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Published: February 10th 2009
Kaitlins Arrival
Ready for our first night out. She only needed 15 mins after 18 hours of travel. A pile of Christmas lights lie lazily in the corner reminding me of where my festive tree once stood. All around the city lights and decorations have disappeared. Only the occasional forgotten Santa or star still hang from balconies acting as a similar cruel reminder, that the nice part about having cold whether is over. Christmas time has always held some of my favorite memories. From the anticipation of opening my presents when I was young to the togetherness and security of my family as I grew older, the cold whether and bright lights have always been something I look forward to.
Replacing my normal anticipation this year was Kaitlin coming for a visit. I knew from the moment i landed all those months ago that i would have to find all the best things around the city so that our two weeks together would not be idly spent. Everything had to be perfect and nothing but the best spots would do. For example one might think that all the cafe bars around the city are the same, only differing in location and atmosphere. Not true! from the drinks they serve to the couches one sits on there are huge disparities
Nice Try
Bringing this to the airport seemed like a good idea until i actually had to put it in the car. in quality and comfort of each cafe. There was no way i could have taken Kaitlin to a place where the coffee is 4 Euro and the couches were uncomfortable. If the coffee sucked but the seating was nice.... then i knew we would be in business. I have yet to find the perfect combination of both.
Chapter 1. First Impressions 19 hours of travel coming from LAX would probably put anyone in a bad mood. Kaitlin, however, was smiling and excited when i spotted her looking for her bag on the wrong luggage-claim carousel. Earlier that day i had been a little over zealous and bought her a huge bouquet of roses and realized that with two huge bags we might not be able to manage. Thus the bouquet sat waiting at home while i greeted her with a solitary pink rose that was overlooked until after the excited hellos. We had waited over three months to see one another and directly after saying hello she had to go find her bags in an area i could not follow. One might think that 30 minutes of waiting is nothing after three months but trust me when i
The Center
First night in the center things were still decorated for Christmas. say, it was the longest 30 minutes of my life.
Kaitlin arrived early in the evening and i knew she would be tired, excited, and jet lagged all at the same time. I also knew that to top everything off she would be hungry. Those of you who know me well also know how meticulously i plan every aspect of my life. Those of you who do not know me well i should tell, that the previous statement is completely false. Thats why everyone should be surprised when i tell them that i knew exactly what Kaitlin and i would do once she got settled.
I had only been to the restaurant once before but as soon as i walked up stars and saw the view over the water i knew i wanted to take Kaitlin there. The atmosphere in the restaurant was perfect for a romantic date and the food was exceptional. The house wine went perfect with the roasted chicken and when Kaitlin and I ate there none of it mattered because we were together. Before we went to sleep i gave her some of the Christmas presents that were still under my tree and told
Christmas ship
The symbol for Christmas in Thessaloniki is a ship. These were all over the city but this was the biggest one. her she had to wait until morning to look in her stocking, which i had filled with stocking stuffers for her. Christmas came a few days late for me this year but when it arrived i was filled with the feelings i had remembered all those years ago.
Chapter 2. Roaming Around the City First things first. How does Santa Clause get into your home if you live on the 4th floor of an apartment and you have no chimney? Kaitlin and i both found decorations hung all around the city that had Santa climbing up a ladder, so he could enter homes through the balcony. One of the most unique things about architecture in any Greek city is that every apartment has a balcony. Im not sure if parents tell their kids to leave the balcony door unlocked, but i can assure everyone that stories of Santa getting stuck in a chimney or burning his butt in a fire place are unheard of in Greece. By the time Kaitlin had left we had probably seen more than 100 climbing Santas around the city. We had made a game of it after a couple days but since i
Santa
I dont know if Santa in Greece is fat because it seems like he would get his exercise climbing up all those balconies. had to drive everywhere the results were tragically unfair.
Of course we had to eat and drink to stay sharp on all these Santa hunts and this city has no shortage of places to do either. I believe it would take someone their entire life to eat and drink at every available place around the city. Even then a few secret little cafes or restaurants would probably elude even the most seasoned veteran. There were a few spots that i had planned on going but since food or coffee was never far off Kaitlin and i could just wonder without to much planning. One place i did want to take her was the "Tower Cafe."
