A Very Macedonian Easter

While America celebrated Easter on April 8^th, for Eastern Orthodox areas, such as Macedonia, Easter or Велигден, was this past weekend. And Easter here is a multiple day event.

The highlights:

-       Got to check out some of Kamenica's most beautiful Easter eggs

-       Walked around the church with a candle at midnight

-       Woke up Easter morning to the sound of a pig being slaughtered outside my window (for those who have heard pig's being slaughtered before, you know this is not a pleasant way to wake up)

-       Painted my own Easter eggs

-       Lost my battle in the traditional Easter egg cracking contest

-       Spent 8 hours on a na gosti with some students of mine in a neighbouring village

While I could give more descriptions, the pictures captured the event much better.

The church in Kamenica

Inside the church

The Easter Egg Contest: The Opstina put on an Easter egg decorating contest for the first time this year. Below are the entries. Lots of beautiful eggs.

Hiking with my neighbour girl Marija

And neighbour girl Sara

At the church at midnight with neighbour kids

Breaking eggs...who will win!

My candle

Some of my students walking around the church

The clergy walking around the church singing

A couple more students of mine with their candles

Two of my Easter eggs this year- American and Macedonian

At the village of Todoroci

 

чекаи

Life has been incredibly busy lately, hence the lack of updates. I could go back to my old style of updating where the post was about a mile long and didn’t include much detail, but instead, I think I shall try posting an update on each of the last few big things that have gone on, so please bear with me that while I take some time to recover from being gone for over a week and then try to come up with a creative way to represent my life as of late.

Berovo, Macedonia

 This past weekend the weather was absolutely gorgeous outside, so I went to visit one of the other PCVs, Anna who lives in Berovo, a tourist town in Eastern Macedonia. We both wanted to spend some time enjoying the weather and hiking seemed like the perfect option.

In the Center of Berovo

We started our adventure Saturday morning: the two of us, and two of Anna’s students, Tamara and Julija.

Leaving Berovo on the way to Berovo Lake

The road leading to Berovo Lake

The weather was warm, in the 60s and sunny, but despite that, we still encountered some snow as we walked up to Berovo Lake.

The path leading down to the lake

Berovo Lake

Short sleeves!

Looking out over the snow covered lake

We hiked for about 6 hours, going up to the lake, enjoying a coffee drink with some of Skopje’s elite models (you know, what every PCV does on the weekend), and then back down. I had decided I needed to share my mistake of a pineapple, so I brought it with and it was a wonderful post hike snack.

That night we had an amazing late dinner of mixed salad, hot wine, and pastramalija. Anna swears Berovo’s pastramalija is the best, however she is biased as Berovo’s pastramalija has cheese (a true Wisconsin girl). But even without cheese, it was delicious!

Forgot to take a picture before we devoured it, but mixed salad

Hot wine

Anna's favourite pastramalija with cheese

My delicious pastramalija- bez cheese

Sunday morning we continued our hiking and hiked around Berovo. We wandered up to the Roma community, an abandoned summer camp, and through the monastery.

View from the Roma community

The Monastery

Where the nuns live

The entrance to the Monastery

A close-up of the entrance

I am sure this place has an official word, but I don't know it. Its the standing place up high.

The front of the church

The front

Candles lit

Again, probably an official word, but this is a sitting place.

Anna enjoying the sun shining in.

The really old Bibles.

We are pretty sure this one was written in Bulgarian.

The front page of the really old Bulgarian Bible.

Jesus looks pretty much the same here.

The doors leading back to the secret area.

Mini graveyard outside the church.

Cool looking bell

Anna sporting her Packers hat of course!

The reason Berovo is called "Little Switzerland"

Overlooking Berovo

Hiking up the hill to see what is on the other side.

The other side- Abandoned summer cabins.

Of course we explored!

Even if these weren't falling apart, they don't look like much fun to stay in.

The kids have redecorated.

All in all, it was a fabulous weekend. Anna’s apartment was like a resort for me as she has heat, hot water, internet, and cable TV. I was in heaven! Despite our weekend leaving us both a little injured, it was a wonderful time.

Anna's sunburn

My blister. It doubled the size of my pinky toe.