http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Greece/Central-Macedonia/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Europe , Greece , Central Macedonia en-us Sat, 26 Jul 2008 21:03:01 BST Sat, 26 Jul 2008 21:03:01 BST Tag 17 bis 24 5.250 km von Galway Rumaenien Wir waren kaum ueber die Grenze gefahren da merkten wir schon Das Land hat was Ein Eindruck der sich spaeter bestaetigen sollteUnser erster Stop sollte in Transilvanien genau genommen in Sighisoara sein der Deutsche Name fuer die Stadt ist Schaessburg aber dazu spaeter mehr. Auf dem Weg fuhren wir durch unzaehlige Doerfchen wo ueberall schwe http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Greece/Central-Macedonia/Thessaloniki/blog-300124.html On Greek roads.Arrived in Vergina tomorrow we do the tourist stuff the tomb of Phillip. More on this later from Hilary.Greek roads. The Greeks seem to build roadside shrines at places people get killed in accidents so it goes without saying that Shrines per Kilometer is a good indication of how dangerous the road is. After Vergina we head for Igoumenitsa maybe in one day maybe two. The G http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Greece/Central-Macedonia/Vergina/blog-289614.html Yesterday we left Delphi heading north. The mountain roads were pretty spectacular before we dropped down to the Agean coast. We stopped north of Larissa a small seaside place called Platamonas It is overlooked by Mount Olympos seems to cater to Greek tourists and day trippers from Larissa and Thessalonika. Finding a hotel was no problem. The trip itself was good if hot. Jackets and hel http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Greece/Central-Macedonia/Dion/blog-288593.html So this is our last full day in Greece. We've been in Thessaloniki for about three or four days now just waiting for our train. It's winding me up like a spring and tomorrow I'm going to spring north into the Balkans. So here I am getting some Internet done soothing my headache with some Dead Kennedys. Bad idea Tomorrow we're going to catch a train to Sofia in Bulgaria and spend like two day http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Greece/Central-Macedonia/Thessaloniki/blog-281838.html Well another week without affordable internet resources another weeklong break between entries and again I have a lot of catching up to do. SO shortly after my last entry we boarded a ferry for Patmos and arrived late at night. We were picked up at the port by Theo the owner of Yvonne's studios the place where we'd reside for the next four nights. We were pleasantly surprised to find a kitc http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Greece/Central-Macedonia/Thessaloniki/blog-281394.html On Tuesday I headed out to Vergina. Lonely Planet claims you can do Pella and Vergina in one day and perhaps you can but you would need to get an early start and have a copy of the bus timetables. I had neither. I headed off to the bus station bought a ticket and went to find the bus. Looking for bus number 9 I was unable to find it. Then a helpful fellow told me that 9 was in fact my seat n http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Greece/Central-Macedonia/Thessaloniki/blog-271844.html Here I am in Thessaloniki Greece. The flight went well. I watched Charlie Wilsonrsquos War great film despite starring Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts. Tom Hanks is one of those actors though you may not like him but some of his films are fantastic and Jumpers very ordinary which was not a surprise as it starred the young Darth Vader whatever his name is plus a whole bunch of docorsquos http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Greece/Central-Macedonia/Thessaloniki/blog-271101.html April 4 5Friday April 4After a great breakfast provided by our hotel Kia James and I ventured out into the rain that was coming down on Thessaloniki. We made out way to the Archaeological Museum and spent some time there looking at the statues and jewelery. The jewelery was so amazing and intricate. And the fact that it had survived for thousands of years was unbelievable. Of course we http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Greece/Central-Macedonia/Thessaloniki/blog-265959.html My last day in Thessaloniki was spent with the family. We had a lazy morning and then went to meet Eleni's other sister Alexandra and her husband Gregory. Alexandra was exactly what I imagined a Greek Aunt would be like. We met them in a parking lot of a grogery store so we could follow them to the restaurant where we were going to have lunch. As we drove up Alexandra had her cane raised abov http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Greece/Central-Macedonia/Thessaloniki/blog-259422.html A little background before I start this one. My Grandpa Dadrsquos dad is from northern Greece near Thessaloniki. Around 10 years ago we got a letter from one of his cousins trying to make contact with us. When I decided to go to Greece for spring break my parents dug out the letters and looked up the name to see if we could get a hold of them so I could meet them. After a few weeks we got http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Greece/Central-Macedonia/Thessaloniki/blog-259408.html For almost a year now I have been hopping the same fence almost daily and not just the simple meaning of fence. I donrsquot mean the little white pickets which are conjured up in the brain at the mention of ldquofence.rdquo I mean a cultural barrier. Every morning I have to shed my American ideologies and jump over into the Greek way of life. At first I though I would never be able to get http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Greece/Central-Macedonia/Thessaloniki/blog-228042.html The Romanian hills are scattered with medievallooking homes. Heavy stone small dot of a window big roofs. A very mystical and creepy fog is pouring up from the ground. It's so thick the figures of horsedrawn carriages and herds of sheep are just silhouettes. Note was the heavy door chain and padlock given to us by the conductor supposed to make us feel BETTERThessaloniki's a big city but pr http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Greece/Central-Macedonia/Thessaloniki/blog-222732.html Well here are some more pics that I promised to post...hope you all enjoy http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Greece/Central-Macedonia/Thessaloniki/blog-221895.html I was invited to Greece to give a presentation on EGEE and Business. I did not have a chance to visit much of the city but have posted the limited pictures that I took. I did see the famous White Tower cannot take credit for the picture but I did see it. The evening was quite crazy as there was the Prime Minister election and both candidates were in town to give speeches. http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Greece/Central-Macedonia/Thessaloniki/blog-221859.html Journey and ArrivalHad a beautiful train ride up from Athens to Thessaloniki. The railway winds needlessly through mountain passes and gives beautiful views of the land below. Got delayed by fire on route for an hour as well which I suppose is traditional DPassengers were mostly unfriendly and untalkative