I had wanted to go to this cafe since the first time i saw it but i waited so i could experience it with Kaitlin. Its basically what the name suggests, a tower with a cafe at the top. The thing that makes it special is that the seating area of the cafe rotates giving everyone a 360 degree view of the entire city.
When we arrived we had to wait in a short line for the small cramped elevator. Luckily we rode with
Santa Hunt
Kaitlin asked me to get the camera out and while i was distracted pointed out this Santa. It's like she always say, "If your not cheating, your not trying hard enough." three women who didnt take up to much space. What the lacked in physical stature they more than made up for with pointy elbows and linebacker like aggression. Both of which were severely felt by Kaitlin's ribs and my back as soon as the elevator reached the top. Not the best start but nothing a coffee and a good conversation couldn't fix.
The cafe floor takes about 1 hour to make a full rotation. This is just enough movement to make one sea sick to the point of......well. The smoke that filled every square inch of the place didnt really help matters so we had to salvage the time by sitting on an upper level that didnt rotate. The view was perfect there and we probably sat for over an hour just talking and enjoying it. After each of us had second-hand-smoked a pack or two we decided to take the stairs down. The stairs spiraled down around the outside of the tower which gave us some much needed fresh air and some good picture taking opportunities.
Chapter 3. Some other fun stuff Of course around the city we did alot of other fun things like go to
Tower Cafe
After about 10 mins. the smoke had made our eyes red and both of us were ready to hurl. But at least coffee was only 8 Euro a castle wall near the top of the city and find fun cafes to drink at, but most of the stories that come from those days consist of me stepping in dog poop or telling a funny joke that only Kaitlin would laugh at. (run on sentence??......maybe) However, there was one night that found its way into our busy schedule that was one of the greatest experiences EVER!! It's called "Gold Class" and it will forever be in the back of my mind when i watch a movie.
For those of you who are sick of my writing i will sum up; Gold Class is to movie watching what First Class is to flying. To the fan of cinema, however, Gold Class is so much more.
For my entire social life the easiest date to ask a girl on was always dinner and a movie. If Gold Class existed in America.....there would be a trail of broken hearts dating back to my junior high days. Ok ok ok, i know thats a complete lie and i still dont know what i did to catch the girl i have but take my word for it, Gold Class is really really cool!!
Outside the Tower Cafe
Some fresh air after our ordeal and a nice sunset to top it off. Picture a swanky lounge in the lobby of your local theater. Now, only Gold Class ticket holders are allowed to enter this lounge so as one walks in they make sure to do it as conspicuously as possible. Once inside the date can officially begin. Any number of appetizers, cocktails, or coffees can be ordered while the couple enjoys the leather couches and upscale decor. Since Gold Class tickets are a little pricier than their ordinary counterparts a complimentary glass of champagne or wine comes with each ticket. Kaitlin and I chose the champagne and also decided it would be more fun to have it brought to us in our seats as the movie started.
The champagne, lounge, and service are all only part of the deal when it comes to Gold Class. What your actually paying for is the watching experience itself. Normal chairs are replaced by huge electronically reclining Lay-Z-Boys paired up for couples with a small table between each set. Drinks and food can be ordered throughout the movie and brought to you so not a single frame of the film is missed.
The chairs were so comfortable and reclined so far back that both Kaitlin and
Castle Wall
Neither of us was ever really sure what we would find when we went on our day trips to the city. myself were able to sneak in little naps during our terrible 2 1/2 film.
Experiencing the city with such good company opened my eyes to how amazing Thessaloniki is. Its an amazing place with so much to offer and seemingly endless surprises around every corner. Kaitlin and I had so little time together yet i know i will cherish the memories of those two weeks more than any from my time here.
More to come but thats all for now.
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jon Muench
non-member comment
is Thessolonika where theater started?
Just wondered if Thessolonnika has anything to do with Thesbianism? (You know that's legal now in California). Gold class stories Nils, keep them coming! So glad you guys could enjoy that experience together! Jon