Al, re my post in reply to your entry yesterday, I'm hoping to hear from my friend later today

Al, are you keeping a rough tally of how many k you've cycled?

Here is the info from my friend.... Mike, Your nephew has already visited two places we liked--Bitola and Prilep. Our favorite town was Ohrid, on the shores of Lake Ohrid, down south. I'm sure it's on his list. North Macedonia produces some very good wine, and the Tokves wine region is pleasant and worth a visit. Galicia National Park is pretty and attracts hikers and bikers. The capital Skopje is--or was, when we were there--a laid-back place, with eclectic architecture (including some bizarre and controversial statues--see link below) and the Old Bazaar dating back to the 12th century, reminiscent of the old souks of Istanbul. One place near Skopje that is rarely visited by outsiders--and that I highly recommend--is Shutka, a Roma (Gypsy)-run town, on the outskirts of Skopje. It's a fascinating, bustling community, one of the largest Roma settlements in the world. I went there a couple of times and never saw one other tourist. Like every other place in Macedonia, it felt perfectly safe. I don't know what NM is like now, but when we were there unemployment was high and there was a lot of disillusionment with capitalism and nostalgia for the days of communism-lite under Tito, particularly among the older generation (who spoke with great fondness of communal life in what seemed to me god-awful ugly Soviet-style apartment buildings--still standing and worth a visit). People walk around with grim looks on their faces and are startled if you smile at them (as I did one entire day, as an experiment.) But they are very friendly once you get to know them. Corey found her staff to be a delight to work with. Hope this helps. I'm sure your nephew will have a wonderful time. Don Here's the article on the strange statues of Skopje: https://foxnomad.com/2016/04/21/bizarrely-large-controversial-monuments-around-skopje-macedonia/