with the exception of the gorgeous Greek girl Daniella who sat beside me from Larissa to 2 http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Greece/Central-Macedonia/Thessaloniki/blog-214523.html Kavala was a one night stop on the way to Istanbul and although it doesn't really have much touristy monuments and stuff to see we did spend an amazing afternoon on the beach. A sandy beach. I made the most of this and it would be the last beach we get to swim at. Most of the other cities we go to will be inland or in mountains. And given the time of the year we are getting into Autumn w http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Greece/Central-Macedonia/Kavala/blog-206338.html When one imagines a Greek holiday I suppose most will picture endless sunbathing indulgence of all Greek cuisine hmmm olives and possibly even a good dose of Island nightlife...I certainly tried to contain any expectations I might have given my invitation saw me trundling off to Greece in a minibus crammed with 15 of us...it was a story of 1 priest his wife their 10 month old daughter 11 R http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Greece/Central-Macedonia/Thessaloniki/blog-204495.html I woke up early yesterday which was surprising for having something an hour and a half of sleep the day before. Argiris and his teamate were getting ready to go to practice so I put some earplugs in and went back to sleep.I woke up and went into the kitchen. Ashley was sweeping. Shh... they're sleeping.Wait what HuhUmm... what time is itGuess.I... really don't want to.It's 230.So http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Greece/Central-Macedonia/Thessaloniki/blog-201071.html My last night in Athens it just so happened that my host Vanessa was throwing a Couchsurfing party at the empty apartment her parents were preparing to lease across the hall. So of course I stuck around to participate. There are so many Couchsurfers in Athens it's ridiculous. I must have met another twenty ones on top of those I met the night before. Interesting character to remember Diego http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Greece/Central-Macedonia/Thessaloniki/blog-200479.html Hi Everybody We boarded our bus to Thessaloniki Friday morning at 530 A.M. It took us eleven long hours to reach our destination from Tirana Albania. The bus was a modern tour bus. All the other passengers were natives of the two countries. We were able to talk at length with a young man who had recently graduated from the University in Albania. Other natives who could not speak English http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Greece/Central-Macedonia/Thessaloniki/blog-191219.html My flight landed in Thessaloniki Largest city in Northern Greece. I spent one night here then caught a bus to Alexandoplis a city 40km away from the Turkish border. Thessaloniki The Athens of Northern Greece. Nothing great about this city. Nice waterfront full of restaurants and bars looking out in to the Aegean Sea. The main square had a stage set up and a open mike night for bands. each ba http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Greece/Central-Macedonia/Thessaloniki/blog-178412.html We attempted to get some sleep on the train but it was nearly impossible. We arrived in thessaloniki around 2am with the intention of sleeping in the train station. Turns out that the station was closing and they booted us out onto the street. We didnt have much of a plan so we started wandering down the street from the station looking for a cheap hotel to stay at. As we were walking we ran into a http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Greece/Central-Macedonia/Thessaloniki/blog-169480.html Okay just a quick one. Firstly I need all of you who have played bowling with me and Daniel to post who they think is the worst player. Cause he claims that I've only beaten him once the time I beat him and Trent to win overall and I think hes come last quite often I'm curious to know Also Daniel you are not allowed to post under other peoples names I'll know I'd also like to pass my s http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Greece/Central-Macedonia/Thessaloniki/blog-160080.html Get it in the airThis should work... After having spent so much time in hectical capitals I chose a quiet place to sit down and get you a new update of what I am doing and of what's going on on my way to China. Currently I am sitting in a lovely small house in a mountain village Peristera with a remarkable church built in the 8th century overlooking the bay of Thessaloniki in Greece. Belgrade http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Greece/Central-Macedonia/Thessaloniki/blog-144718.html After crossing the border from Macedonia we had lunch right at the border then quickly drove off trying to get as close to the Turkish border as possible at the end of the day we stopped and decided to stay in this nice little town right by the water called Kavala as we stick out like a sore thumb while parked waiting for Claire to find accomodation the old folks of the town walking down the prom http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Greece/Central-Macedonia/Kavala/blog-142463.html So Thessaloniki is my new favorite city in Greece in other words itrsquos the only place I can imagine myself living for a good long time at some point in my life. We left on Thursday night from stathmos larissas in Athens and took the express train to Thessaloniki. It took about 4.5 hours which wasnrsquot so bad. Irsquoll be honest the train ride there wasnrsquot as comfortable as Amt http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Greece/Central-Macedonia/Thessaloniki/blog-137761.html Well I think I should let you all know that it is possible that I might stay in Greece for another semester. I really love it here and I might be offered a scholarship that would enable me to stay. If I do recieve the monetary support that I need then I will be staying abroad over the summer and not returning home airfare is just too expensive. Overall this will put me a year out of the USA. T http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Greece/Central-Macedonia/Thessaloniki/blog-137189.html One questionable component of Greek life and culture I will never be reconciled to is their understanding of driving or lack thereof. Although better than what I have encountered in Indonesia the traffic here is pellmell compared to American standards. One would think there was no state of stable cruising just alternating attempts of acceleration and screeching stops. In one recent experience http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Greece/Central-Macedonia/Thessaloniki/blog-136751.html Thessaloniki is a very interesting place to live. Interesting in many respects one being its own name. I first learned of the curious origins of its appellation from the cab driver on my first journey from the airport. He was enthusiastic to say the least about his city. He thrust his finger forcefully at various sites of interest describing their histories in broken English. I sat in the back wi http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Greece/Central-Macedonia/Thessaloniki/blog-133423.html