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Nicholas' Arrival at Airport
Michael and Nicholas at Makedonia ( Salonika ) AirportWeek 29 & 30 in Greece
Nicholas in Greece.
Wed 13th May
Nicholas text us that he is coming to Greece on Wed 20th May, so really only one week from deciding to see us to buying his air ticket.
Thursday 21st May: Day that Nicholas arrives in Greece!!
Nicholas texts to say that he has arrived in Athens and will see us shortly. George, Vicky’s husband calls in at 9,25 am to take us to the airport to wait for Nicholas.
That is nice of him to do that. Boy was it good to see Nicholas. He reckons he has not seen me with such a Cheshire grin before. We catch a taxi back from the airport and Nicholas gives Mama a lot of kisses. She really likes that and he says that it is fantastic to see his grandmother again, after sixteen years. She gives him a little “lecture” sitting under the outside pavilion about finding a good girl to marry. She says that Nicholas is a bit like George when he was little- getting into mischief. I noticed when Nicholas came into the loungeroom, he picked up the photo of Papoo and gave it a kiss before returning
Lunch on the Verandah
Michael, Nicholas and Mama the frame on the buffet.
The neighbour over the road came over to investigate “the new arrival”. Nicholas made friends with the owner of the local patissiere shop and she gave him an icecream and a mini coke pasta. As he said later, “a party in my mouth”
Nicholas bought a whole selection of little pastas (sweet individual cakes) for us to eat and make it even more difficult to rid ourselves of our winter coats.
Friday 22nd May
Nicholas got up at 6 am and went for a walk, as his time clock is all out. He said he walked down towards the beach and had breakfast by pointing at the items he wanted. He then said he was thinking he would have to text us as he was not sure where he was, but he did take the right street and got back. In the afternoon we went to the Archeological Museum in Salonika Catacombs, the Salonika Market and also to the hole in the wall restaurant where Papoo used to take Nicholas to have a souvlaki. The hole in the wall souvlaki place is now double the size, as they have acquired the shop behind them, but
Lunch at Mama's
Nicholas said he put on some weight in Greece is still great. We then went and had a coffee at a waterfront café. Because they did not have soy cappuccino (as if), Nicholas had a fresh mixed juice. We sat and watched the world go by for some time, as it was fairly warm- 28C at least and a bit humid. We walked to the White Tower, one of the iconic landmarks of Salonika and on returning to Perea, investigated hiring a car. George was a little concerned when he found out that Nicholas was hiring a car and driving to Florina. But when we said traveling on Monday, it eased him a bit, as he said he was not worried about Nicholas’s driving, but the other Greeks don’t always drive safely and the weekends are very busy on the roads heading out of Salonika.
Sat 23rd May
Nicholas said he woke up at 4am and then watched a movie as his time clock is still on Australian tine. He got the hire care at 9am and went for a drive to acclimatize himself. When he came back, he gave a big smile as he drove by- reminded me when he was 4 years old on the carousel in
Germany on a little car; he gave us the same big smile..
We go to the cemetery in the afternoon around 5.30pm, but it is still very hot. I started to clean the pine leaves off the Papoo’s head stone, but Nicholas said he wanted to do it and he finished it with Michael. Rather a tender moment. Nicholas then drove us all to the beach and Mama put her feet in the water at the beach at Nea Epivates, about 5 minutes from Perea. We buy some yiro for tea and eat it under the kiosk. At around 9.30pm Nicholas gets dressed to go out to check out the bar scene and to get a reconnoiterance of the area. He said he went to the beach and it was full of people and when he was speaking to the bar man, he said that most kids get 800 Euro a month. Nicholas said how could they afford a bottle of whisky costing 120 Euro. Mama said that a lot of parents help their children financially. The bar guy said that the bar scene only really starts pumping at around 3-4am. But Nicholas said he was tired and got home
Collecting the eggs
Displaying the hen's produce around 2am.
