views from Mt. Korab on Albanian, Rep. of Macedonian border

I am not very meticulous about planning our family vacations and this year was no exception. We reserved flights to Sofia, Bulgaria with a rough idea of traveling west into the Republic of Macedonia, then perhaps south into Greece. In the past this was unheard as I loved leafing through travel guides and magazines dedicating hours to real or imaginary trips. But in our family, plans are pushed, moved and forgotten so it never resembles the original. After resisting for years, I just wing it-completely. And this of course can lead to some interesting adventures.

Views from Mt. Titov Vrv in Rep. of Macedonia

Our trips evolve unexpectedly and sometimes even we are surprised at where we find ourselves- on top of Mt. Olympus in late afternoon, eating white cheese in a shepherd’s hut, camping on a secluded beach in Greece or trying to reverse on a steep mountain road with cows blocking the way.

On one such day we arrived at a dilapidated ski village near the Albanian border. As English is not the lingua franca in these parts, sign language and body contortions led us to a ski chateau with its eerily empty halls and scary plumbing¹. But no matter, for 60 Euros we had rented the entire hotel in the heart of the Sar Mountain preserve, the advantage of traveling to a country off the tourist radar. Way off.

Sheep in western Rep. of Macedonia

On fairy tale slopes with Renaissance clouds, this wasn’t only an empty ski resort but the gateway into white cheese country. Exciting as this is, it seemed to me that I was the only one who thought this a worthy gastronomic destination. Here the sheep graze in alpine meadows of wild flowers and herbs, drinking spring water from glacier runoff. This sheep heaven diet affects the composition of its milk and the resulting flavor of the cheese- rich, creamy with a hint of wilderness. Known as sirene, it is a ubiquitous ingredient in Balkan cuisine and indispensible for making the famous shopska salad.

Sirene cheese from Rep. of Macedonia

The trail to Titov Vrv, the highest peak in the region would lead us directly into the path of the shepherds. We were to meet up with them again several times, on the Korab, Macedonia’s highest peak and then again in the remote villages near Galičnik.  Many of the shepherds we would meet were ethnic Albanians, who make up the second largest ethnicity in Macedonia. They live mainly on the western and north western areas of the country, closer to the Kosovo and Albanian borders. During the summer months the shepherds live and work in the mountains in simple wooden huts and return to their homes in the valley only in autumn.

Albanian Shepherd from Rep. of Macedonia

On the way to Galičnik we stopped by a shepherd’s hut, hesitating before continuing while the sheepdogs barked their warning. One of the shepherds was nearby milking the sheep and invited us to see the cheese making process, perhaps happy for a diversion on that rainy summer day. We wanted to repay them for their hospitality but they waved us away, smiling as we tried to thank them in a language they did not understand. Instead they offered us the product of their life and livelihood- the mountain cheese of Macedonia.

Making sirene cheese, near Galicnik, Rep. of Macedonia

Albanian Shepherd from Rep. of Macedonia

Where the cheese was being made

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How did I manage to drag my family to see mountain shepherds on our summer vacation? That’s easy; they were the ones dragging me to the tops of all the peaks, the shepherds were along the way. I was the last one up every single mountain.

¹Toilets, for example were not always bolted to the floor, which was hilariously, belly rolling funny for all those listening from the other side.

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