A Stroll Through Veles, Macedonia 🚶 R'levci and Beyond

Howdy folks. 👋 I am a man of my word (most days) and I promised we would continue our journey through R'levci last week. And would you know it - here I am!

Before we go on I will cop paste the preface I gave last time for everyone that didn't read it.

Small Preface: So, you might be asking me "Jocko, why are you in the middle of nowhere?" Astute question fellow reader! I would expect nothing else from a Hiver. Well, to be honest, my sister bought a house in this very remote mountain village. It's an hour's ride away from where I live, and she invited me to visit.

Last week we visited a remote monastery and strolled past many beautiful vistas. This time around we will take a closer look at R'levci itself, its history, and some of the surrounding area.

Get your hiking shoes ready, today is the second part of my journey through this beautiful remote village - Onwards! 🚶

🔷 VILLAGE PEOPLE 🔶

R'levci is a very old village. We're talking like the Ottoman Empire type of old.

For those unaware Macedonia was under the Ottomans' rule for over five centuries. As such, many remote mountain villages sprung up. Where people could live outside of instant Ottoman influence. It was still there, but not ever-present.

R'levci was one of these villages. Most of the village now is in ruins. Not only that but there are bullet holes in almost every house. Some even have ammunition or weapons on the walls. People that lived here were hard, and they protected what was theirs.

As regimes change, so do people's priorities. Macedonia went from Ottoman rule to being split up, to Serbian rule, to finally being independent as a part of Yugoslavia. When this happened, the villagers naturally started to migrate towards the ever-expanding nearby cities. Leaving behind their once hard-fought home.

Nowadays there are around fifty people living in R'levci, and most of them live from the production of honey. There are actually so many bees it's scary at first. 😅 BUt these bees are unlike anything I have ever seen, as they never sting. I guess they have been domesticated for so long that they are used to humans? I dunno, but it's bizarre and wonderful.

The honey is also delicious. And you can get it on the cheap if you know the owners. 😁

🔷 HIKE AROUND 🔶

Not everyone is a beekeeper of course. There are some shepherds and some who produce Rakija - a very strong alcohol. As we hiked, we saw a flock of sheep being tended by a very cute guard dog. I, unfortunately, didn't get a snap of the cute doggie, forgive me.

It was a beautiful day for a walk. The temperature was just right, and the sights were breathtaking.

This walk consisted of me, my sister, her two daughters, and little Gaara. The black dog has become a frequent companion to my posts.

We hiked until we reached a shallow stream that grew into a not-so-shallow stream in springtime. The hills here got too steep for my sister to keep going so we went back.

🔷 CHILLIN' 🔶

Finally, some shots of the house and us resting after the long walk.

I honestly can't wait to get back here. As I get older I find that I miss peace and quiet more and more. There is something about these sanctuaries from the buzz of the modern day that just speaks to me.

I also get to whoop some behinds in cards as well. That's always a plus.

Not sure where we'll go next week, but I reckon I'll find something interesting.

Obligatory shout-out to the 🍕PIZZA🍕 gang, 🤙 gang. 🤙

All pictures taken by me using an iPhone 11. 📱

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Thanks for reading and I hope everyone's week is going well! 🍻