farewell
At 8:45 we left for Giourgas Rent a Car. The car passed inspection and the owner drove us in it to the airport. He told us now is winter and there are no more tourists until May but even then it is low season. He said the island gets packed with people in summer but the locals will never over-build like on Santorini. He thought using the convention center in the winter months could generate more income but the islanders make enough money June through September to support them. And lastly, he was not Greek but Italian. The airport was what we expected - small.
the ambassador of Milos says goodbye
Our flight was late because the plane had not yet arrived. There were no announcements and no one seemed bothered by it. We had plenty of time for our connecting flight to Thessaloniki so it didn't matter to us.
This was the smallest plane I have ever been in. I saw it and knew we would feel every dip and turn. There were 9 rows. The 25 minute flight to Athens was bumpy at times and there was a huge drop in elevation at one point and I reacted by grabbing the seat in front of me and grazing the head of an elderly man sitting there. His wife made the sign of the cross. Ken didn't flinch.
We had an incredible lunch at the airport. We picked an amazing salad bar and you could stuff the bowl with as much as you wanted. We ate too much.
Upon arrival in Thessaloniki we took a 2€ public bus to the center. The weather was overcast, cold, and damp. It was a bit harrowing with monstrous bags on the bus but we managed. It was one of those massive double busses with the accordion in the middle. I was able to understand the stop announcements and knew where to get off. The stop wasn't that close to the hotel and the walk was very long and difficult with the bags.Eventually, we arrived at the Park Hotel.
roomy room
private wrap around terrace
There were archaeological ruins right outside the hotel! Eager to check out the neighborhood, we dropped off the bags and went out. The impression was that this city is much more sophisticated than Athens. There were tons of shopping along grand 6-lane boulevards. The streets were clean and loaded with business people. Restaurants ranged from hip and trendy to elegant. Even the ouzeries paid attention to decor. First order at hand was to get coffee. We went into a cafe and ordered Greek coffees.
quick! where's the nearest lottery??
When the waitress brought them to the table, she spilled some of Ken's and she said "Oh that is good! That means you will get a lot of money." Greek coffee, like Turkish, is served with the grinds at the bottom of the cup, forming a sludge. The Greeks have a tradition of reading fortunes from the patterns and shapes of the grinds after turning the cup on its side to coat the inside with the sludge and then turning it upside down onto a saucer.
typical Thessalonian pastries
heavenly
heavenly
We read Thessalonians are serious about their pastries and very close to the hotel was a beautiful patisserie called Chatzis. The first person who approached us did not speak English but he called over a colleague who did. We pointed and took our pastries to go and ate them on a bench. Oh man, they were buttery, flaky, crispy, syrupy, nutty, cinnamony pieces of heaven. We then had a drink at a bar in a nice square with bars and upscale restaurants all round.
pre dinner drinks under a heat lamp
As we sat outside under a heat lamp, I realized I did not bring any warm clothes. It was too early for the locals to be out yet as it was only about 7:00. While wandering for a place to eat, one glance at a menu would summon the aggressive staff out to lure you in the establishment. It is quite irritating and I want to know how locals handle it. We noticed less English translations in this city. We walked through back alleys near the Modiano Market, full of ouzeries, tavernas, and stylish restaurants. It was starting to rain and so we went to a place recommended in our travel guide called Ouzerie Melathron. The menu had an English version - sold.
tourist friendly Ouzerie Melathron
The restaurant is broken up into (we thought) 3 locations in the same alley. We were in the non smoking spot and thus with mostly tourists. The waitstaff were young guys and they all spoke enough English to answer questions and make ordering easy. Ken had ouzo but I stuck to white wine. We ordered anchovies baked with peppers and tomatoes, cuttlefish stewed with wine and onions and spices (cinnamon and clove), and fried croquettes of eggplant and cheese (doughy but nice). Here's the requisite food photos:
anchovies with peppers and tomatoes
cuttlefish in wine - tasted better than it looked
eggplant fritter
The waiters were busy all night shuttling food in and out of the restaurant because the kitchen was across the alley. We got dessert on the house, typical of restaurants in this part of Greece. One was cherry yogurt with cherry sauce and the other ice cream (poor quality and gummy) with chocolate sauce. Disappointing on the desserts, but overall great dinner, good atmosphere, and tourist friendly for our first night in Thessaloniki!