Sunday 24th May
Aleka, George and Elizabet come around 11.30 am and we go out to the restaurant down on the beach. The weather is about 30 C and there is a breeze and it is lovely on the beach, with the table about 3 metres from the water. They have cane umbrellas over the tables, so the heat is cut out, but the breeze is allowed to come through. George says that Nicholas drives well and indicates where he is going. Using the indicators seems to be optional for most Greek drivers. George drove behind Nicholas going to the beach, so could observe his driving. We had a selection of seafood dishes, some ouzo and retsina. Nicholas drove Elizavet back to Salonika and she showed him her new beauty shop. When Nicholas came back, he had a lovely bunch of flowers and gave them to Mama. Mama said that he had spent a lot of money today, with the taverna and the flowers. But Nicholas said he would not be back in Greece for a long time and he wanted to do these things. In the afternoon, Michael and George kill the big rooster. The little rooster
Party in your mouth
These delicious cakes Nicholas bought for us to enjoy will be king of the hen house now.
Monday 25th May
We leave for Florina around 9,15am and go via the Salonika ring road and then on to Veria and stop at a few places to take some photos of the countryside which is a patchwork of different greens. We go to the small village called Kelli and Michael had his photo taken in front of the road sign. We then went on to Florina and dropped our stuff at the Antigone Hotel, where we had stayed in February. We then went to Michael’s cousin’s shop and Nicholas walked in first and we were out of sight. It was Stavros who recognized him first and said “Nicholaki?”
We then went for a drive in the little car and headed towards Prespa Lake. One section of the mountain side had tuff like squares, where the trees were planted earlier and so different height. Like a berber carpet. There was a tortoise crossing the road, so we stopped and Michael took a photo of him and then skidded him along on his tummy shell off the road. We called in to see Thea Kitcher at her shop and her son Petros was
Catching up on sleep
Grabbing a bit of shut eye during siesta time. there too. We call in to see some of Michael’s other relatives too.
Tuesday 26th May
We drove to Nymphaia, a little town 26 km away from Florina. You go down a valley and then the road climbs up and Nicholas tooted each corner, as sharp corners and you can’t see if any vehicles are coming the other way. We saw some donkeys with loads of beech timber on their sides; they were bringing it down from the mountains. We also got caught behind a herd of cows which were going through a little village. Also we saw a man riding a donkey and other herdsmen with their sheep and goats. The countryside was great- so green. The little town Nympaia has been rebuilt with money from people who went to Germany and worked in jewellery making, then came back and renovated the dying town. The houses are made from traditional stone of the area and look lovely. There is a bear sanctuary in the beech forest and you go for a walk and perhaps see the bears in their wild environment. But with my sore ankle and time being an issue, we did not do that. We went to
Beach Front Perea
Nicholas on paved Perea Paralia Stavros’ place for lunch around 2pm. He cooked a BBQ and we enjoyed their hospitality. We left Stavros around 4pm and got home around 6.30- went on the Odos Egnatia Road, but there was only one toll- 2 Euro.
Wed 27th May
Aleka rang up and said what were our plans and we said we were not sure. Michael said he did not know the way to his cousin Safoula’s house, so Aleka said if you pick me up, I can go with you and direct you there. So after having coffee there at Safoula’s and staying about one hour, we dropped Aleka off and then went into the city to have some lunch. We had several dishes as a mezee and some white wine. A guy came along playing the piano accordion and Nicholas gave him some money, and so then he asked what did we want him to play and Michael said La Composita - a tango dance. Nicholas then drove past Papoo’s old shop and Athena’s street, where Mama has an apartment.. Nicholas drove very well driving in the city with the confined driving spaces with illegally parked cars. So we also double parked on Dimitrious Street
Perea Beach Lunch Still
Nicholas and cousin Elizavet to get some icecream from a patisserie shop. Later went to the Mediterranean Shopping Centre- double story like Knox City. Nicholas said he had done his bit for the Greek economy, with 2 pairs of shoes , some new jeans and 2 new leather belts
Thursday 28th May
Nicholas has been in Greece one week.
