prespa and sev- To understand Kruševo, what went eral miles in each direction across wooded on there, and why it is so important to slopes before it made its final approach into Macedonians is to understand modern the neck of the pass. Macedonia and its predicament. Once in the narrow pass, I looked up Small and landlocked, the modern repub- to the crest for signs of Macedonia’s once- lic is but a small part of the all-conquering tense border with Albania — a country ancient kingdom of Macedonia that was that 20 years ago was a tightly controlled ruled in the 4th century BCE by the father hermit state in the North Korean mold. of Alexander the Great. The biggest part of On the way, I counted fewer than six cars the ancient kingdom now lies in Greece and and not one fellow cyclist. The handful of the rest in neighboring Bulgaria.

people enjoying a barbecue dinner by the As a result, Greece regards the current casey greene side of the road looked at me with incredu- state of Macedonia as an anomaly and lity and made unintelligible comments that stage where it was ready to accept paying vociferously objects to its choice of name. nevertheless sounded encouraging. customers. Thanks to Greece, Macedonia has struggled Despite being late September, it had Perhaps the poorest country in Europe, for recognition since the 1991 break up of been a very hot day, and I had lingered Macedonia is still coming to terms with the the Yugoslav republic. over lunch in the shade of a closed bar by collapse of the Socialist Federal Republic of Using its veto, Greece has blocked a beach on Lake Prespa, hoping that the Yugoslavia, of which it was a constituent Macedonia’s membership in the European temperature, which was approaching 100 republic. Every idea to get the economy Union and NATO. Anxious to compromise, degrees, would subside. moving is a classic chicken-and-egg situa- Macedonia changed its flag and was admit- When I eventually set off alone late tion — that is, which comes first, the visi- ted under the provisional name of the in the afternoon, I was worried that I tors or the investment? former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia or wouldn’t make the summit before dusk and Peace Corps volunteers aware of the FYROM for short. The U.S. is one of the few I’d miss the view. work of Adventure Cycling back home hit governments that recognizes Macedonia as Elated to arrive before nightfall, I dal- on the idea of introducing Macedonia to its offical name. lied at the summit. There I looked down on cycle touring as the best way of building To steer around such controversies, 3,000 feet below to watch a pas- on what was already there. Macedonia considers the relatively recent senger ferry heading out of the Albanian Progress has been made and several suc- Ilinden Uprising of 1903 that took place in port of Pogradec, creating a white wake in cessful tours have taken place, but when Kruševo against the long-ruling and often the deep blue water. we wheeled our bicycles out into the small brutal Ottoman Empire to be the pivotal On the hillsides around me, an alchemist square behind the church in Kruševo, it moment in its history. was at work as the short yellowish grass was clear that the sight of a bicycle loaded For 10 days, rebel fighters held out glowed golden in the fading sunlight. Only up with panniers still had the potential to against the Ottomans, and for 10 days, when the sinking sun grazed the moun- cause a stir. Kruševo was a free republic. Inevitably, tains on the Albanian side of the lake did The men drinking coffee in the café under however, the rebellion was crushed and the I remount and give in to the indulgence of the lime tree put down their cups and turned rebels martyred. the 12-mile glide downhill through the rap- to look, and the street sweeper stopped Every year on August 2, Macedonians idly cooling air to Trpejca — a traditional gathering up the fallen leaves to lean on his make a pilgrimage to Kruševo and its fishing village. broom and stare. Only the butcher, who was mountaintop memorial to celebrate their The perfect day ended within earshot adding up his sales on a stool outside his independence. More than that, it has been of the lapping waters and with a delicious store, remained engrossed in his task. decided that the town will remain in a meal, which included the lake’s renowned When we had loaded up with snacks 1903 time warp. Walking the streets of freshwater trout and a tall cool beer. and fruit, we set off downhill on a narrow Kruševo will reveal craftsmen working as I had begun my six-day tour of western street lined with bright white villas topped they would have done over a century ago. The blacksmith works between his anvil offered hospitality, we