A blast from the past in the Balkans

GREETINGS from Skopje, capital of Macedonia or the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia to give it its full title.

That a nation should glory in a retrospective name, the like of which hasn’t been given such currency since Prince went bonkers and opted for something not dissimilar, is something which can only be attributed to the byzantine nature of Balkan history and politics. And given how, not so long ago, that all turned especially ugly, the casual visitor to this country is best advised to approach the whole subject with caution, if at all.

One tip though: if you do find yourself getting bogged down in the complexities while chin-wagging with a local, it would be advisable not to express your confusion by throwing your hands in the air and cheerily announcing: “Ah, sure, it’s all Greek to me, bud.”