I make sousoukakaia and we have an early lunch at 11.45am. As we have the car for another day, we go into the city to the museum around 1pm. Nicholas drives well and we find a park not too far from the museum. Then we drove to Yirrakennas- Nicholas had a better sense of where to go, as a lot of one way streets in Salonikia. When we were driving into Salonika, we had to stop at the airport intersection, waiting for the lights to turn to make a right hand turn. Nicholas had stopped and then a guy on a motor bike just went around him through the red light. Later after the museum visit, we were driving down Voulgari extension street and we see a guy on a motor bike with a car door slung over his shoulder. Missed that photo opportunity. Nicholas
Perea Beach
Too cold for a swim at the beach took the car back at 7.30pm He had done 960km in the 5 days
Friday 29th May
We visit Yirrakenna and her family in the afternoon and then to Mama’s neighbours Yannis and Peppe for evening mezze, but Peppe had a whole meal provided- BBQ meats and salads and then fruit for dessert. It was a good night- started out on the verandah, then moved in side for dessert when the weather got a bit cold. Stayed there till 11.30pm. She speaks English really well- sat the exams to become an English teacher in her youth, but did not become a teacher.
Sunday 31st May
Aleka and George come around 10am Aleka cooks up the cockerel in her pressure cooker with wine and tomato paste. I cook pork cutlets and potatoes, to put into the outside brick oven. Aleka reads Nicholas’ coffee cup. It is all good. I had to laugh when Nicholas put the pressure cooker in the back seat and put the seat belt around it in George’s car when they were leaving.
Monday June 1st
Nicholas still has the car and so we drive in to have coffee at 11am with Aleka and then Aleka comes
Perea Beach Lunch
Nicholas and Elisavet at Perea with us to her sister’s place so we can actually get there. Difficult to get there, with many turns and one way streets. Then I go up to Effie’s and they take Aleka back again. I did not think they (Michael and Nicholas ) would be able to get back to Effie’s by themselves, but they did- such a good job. Petros, Effie’s son comes home for lunch and Nicholas and Petros catch up after 16 years. We speak to Nicholas on the verandah till about 11pm. We pack our stuff for the train trip to Athens the next day. Tuesday June 2nd
George wanted to come in to see Nicholas off and was there waiting for us at the railway station. . The train left at 10.45am. The train trip takes 6 hours and we get in at 4.45pm. We walk to the house of Michael’s cousin Ermina and she is home. She orders in some pizzas and beer and Nicholas pays for them. Andrea only came home around 11pm, as examination time at his school. Nicholas sleeps in Dimitris’s room and we sleep in Ermina and Andrea’s bed.
Wed 3rd June
We get up early ( well, not
A quiet smoke
Nicholas having a cigarette with Uncle George as early as Andrea who leaves at 6am and Ermina leaves by 7.30am) We take the metro to Akropolis and get there around 9.15am. It actually opens at 8am and stays open till 8 am at night. I think.. So not many people at Akropolis, although when we were leaving around 11am, lot of cruise ship groups and other tourists, and weather heating up. We then walk to Plaka and around Monasteraki We walk to the Museum We then caught the Tourist Bus- 5 Euro each and takes about 1.5 hours and you can use the ticket for 24 hours on Metro and Buses as well. Well we were the only passengers for the whole 1.5 hours. I don’t think people know about it- the commercial one which costs 18 Euro has an open topped double decker bus and is more visible. Does the same route basically. We then catch the metro back to Larissa station and Ermina says that Kellie and Dimitris are coming for tea Nicholas goes with Kellie and Dimitris and Minas, Kellie’s fiancé into the city to a bar and they head off around 9pm. He said it was a fantastic time.
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