Thessaloniki is a city that grew on me more and more as the days went by – surprisingly more than I expected. And I love mountains, so Mount Olympus was a right old treat for me!
Thessaloniki
Introduction I’ll admit that I wasn’t immediately bowled over with Thessaloniki – as we drove past, I saw plenty of run-down and shabby areas. Areas of the city that seemed uncared for and neglected as sometimes happens with second cities. But Thessaloniki is a city that I fell in love with slowly as I discovered more and more of it’s hidden treasures and surprises.
I found that Thessaloniki is not as touristy as Athens. I think the people aren't as used to tourists and don't talk to them as easily as they do in the capital. That was my experience, anyway.
Thessaloniki is the second city in Greece. In 1997 it was made the EuropeanCapital
of Culture, and after just a couple of days there, it was easy to see why. I felt this city was made up of mind-turning contrasts. You can walk along a pathway with the natural drama of the sea’s waves on one side of you, and the man-made bustle of the city on the other side of you. At many points in the city, you’ll come across beautiful old architecture or art mingling harmoniously with modern tower blocks. On several occasions, I stopped and amused myself by wondering how opposites could live so peacefully adjacent to one another, and yet they do. And as they do, we realise the importance of each like night and day.
Sightseeing and Shopping Particularly for the girlies – if you like shopping for beautiful jewellery like earrings or bracelets (or need a new watch??), then this is the perfect place for those things with immense variety in items available and very reasonable prices. There is also a huge range of gorgeous bags and belts available. Thessaloniki’s large open market is worth a look at for all sorts of items at reasonable prices. Just be prepared to use some of your languageless pointing and signalling as I found not all of the stall owners spoke English. I got away with it with a few Greek phrases and some of my acting skills!
Wherever you go, just remember this – mind the roads! I found cars parked choc-a-bloc on the pavements and all the pedestrians, cats and dogs had to resort to walking in the road with the moving traffic. “Moving” traffic? – I take that back – it’s an understatement!!!
I found some lovely snacks available from the little stalls on the pavement. Those huge doughnut shaped bread rings loaded with sesame seeds which can be a satisfying filling walking breakfast. Or roasted corn on the cob. I wish we could get such healthy snacks here! I must mention the naughty-but-nice too – chocolate filled Caprice sticks. Ohhhh! – I can’t talk any more about them, I miss them so!…
The Forest Theatre Through the forest of trees in Thessaloniki, the way clears a little, and there standing before you among all the trees is an open air theatre. I went to see a dance performance there and enjoyed it immensely. It had been quite a hot day so it was a relief to be able to sit outside and enjoy a dance performance in the less intense evening, sitting right under the stars. The stone “steps” (our seats) which we were sat on were all warmed up with the sun having shone on them all day. I’d never been to an open air theatre before so I really enjoyed this new experience.
The Castle-top Café Really recommended! You have to try this if you go there! When it’s approaching dusk, get to the top of Thessaloniki’s castle where there is a little café and sit yourself down with a lemonade to watch the transformation of the city. Basically, you can see most of Thessaloniki from way up there, including some of the sea. As it gets darker, each little light comes on – lights in houses, lights in cafes and restaurants, streets lamps, lights of boats and ships on the sea … until the whole of the city seems to be sparkling and twinkling madly down below. If I was to go back and I was only allowed to choose one thing from this city to see again, I’d pick this!
Mount Olympus If you love mountains and mountainous scenery in general, then Mt Olympus won’t disappoint you. I saw plenty of wildlife there, such as frogs, birds of prey, and small lizards peeping out shyly from behind wooden bridges. I encountered some amazingly deep valleys clustered with green trees. (Although people who don’t like heights may not appreciate this so much). We also came across several waterfalls and streams. The people were very friendly and we were greeted in Greek many times by other visitors on the mountain.
As evening approached, we found that most of the camp sites were full and we didn’t get the one of our choice. We had to try quite a few before finding one that had space for us.
Accommodation I stayed with a friend in Thessaloniki, so I’m afraid I can’t comment on hotel prices and service there.
Getting There Thessaloniki has it’s own airport. I travelled with Olympic Airlines – they do flights between Gatwick and Thessaloniki. (I believe there are also flights between Manchester and Thessaloniki). There are regular flights throughout the day. With some flights you have to change at Athens, but not with others. The food on board wasn’t very vegetarian though so keep that in mind if you’re veggie like me. The website add for the airline is http://www.olympicairlines.com/
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