Although Saint Valentine is starting to show his presence in Macedonia, Saint Trifon, the patron saint of wine makers, still rules the day on February 14th. And so as we did last year, we forced ourselves to attend the wine festival in Negotino (see last year’s blog of February 20th to get the background). This year I traveled with PCV David, so I was unable to stay with my host family. We roomed at the monastery with Phil. We had a very comfortable room in a beautiful setting about a mile outside of the center of Negotino. A taxi ride to town was @70-80 denari which divided by 3 was about about 60 cents each, so the location was hardly an inconvenience.
We left Probistip Saturday morning on the 7AM bus and with a timely connection in Veles, we were in Negotino by 10:45. After storing our stuff in our room, we walked into town to the apartment of the PCV now living in Negotino and working at an NGO of woodcarvers - Tracy. She had arranged a wine tour in Demir Kapija, a nearby village and 10 of us PCV’s took advantage of the opportunity. Eight of us were 6%’ers (over 50) and two of the crowd were in there seventies. Words can’t describe the beauty of the area so check out my photos. For 600 denari (@ $12) we received a tour of the facility, a large selection of meats and cheeses to go with the wines we tasted and tastings of five different varieties of wine. I must admit that this is not what one expects to do when signing up for the Peace Corps. To drink wine out of a wine glass instead of a mayonnaise jar was downright decadent.
There was a giant birthday party at Tracy’s apartment that evening attended by the many PCV’s and local Macedonian friends of Tracy. There was plenty of food, and sweets and wine and most importantly, the opportunity to catch up with the other Volunteers.
On Sunday, St. Trifon’s Day, I figured I’d saved at least $150 because it wasn’t Valentine’s Day like in America where every male is required once again to prove his adoration of his significant other with offerings such as flowers, greeting cards, and candies. Here in Macedonia, we are only required to drink free wine on the 14th of February. Much less stress.
So at 10AM the festivities began on the plaza in the center. The local priest conducted a ceremony (to which, to the best of my observations, few people listened) and the mayor (I think) trimmed the vines in accordance with the tradition that has been carried out for centuries. The 10-or-so vineries that had booths set up, started serving their “samples” (i.e. full 6 oz. cups) during the ceremony and kept filling and refilling cups for the next two hours. Meanwhile 12 different folk dance groups from Macedonia and surrounding Balkan countries entertained the crowd with traditional folk dances.
Once the wine ran out and the entertainment ceased, I took off up the hill that I had traveled everyday during my three month training period, to visit my host family that introduced me to the simple way of life in Macedonia. They were expecting me. I had called ahead earlier in the week to let them know I would be in town and why I wouldn’t be staying with them. Violeta, their English-speaking daughter and my Guardian Angel, was in Skopje, so there would be no speaking English for the duration of my visit. As usual, Slavitca had prepared a special lunch of sarma (meat in cabbage rolls) with an assortment of sweet and hot peppers on the side.
As so happened, St. Trifon’s feast day this year, coincided with the Day of Forgiveness which is celebrated a certain number of days after Christmas. On this day, people seek forgiveness from their family members for any transgressions that may have made during the past year. It is the day when many Macedonians make and eat baklava and Slavitca had made a wonderful version of baklava. I headed back to the monastery after my four hour visit loaded down with homemade wine, rakija and baklava, reflecting on the fact that I had not spoken English for the entire four-hour visit. Slavitca and Kocho are the best.
Back at the monastery, Phil, David and I hung out on the veranda, despite the cold temperature, smoked my last three cigars and sampled the wine that Kocho had given me. We were joined by three other PCV’s that were staying an additional night and we all hung out listening to Phil tell us how great a photographer he is and David commiserating how great it was growing up on a farm in South Dakota and attending grammar school in a one-room schoolhouse. (FYI: David was the most outstanding student in his grade every year from the first through eighth grade. The fact that he was the only one in his class should not, he argues, detract from that accomplishment. To be ignored, says he, are those who will argue that he was the worst student in his class.)
To end the evening, I proposed that we abolish forever the Latin calendar St. Valentine’s Day and in its place, celebrate the Orthodox Feast of St. Trifon. The motion past unanimously and we vowed to never again buy a soon-to-be-wilted rose or a sappy red card or recite a love poem or spend money on a candle-lit meal at an over-priced restaurant on the 14th of February. It will forever be a day dedicated to pruning the vine and drinking the wine. If of course my wife lets me.
