The Odd Couple

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Geo: 40.6197, 22.9442

We are strange - I know it, she knows it, you know it ... we all know it! When talking of our separate travels, we invariably get "That's cool", but only a small percentage of the time do we get "That's COOL!!!!". Nearly most of the time, it's "Oh ... uh ... well ... that's cool ... right?!!?? **What a couple of FREAKS!!!**" It's definitely a different kind of situation, with Benita just getting started on her World travels, and me having the fortune to have traveled a fair bit the past few years.

When it comes to Europe, you need to hit the highlights first, something which, for the most part, I've already done. As such, I'm now on the second level, and in some cases the third level, of European tourist destinations. Though we'll meet up again later on, do either of us really need to compromise and see some place that isn't currently at the top of our respective lists? Who really knows the correct answer to that question ... we are an odd couple, and it is what it is ...

Of course, having separate itineraries meant we were off to the airport at separate times, with neither of us getting enough sleep, with Benita having the earlier flight and us staying up late packing the previous evening. So thank goodness for the delicious cafe con leche served at the hotel's breakfast - strong and rich, the perfect way to kick start the brain, something we could both agree on.

As for the rest of the breakfast - of course, being the odd couple, we couldn't agree on the quality of the breakfast served at Culler de Boix, the hotel's adjoining restaurant. When it comes to Spain, opinions on food are a matter of perspective - in this case, Benita's opinion is that of someone on their first trip to Spain, while mine is of a man who has eaten many Spanish meals.

"The hotel breakfast is terrible, especially the quality of the fruit." Fruit??!?!? You mean they actually serve fruit at a Spanish restaurant, other than orange juice? How rare, how special, how wonderful!!!

"Neither the pineapple, watermelon, or cantaloupe were very good." What???!?? Three kinds of fruit??!?!? That's more fruit than you'll find in all the restaurants in Spain, combined! I've only seen watermelon once in Andalucia, and melon two or three times in the Canary Islands!

"The croissants weren't very good." Huh???!?? Croissants?!!?? You mean they serve something other than pre-packaged toasts? Hooray!!! **Of course, she's mainly had French croissants while in Europe, so the Spanish variety will never stack up, despite being much better than the average croissant you'll find in Canada.**

"The Spanish omelet tasted funny." WTF???!?? They have omelets??!!? That's way more than the typical luxurious Spanish breakfast, of pre-packaged toasts and pre-packaged croissants!!! They have cereal yogurt too??? AND assorted sandwiches??!?? Praise the Lord, this is the best breakfast I've ever had in over 90 days I've spent in Spain!!!

So after being a typically-cheap Asian and stuffing myself at breakfast so thoroughly that I had no need for lunch, it was time to head to the airport. Yet another adventure in Spain ends - really, I only return once a year just to see how my adopted homeland is doing, running through the following checklist:
Despite an excellent breakfast at the hotel and some odd exceptions, Spanish cuisine is still of dubious quality - checkEconomic crisis still ongoing, outlook still bleak - check, checkThough it's a huge burden on the Spanish, they're still not letting it show and trying to live for the day - check**Women still beautiful - CHECK!!! Spain is still awesome - check! ** Note that this is based on anecdotal evidence I've collected from men in Spain. I'd NEVER check out other women in Benita's presence - not once, not ever, nope, nada! The constant rapid side-to-side twitching of my eyes in Barcelona were only involuntary ocular muscle contractions due to a severe lack of sleep on previous evenings.

After seeing that all was well in Spain, it was a long day of travel to Greece; first impressions on Thessaloniki - not the prettiest city, but a great location on the sea, with a vibrant cafe culture. From people encountered during previous travels through the Balkans, Thessaloniki seemed to be more of a gateway city, rather than a tourist destination - before economic problems derailed international train services, it was a convenient stopover coming from Macedonia and other Western Balkan countries. But based on what I've seen tonight, it's perhaps a city that should be on the radar for more tourists ...

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Photos

Dinner on Bustling Plateia Aristotelous ...
... you could get stuffed just on the side dishes - crisp but slightly bland fries, thin and chewy pitas, and a tomato/cucumber/onion salad, with no discernible dressing. A little Mythos beer washed everything down - light and refreshing, with a surprisingly nice hint of bitterness.

Grilled Balkan Meats ...
.... some of the best you'll find anywhere in the World! Sausage, pork ribs (which really weren't ribs, just slices of fatty pork), and though they call it a meatball, I know what it really is - the Greek version of a cevapcici or kebapche, the delicious and spiced uncased sausages you'll find in the Western Balkans! Good stuff, but not as good as the truly excellent grilled meats I've had in the Western Balkans. The highlight of the meal was probably the revelrous atmosphere on the square.

Baklava of the Gods ...
... this one was stuffed with something tasting like a chocolate marzipan mixture. I've never seen a baklava like this before, but it was crispy, sweet, and delicious - tempted to have another, but like any other piece of baklava, it's so sweet that one is enough.

Smurfs, Getting Down on Plateia Aristotelous ...
... they were all waiting for Smurfette to come on down and see if they would get lucky with her.

Common Combination in Thessaloniki ...
... I don't get it, but there are a ton of shops offering both coffee and hot dogs. An odd couple of food items ...