Ten years ago, overwhelmed by the endless noise, stress and pollution of the city, Dimche Ackov, 43, took the decision to give up his day job and head out into the countryside of North Macedonia for a fresh start. He now lives in a makeshift home "made from earth", which serves as a workshop space, where hundreds of visitors turn up every year to learn about the ways of sustainable living. "I decided to show people that there is another way of life," he says. IMAGES AND SOUNDBITES