This was my second time in Skopje having visited on my last Balkans trip in 2013. Last time I spent most of my time north of the river in the Turkish old town. This time as my apartment was south of the river in the new town, I also wanted to visit some of the sights here.

The apartment owners told me you can take a bus and cable car to the mountain in the south for a city view. I had no idea about this so hadnt budgeted time for that.

Instead I went to the City Museum a block or two south. This was the old railway station that was damaged during the last big earthquake in the 1960s.

Most of the exhibits focus around the earthquake but there are other archaeological items too detailing the regions history

Walking around I checked out some of the city stores to see what clothing prices were. While quality was better than Greece and most took credit cards over cash compared to earlier visits, prices were not cheaper than back home.

I wandered across the old stone bridge which takes you back to the Turkish quarter and the older part of town.

Today was the Muslim holiday of Eid so everything was closed in the Muslim part of the town. I'd explored the Turkish quarter in my last visit so I wasnt too bothered that everything was shut and I was going to visit more Turkish towns going on.

Skopje has an extensive old town. Along with Mosques, they have the bazaar, a couple of hammams (bath houses), and three Hans (traders lodgings). See entry from last visit http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-en tries/londone7/27/1381264974/tpod.html

I needed something to eat and everything was shut. Eventually there were a couple of tourist restaurants near the start.

While I was waiting a British lady across at the other table started a fuss. She claimed she had wanted rice with her food, there was no rice, so she left a note on the table and walked out. The waiter complained that was not the right amount. I wondered if she was allowed to behave like that in the UK after eating her meal and why she thought she could behave like that as a tourist?

I ordered a kebab plate for 150 MK ($3) and drink 60 MK ($1.50). Then I headed over to the Independence Museum back by the river.

On my last visit they had closed for the day and told me to come back the next day which I couldnt. Today I was able to visit. Entrance is 300 MK ($6) and by guided tour only.

The story is of the Macedonian independence struggle from Turkish rule to the present day, not dealing with the ancient kingdom. Unfortunately no pictures are allowed. The story is told with giant wall paintings and wax exhibits.

The Turks ruled for 600 years leading to nationalist movements in the late 19th Century. Macedonians had to compete for autonomy against Serbia, Greece, and Bulgaria. They had to prove their language was distinct and not a west Bulgarian dialect.

The competing interests also led to Greek propaganda and even a massacre sanctioned by a Greek Orthodox priest.

Modern Macedonia was 3x its present size stretching to Thessaloniki on the Greek coast today. It is now split between Greece, Bulgaria, and Serbia. They also honour Attaturk who helped Macedonia gain independence from the Ottomans.

What was left was given to the short lived Kingdom of Serbia which became Yugoslavia. In the 1990s Greece blocked the recognition of an independent Macedonia since Greece has seized the southern half of modern Macedonia and has now 'colonized' it as Greek.

There are 84 wall paintings in total and about a dozen outside. They took ten years to paint and used Russian, Ukrainian, and Serbian painters. You can only photograph the ones in the atrium outside.

The museum is certainly well worth a visit, if for nothing else than as an art gallery for the lifesize art. I would certainly go again. Finally back in Independence Square there is a fountain water show to classical music.