were often expected country?” He was, coincidentally, the only Despite being the only cyclists on the and his hearth, and the cooper shapes his to offer in return an opportunity for them other cyclist I encountered on the trip. road, we were, for the most part, given our wooden barrels by hand. to explain themselves and their country. For much of the first day, we were to space. Only one horn-tooting truck driver Equipped with my bluffer’s guide to the Such heartfelt discussion, however, was remain on the main road, level with the took exception to our presence. Ilinden Uprising and some understanding never conducted aggressively. river that flowed through the valley. In a Among the roofless and doorless cars, of Macedonia’s fraught relationship with its One man who had given us advice country with few roads, a certain amount the trucks of dubious roadworthiness, the neighbors, I was ready for the strong opin- and apples shouted after us as we cycled of doubling back was inevitable, and we donkeys laden with firewood, and men on ions that would be forcefully expressed away, “Macedonia is the most beautiful, headed north first to a famous trout restau- horseback towing a packhorse carrying all throughout my trip. Macedonia is mentioned in the Bible, rant by the babbling brook at Babino, then their worldly goods, it was hard to feel odd Traveling by bicycle, you are nothing Macedonia is the oldest country on earth, south to the 14th-century monastery in the even though we were the novelty. if not accessible. When the Macedonians how can the say Macedonia is not a hills above Slepče. Throughout the trip, our fellow travelers were a constant source of color. In villages heavily-panting dogs would force us to go Nuts & Bolts: Macedonia around, whereas horses running free would move off, let us pass, and then return to While I was in Macedonia, I was monastery is patrolled by pea- When to ride: Summer is very guidebooks to Macedonia. I block the road. the guest of Cycle Macedonia, cocks – a Macedonian national hot and winter can be very cold. used the Lonely Planet Western A family of Roma gypsies traveling in the company set up by Zoran symbol. The ideal times are in June and Balkans guidebook (ISBN 978- the opposite direction made good time Plenty of carbs. If you run out of fuel in Macedonia, it won’t be because of the local fare. Grozdanovski with the assis- September when the tempera- 1-74104-729-5; 2009; $24.99) on a flatbed wagon pulled by a piebald. tance of volunteers from the U.S. Ohrid Bazaar – A colorful daily tures are pleasant and there are which contains one chapter on At the center of the wagon, the matriarch of a bee sting to my lip, we were invited proved maddening to the eye. However, a Peace Corps. extravaganza of food and hard- fewer tourists and cars on the Macedonia. It’s handy if you plan in a colorful headdress provided a proud on a tour of the local firehouse to inspect new highway is popular with the locals so, ware stalls in the Turkish quarter. road, especially around Lake on also visiting nearby Kosovo, figurehead. their newly acquired fire tenders donated we had the old road to ourselves. I joined a shortened version of Look out for the cycling tea boys Ohrid. Serbia, and Albania. It includes a As it was September, the fields were also by a fire service in Sussex, England. They Once we were on the west side of their standard tour that involves carrying trays of sweet mint tea guide to the Cyrillic alphabet. full of men and women working hard to were, however, clearly disappointed that Pelister Peak heading south towards Greece six days of cycling and two rest and strong coffee to the sur- How to get there: The contro- bring in the apples and the tobacco, which my sting did not produce an allergic reac- and Albania on the road by Lake Prespa, days, although there are cycling rounding offices. versially named Alexander the Other information: Major cred- they would hang in garlands by the side of tion and that the blue-light dash to the the minarets of mosques outnumbered the options available on rest days if Great airport serves the capital it cards are widely accepted and the road to dry on barn walls. local hospital was not required. domes of Orthodox churches, and the regu- you’d like. Tsar Samuil’s fortress, Ohrid . It is the only airport that free Wi-Fi is often available. Whenever we stopped by the roadside When we were able to stay in the saddle, lar calls to prayer often rang in our ears. – Wonderful crenulated walls can properly be considered to collect our thoughts or drink deeply the cycling was rarely unpleasant, and Only on this beautiful but empty black- The tour is 171 miles and starts enclose the old fort. The views of international. It is modern