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Ataturk's House
Thessaloniki, Greece
I knew very little about Ataturk or the Republic of Turkey before coming to Macedonia (aside from how the Thanksgiving bird came to have the same name as that state*). The name Atatürk means 'Father of the Turks'. There is a brief biography here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/ataturk_kemal.shtml
Visiting Ataturk's house was very educational for me, and exciting because it was the first time I've been admitted to a consulate! The house where Ataturk was born was a gift from Greece to Turkey in 1935, and is located within the gates of the Turkish Consulate in Thessaloniki. To be admitted to the grounds, you first have to locate the intercom system, and then explain your purpose for being there, which I did with some apprehension.
The grounds
The house:
Entryway:
The guide who greeted me directed me to the main entrance, offered me an English-language guidebook about Ataturk, and explained the purposes of the various rooms and their contents. At the time the family lived there, men and women had separate drawing rooms in which they entertained guests, so there was the father's sitting room and the mother's sitting room. The museum contains personal effects such as clothes which belonged to Ataturk, a Koran which belonged to the family, and several sets of the Tasbih, the Islamic prayer beads:
A sitting room:
The parents bedroom (with the Koran on the bedpost)
Kitchen:
A photograph of Ataturk with members of Parliament:
A Turkish newspaper: 
Bathroom: 
* When the bird we now call a turkey was discovered in North America, the discovers had only seen a similar animal in Turkey. So, they affixed the name to the bird. (Look it up! http://www.wordorigins.org/index.php/more/556/ )
Language and Cross-Cultural In-Service Training (IST)
IST last week was wonderful! IST is an annual event where all current PCVs gather to improve their language ability and learn more about the culture we live in. Every day we had a different schedule, with about 3 hours of language class per day. Everyone could look at the list of classes and just sign up for whatever topic he or she wanted to take. Classes were limited to about 6 people and lasted one hour each. I had a great time reviewing and hopefully improving my Macedonian - I took classes in the perfective/imperfective forms, colloquialisms, imperative, and food. In two other sessions I started to Turkish! We also attended an informative session about Roma people in Macedonia, an optional Oro dance class, discussed cultural challenges that we sometimes encounter as volunteers, and watched the film "The Crucible of War," a documentary about the breakup of Yugoslavia. Phew! It probably would have seemed like a lot less fun if the location in a small town on Lake Ohrid wasn't so breathtakingly beautiful. Peace Corps practically had the hotel to ourselves (with probably about 80 volunteers and staff attending) so it really felt like a retreat.
Photos of our hotel and vicinity:
Ohrid
Our last night at IST, I opted to take a walking tour of Ohrid. Here are some images from the tour with a few details about what's pictured:
During King Samuel's reign (976-1014 A.D.) Ohrid was the capital of the first state of the Macedonian Slavs. Samuel’s Fortress in Ohrid dates back to the 3rd century and initially had three entrance gates, of which only one, the Upper Gate, has been preserved to this day. Before and after Samuel’s reign, the fortress had been demolished and rebuilt several times. The highest part of Ohrid, which is 100 meters above the lake level, is surrounded by 10-16m high walls, built of stone, lime, and sand from the lake, and two defense towers. After the arrival of colonizers from Asia, led by their commander Mino, the town started spreading outside the walls, on the surrounding plain.
Amphitheater
This ancient theater was built in the hills of old town of Ohrid in the 3rd century B.C. In the 2nd century B.C. the Romans added rows of seats and made a radical intervention in the orchestra pit in order to adjust it for fights with animals. The cages for the animals were built adjacent to the surrounding walls. When the site was excavated, bones from lions and other animals were found in the former cage areas. Initially designed with over 4,500 seats, the theater was reconstructed in 2002 and now has the capacity of 1,700 seats and is used for outdoor performances.
Gladiator Restaurant located just above the amphitheater (of course)
Church of St. John the TheologianArchaeologists believe that the church was constructed some time before the rise of the Ottoman Empire very likely in the 13th century.
A path that leads from St. John the Theologian along the lake back into "town"
(Look close- this street sign indicates it's named after Marshal Tito)
Sveti (Saints) Cyrill and Methodius, founders of the Cyrillic alphabet
