Back from Macedonia..

I've just returned from a truly fascinating time in FYR Macedonia visiting its capital city (Skopje) and the picturesque town of Ohrid. This country really is not like any other I have visited in Europe so far and is an intriguing mix of cultural influences. The crystal clear water of Lake Ohrid is one of the most beautiful spots I have visited and the cobbled (and often steep!) streets on its shore really do feel untouched. Skopje, meanwhile is a vibrant city with lots of history and I was fortunate enough to visit on two beautiful, hot days and I had a great time exploring its city centre. As would be expected I got snapped lots of interesting pictures and have a few stories to tell, all of which can be found HERE. Below is one of my favourite pictures, taken on a gloriously warm evening in Skopje and a little snapshot of my great trip!

A tale of four Swiss cities (Part Four)

Just going to finish off telling my story of my time in lovely Switzerland in preparation for all of the travelling I have to come this year!

The last left of my trip was my shortest as I stopped overnight in Geneva or more accurately - France! No sooner had my train pulled up in Geneva I headed for a bus to take me out of the city into France where my cheaper accommodation awaited! It was surprising to see a very clogged up border crossing as I made my way to Annemasse in France, not the type of borders I'm used to quickly crossing in Europe but a sign of the times I guess...

 My hotel literally was just over the border in France, here was the view from my room!

The following morning was my last in Switzerland before I caught my flight back to London. There was just enough time to head back in to Geneva to have a look at some of the sights of the city. Geneva seemed very different to me from the cities I had visited in Switzerland the previous days. Clearly there was the difference of it being French speaking but its clear walking around the place that it is dominated by its role as a place of political and economic importance, as such there certainly appeared to be much less tourist activity around although the old parts of the city are pleasant to walk around.

Below: The United Nations

There was time for a bit of pizza before heading off to the airport and my short flight back to London City airport.

 My time in Switzerland was an interesting one as I learnt a lot more about its cities and the country as a whole. My favourite two cities were Zurich and Bern because of the amount of interesting and often quirky attractions they had but I saw an appeal in all of the cities I went to and a reflection of the varying cultures within Switzerland. This is certainly a pricey country but somehow I managed to use the best of my travelling abilities to have almost a week here without bursting the bank! This is probably a place where you will couchsurf or consider doing so and it is worth it just to hear a local's view of this diverse country, what I also ended up was two great, free tour guides and now friends who I know I can immediately contact if I plan on returning.

I kept being told over the course of the week how I needed to head to the mountains next time and me being me I'm sure I will head that advice in the near future!