The city of Apples!!!

Hello Everybody, I know mom has been keeping you all updated.  Today was able to travel to Resen and see where I will be spending my time for the next 2 years and it is beautiful.  It took about 3 hours to get here by bus from Veles and the whole trip was up and down mountains.  This part of the country is very green and full of nature.  When we got close to Resen the first thing I started noticing where all the apple orchids around.  Resen produces tons of apples and through out the day every tracker that passed by had bags and bags of apples.  I have already told Nana that I want/need her apple pie recipe. When I arrived at the bus station Irena was there waiting for me.  We walked to her families apartment, which is in the building next to the one that I "might" be living in, will not know for sure until next week.  We sat and had coffee with her father for awhile and then we went on a walk around the town.  There is about 9000 people who live in Resen and about 15,000 when you include all the people that live in the surrounding villages.  It is just the right size and has everything that I would need.

This is a photo that I found on line, I took some pictures today but I left my camera cord in Lozovo. I have 2 years to take plenty of pictures.  After coffee, Irena and I walked through the center of town and today was pazar day, farmers market.  Here it is only on Saturdays, but there are 3 big grocery stores where I can get anything else I need.  The newest one, which is right in the center, looks like a grocery store from home.  It has anything I would need and more.  They had a whole aisle for coffee and another whole aisle for tea, unlike in Lozovo where there is only a few kinds on the shelve and you have to buy what you can get.

Irena helped me check into the hotel, Hotel Dior, and then we kept exploring the town.  I saw the outside of the school and it is very big and nice.  3 floors and they have received new windows and doors and computers for the Ministry of Education here.  It also has a central heating system, so it wont be cold teaching in the winter.   It is about a 10 minute walk from Irene's home, which is a piece of cake.  All of the classrooms face the south so there is tons of natural light and from the 3rd floor you can see the Chateau that is modeled after one in France.

It is a museum now which is housing a ceramic collection.  Irena and I walk through the exhibit and it was interesting hearing where all the artist came from.  They were current pieces of art work and every summer the is a month long camp around Lake Prespia, which is very close to Resen, and artist come from all over the world to create ceramic pieces and then some of the artist leave their work for the museum.  There was works from artists from New Zealand, Korea, and even from the states.  It will be interesting to see this camp over the summer and meet some of these artists.

After our walk we went back to Irena's home and her father had made lunch for us.  It was very good, chicken, Macedonian salad, which has tomatoes, cucs, onions and cheese on top, he also made oven roasted potatoes and a sour cream, mayo, and pickle sauce.  It was wonderful, I did not want to stop eating.  We rested awhile at her house and then were off walking again.  I saw all of Resen in one day lol.  Buses going to Ohrid, the big tourist location of the summer go right through Resen so it will be interesting to see all the vacation traffic in the summer.

I also meet Irena's mom, she works in a doctors office in Bitola, the 2nd biggest city in Macedonian and about 20 minutes outside of Resen.  It was funny listening to Irena's parents talking with one another because it reminded me of talks with my parents.  It does not matter what country you are in all parents are the same!!!

We ended the day by having coffee at one of the cafes.  When sitting in a nice cafe, listening to American music, and drinking a cappuccino, its moments like that that I forget that I am in the Peace Corps.  It makes sense why they call Macedonian Peace Corps, "Posh Corps".  After one day here I am very excited about being able to live here for the next 2 years!!!  That's all I have right now, I or mom will keep you all posted.  Right now I am trying to decided being watching Macedonian Idol, yes they have their own, or The Fresh Prince, in English.  Toooo many choices!!!