Blogs from Thessaloniki, Central Macedonia, Greece, Europe - page 12

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 pell-mell 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 of mine I was not exactly frightened, just a little concerned that I was not wearing a seatbelt (no one seems to think them necessary). I was somewhat consoled though as with four in the backseat if not buckled at least we were too squished for jostling about. What really began to concern me was the actions of the driver. I had trained my eyes on her, desperately trying not to look at the ... read more

It has been a whirlwind since my plane first landed here. This last week has blown by. Literally, in one ferocious gust another one of my weeks in Greece is gone. I have met and made friends, ate new foods every night, moved into a new home, discovered a new city, toured all of the Peloponnese, spent 14 hours on train, started classes, learned how to say key phrases (thank you/ I'm sorry) in Greek, and watched the sun set on the Mediterranean. I’ve seen so much in the last two weeks that the memory has morphed into a conglomerate mass of marble. I have visited Athens, Delphi, Corinth, Nafpaktos, Nemea, Olympia, and Sparta all in 10 days, I have enjoyed all of it. The whole trip was marvelous, and when I have a little more ... read more

It’s past midnight, but noises of an unremitting spark in Life resound as if it were day. Yellow lights flitter on the sidewalks’ canopies streaming through to the concrete and decorative garlands strung over the traffic reach into infinity like a cosmic journey. The lines of ornamental lights pull at the city’s futuristic lever of style, traveling light-years beyond time. As Greece’s second city and home to a voluminous crowd of university students, Thessaloniki sleeps solely at the rise of dawn; it lives like a thumping jackhammer the remaining hours. The citizens roll their dice on Life’s board of backgammon. Obsessively, they’re transfixed as leeches desiring to suck the worth out of their rapidly modernizing center. Who’s Driving Your Bus? I arrived in Thessaloniki by chance, and with any board game it’s about playing with what ... read more

The land of the monks, large majestic rocks capped with monastries to explore. You can see what why they placed themselves here but how is another question. They must feel like eagles in their nests, viewing the wonderful mountains and scenery all around them, this is truely a place in which to contemplate our connection to God and the Earth we live upon....... read more

So we leave Yeovil and end up in Halkidiki on the Kassandra peninsula in Greece for 2 weeks. We got to our hotel at bout 130am/2am and was to be up and at the hotel bar at 10am the next morning for our welcome meeting with the rep. That was a waste of an hour into our day the possibly couldve been better used catching up on sleep. Anyways we signed up for a meal and a quiz night in Hanioti for that night. We had a wee looksie around the village of Hanioti and found the beach which looked decent enough and a look round the shops which all sold the same things really but then its catered towards the tourists. Went out to the meal at an italian restrauant and meet some other people ... read more