and Food: Sopska salata – Mixed from our bottles, we soon had company. I found that the guidebook warnings of top road did the road signs express the des- in Kruševo to the south west of the lake are incredible. Legend easy to use. Served by only a salad with tomatoes and cucum- The Roma would stop to discuss their end- numerous reckless drivers were wide of tinations in both the Cyrillic and the Latin Skopje and ends in the ancient has it that when Samuil’s forces few airlines, there are no direct ber served under a snowdrift of less peregrinations across Europe in search of the mark. alphabets. On all other occasions, I had to city of Ohrid. were defeated in battle by the transatlantic flights and it will be sirenje white cheese (resembles work, and farmhands would approach to On almost every road, the older cob- defer to Christine to know where we were Ottomans, 14,000 captured sol- necessary to connect through feta but don’t ever make the make a spontaneous gift of apples. bled road underneath threatened to burst and where we were going. Highlights: Bitola – Second diers were blinded. Only one in Paris, Amsterdam, or Berlin. comparison). Always served with At times, I felt that my journey resem- through the asphalt. On the high road near As touring cyclists, we blended easily biggest city in Macedonia it is every 100 was allowed to keep raki, a white or yellow vodka-like bled an anxiety dream in which I never Pelister Peak (the highest peak of Baba with the hodgepodge of vehicles we found known as the City of Consuls. one eye to lead the rest home. Skopje is connected to London spirit. reached my destination. Stopping at a gro- Mountain) between Bitola and Lake Prespa, on the roads, and I would like to think that Bitola was where the world’s Luton airport by Wizz Air cery store for supplies and some advice the road remained for the most part in its our philosophy of promoting a low-impact diplomats to the Ottoman Empire Sveta Sofia, Ohrid – 11th-centu- although be aware that London Ajvar – A must-taste dish. Red resulted in an invitation to enjoy a cup of original cobbled state. means of intimate travel, by which you gathered. Some of the neoclassi- ry church contains frescos from Luton is some distance to the peppers scorched on a wood- mint tea in the storekeeper’s cool garden. When climbing, the cobbled surface determinedly make the best of things, fit cal embassies survived the WW the Byzantine period. north of London and not really burning stove are then peeled There we met her daughter, her son-in-law, added at least 10 percent to the effort well with the Macedonians’ ethos of simple I bombardment. The Širok Sokak convenient unless you are plan- and cooked down into a thick and her garrulous grandchildren. that was required, and on the furiously kindness, especially for weary travelers. remains a vibrant thoroughfare — Gear: The bikes provided had ning a stay in city. There are paste, a process that takes 24 The next day in Resen, when I stopped fast downhill to Lake Prespa, the curv- Hotels are rare, and I think the experi- a great place to have coffee and chunky off-road tires, the suspen- direct flights from Amsterdam hours. Here, you’ll see many local for an ice cream to reduce the swelling ing arrangement of the small cobblestones ence of taking a room in a Macedonian people watch. sion was too soft and it couldn’t to Ohrid’s St. Paul the Apostle women on the shores of Lake be locked out. Both came in airport. Ohrid. Heraclea – Much of the 4th handy for the teeth chattering century BCE city of Heraclea cobblstoned sections but prob- Buses linking Skopje with Ohrid Trout – the demand for the is under the modern day city of ably aren’t appropriate for the are frequent and very cheap — famously red flesh of the Lake Bitola. Extensive remains and the most part. Cycling is relatively around $6. Journey time is typi- Ohrid trout has led to overfish- Roman amphitheater can be vis- new to Macedonia but the coun- cally 3:30 to 4 hours. ing. Ask for farmed trout if you ited on a short detour from Bitola. try is working hard to get things want to conserve stocks. The right. Consider taking your own Maps: I was unable to find any are known to fish it Sveti Naum – Reached by boat rear panniers or rack pack. detailed maps of Macedonia, but using dynamite. the Saint Naum monastery at my guide, Christine, relied on the southern end of Lake Ohrid For more information about Cycle Google Maps. Tavce gravce – A thick, oven- dates from the 16th century. Macedonia, visit cycle baked, white-bean stew in a pork Listen at the grave of Saint Naum macedonia.com. Books: There is not yet a gravy – my favorite. for his muffled heartbeat. The well-developed selection of

