Into Macedonia & the town of Bitola

"Change money?" asked the ice cream seller to let us know we were now in Eastern Europe, as we sheltered from the uninhibited curiosity of downtown Bitola. It was Saturday lunchtime cafe society on the wide pedestrianised boulevard and we were the entertainment.

Booked into the wonderfully named Tokin House, on Marks i Engels St. just off Marshall Tito St! A further Iron Curtain moment occurred in the ultra modern supermarket. Due to non-recognition by the computer I was told it was not possible to have the cake I wanted and had to make do with another flavor that was selected for me.

Not having done our homework we knew little about Macedonia, including the value of its currency. Using the ATM did not help as it just gave us a choice of various quantities of Dinari so we had to guess a value from supermarket prices. Went for a slap-up birthday meal costing a whopping 1000 Dinari which we later found out to be 12 Quid.

Enjoyed the chilled atmosphere of Bitola with its tree lined streets and setting, nestling beneath the high mountains so we stayed a second night. We became part of the cafe set, sitting outside the Jazz bar and watching the world go by. By midnight its 100% stilettos except for 5 refusniks wearing trainers, but I'm assured they will be sent for re-education so they can fit in with the post-communist world.