Ovče Pole, Macedonia

Train tracks fading to the distance... I'd like to travel somewhere too... :P Well, I'll be going to London next month to see my sister but it won't exactly be as peaceful and tranquil as this. :P This is such a lovely view, too, one of my favourites from Macedonia, received from dear Ana.

Ovče Pole is a plain situated around the flow of Sveti Nikole's River, which is a tributary to the Bregalnica river, in the east-central part of Republic of Macedonia. The climate of the plain is characterized by hot and dry summers and temperately cold winters, with occasional sharp lows. The highest registered temperature in the plain was 44.0C and the lowest registered temperature was -23.0C.

 Strong winds from the north-west, north, south-east are specific for this region and are present for most of the year, this being the reason the area to be called "the windiest place on the Balkans". The Ovče Pole plain is one of the driest areas in Europe and is plagued by frequent drought periods. The yearly average of rainfall is in the 400-500 ml/m2 range. The average elevation of the plain is 200–400 m, and the highest place is Gjurište, with an elevation of 856m above sea level. In the region of Alin Dol of the river Mavrovica, in 1981, an artificial dam was built. Its water is used for the water supply of the city of Sveti Nikole.