14 ADVENTURE CYCLIST FEBRUARY 2013 ADVENTURECYCLING.ORG ADVENTURE CYCLIST FEBRUARY 2013 ADVENTURECYCLING.ORG 15 In the early-morning gloom, I was awak- ened by the sound of soft voices sing- ing in an ancient monastic harmony that Bicycle Tour Operators / Advertisers resembled Gregorian chant. The monks Listed below are the bicycle tour companies that advertise in We can’t necessarily vouch for them, but feel their support makes and nuns emerged from shadowy corners Adventure Cyclist. Besides supporting this magazine and Adventure them worthy of highlighting here. A more comprehensive list of tour and processed across the courtyard to the Cycling Association with advertising dollars, they’re willing to invest operators is available at adventurecycling.org/cyp. church at its center. money to be seen by Adventure Cyclist readers. Many wars in the past have disrupted this continuity, but newer generations have Adventure Cycling Association CanBiCuba Great Explorations POMG rediscovered it. Macedonia is looking for adventurecycling.org/tours canbicuba.com great-explorations.com pomgbike.com 800-755-2453 011 (53) 7 832 4809 800-242-1825 888-635-2453 the features of its past that will justify its future. I doubt that cycle touring will have Adventure Corp Carolina Tailwinds Great Freedom Adventures Senior Cycling Tours much impact on the country’s future, but I adventurecorps.com carolinatailwinds.com greatfreedomadventures.com seniorcycling.com 888-251-3206 877-545-1864 540-668-6307 do believe cycling will enhance rather than Adventure South detract from its progress, and perhaps it advsouth.co.nz Charleston Bicycle Tours Historical Trails Cycling Sockeye Cycle Co. 866-479-9827 charlestonbicycletours.com historicaltrailscycling.com Alaska Bicycle Tours will persuade Macedonians to keep certain 800-408-1830 402-499-0874 cyclealaska.com America By Bicycle things as they are. 877-292-4154 I left Macedonia convinced that it is a abbike.com Classic Adventures Independent Tourist 888-797-7057 classicadventures.com independenttourist.com Symbiosis Custom Travel destination well suited to cycle touring, 800-777-8090 866-269-9913 symbiosis-travel.com Bike and Cruise Tours Daily chores. A Macedonian woman cleans her fishing nets on the shores of Lake Ohrid. and I know that as awareness grows many +44 (0) 845 123 2844 bikeandcruise.com CrossRoads Iron Donkey more two-wheeled tourists will follow. For 239-431-6219 crossroadscycling.com irondonkey.com Tour d’Afrique home was useful because it kept us among weary travelers who had done so over the the time being at least, Macedonia remains 800-971-2453 +44 2890 813200 tourdafrique.com Bike Switzerland the Macedonians rather than separate and, previous seven centuries. a travel rather than a tourist destination, 416-364-8255 bikeswitzerland.com Cycle America Links Bike Tours perhaps, above them. The room was basic, the bathrooms were and experiencing it by bike will leave you +41(0)78-601-69-57 cycleamerica.com linksbiketours.com Timberline Adventures When we pushed our bikes through the outside, and the single shower was over a open to its charms. 800-245-3263 timbertours.com Bike The West Mountainside Bike Tours very narrow 14th-century gateway of the lopsided iron bath. In a stern warning, the 800-417-2453 Paul Lamarra (@paullamarra) is a former news report- bikethewest.com Cycle Canada mountainsidebiketours.net Sveti Jovan Preteca Monastery in search of priest told us to return from dinner before 800-565-2704 cyclecanada.com 301-722-4887 TradNatura Sport er for The Sunday Times turned travel writer. He is a bed for the night, I liked to think that we 9:00 PM, for that was when he released the 800-214-7798 cycling-tours-in-hungary.com the author of The Ultimate Scottish Cycling Book. Bike Tours Direct PAC Tour 00-36-1-2758490 were no different from other grateful and hounds. We were, and he did. biketoursdirect.com Escapades Bike Tours pactour.com 877-462-2423 escapadesbiketours.com 262-736-2453 Vacation Bicycling 877-880-2453 vacationbicycling.com Blue Marble Travel Pedal & Sea Adventures 404-909-8034 bluemarble.org Experience Plus! pedalandseaadventures.com 201-465-2567 experienceplus.com 877-777-5699 Vesta Velo Cycling 800-685-4565 Tours for Women Bubba’s Pampered Pedalers Pedalers Pub & Grille vestavelo.com bubbaspamperedpedalers.com Freewheeling Adventures pedalerspubandgrille.com 603-986-1173 321-759-3433 freewheeling.ca 877-998-0008 800-672-0775 West Canada Bike Tours canadabiketours.ca 250-358-2153 Woman Tours womantours.com 800-247-1444 PLANNING A CYCLING TRIP TO SWITZERLAND OR FRENCH ALPS ? Let us help: Guided and independent trips across Switzerland BMC road bike rentals Maps, GPS, Swiss cycling gear greg s ipl e

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