Greece. First stop: Thessaloniki

When you hear “Greece” what do you think about?

I do not read minds (yet) but I believe that you as me before coming here to study and travel more, we kinda though about the same things: island, beaches, summer, holiday, sun and other key words like those.

Greece is indeed so special and beautiful to have a holiday or a perfect weekend away or to even live here.

This is my first time when I visit Greece (except for the time when I visited Crete) and also to have a period of time living here and learn about Greek culture, history and other facts that I never knew.

As I came here with the Erasmus Program I have the opportunity of studying Greece from the “inside” and having the most beautiful time of my life.

I strongly believe that in life we have so many opportunities but somehow we miss them, but also we can take a chance and then do something big and crazy with our life, which will be marked forever.

Being a student is one of the most beautiful part of our life. Why? because you have the freedom of doing something amazing without overthinking it. Like applying for Erasmus.

I have been an erasmus student for 3 times now, in different countries, and I can say that those were the best times in my life as a young adult.

I have learned so many things, develop my skills and learned new ones; I discovered places, culture, food, traditions, new way of thinking and seeing things, doing things in a different way. So many that I can’t even remember all of them…but the outcome is amazing really!

I can say that these kind of experiences changes your life forever!

So as I mentioned it before this is my first time coming to Greece. Before coming to Ioannina, I have made a first stop to Thessaloniki. It was on my list to visit this place and I was so happy when one of my friends said that she can be my guide are more to offer me a place to stay. She is a very kind and amazing person, that I met last year in Prague, Czech Republic in the other Erasmus. Like I said things that happened in Erasmus will change your life forever, with erasmus now I have friends forever, and I’m so happy about that, because they are almost everywhere. How cool is that? Ok, let’s stick to the subject. I landed in Thessaloniki, the second largest city in Greece and the capital of Greek Macedonia. Can you guess which city is the 1st in Greece? Well I guess you know that Athens is, but this is another story.

Were are we? ah, Thessaloniki, yes! This name come from Thessalos, and Nikē literally translating to "Thessalian Victory". The name of the city came from the name of a princess, Thessalonike of Macedon, half sister of Alexander the Great. I just found out this, only after I have visited the city, but I knew about Alexander the Great because he has a statue there.

I have stayed there in Thessaloniki for 3 nights and 2 days and I really enjoyed my time there.

This city is full of life in day time and also in the night time. I’m “a day light girl” if you can say it like this and I love to discover a city from A to Z or like the greeks are saying from Α to Ω(alpha and omega). I was very lucky to have my friend with me, because every experience is better with a friend and second because she is greek and living in Thessaloniki. What more do you need to wish for? She showed me the best things I could see in just 2 days, we walked a lot through the city, I have seen the most important attractions and had a lovely time together. It’s so good to meet up with a friend after Erasmus, really, it’s such a great feeling, brings you so much happiness.

Thessaloniki is a big city but also full of everything you need and at the same time it can be so relaxing and peaceful. I found it perfect because I like big cities, where things are happening, all sort of things, everything is in action, lost of opportunities, many activities, shopping(of course, i love shopping) and having all this attractions for tourists. It can be peaceful because they have the sea and you can walk along and have a lovely walk. By the way I have walked in a day more than 13, 000 steps through the city and we decided that we wanted to go home from the city centre by walking. The night walk was so perfect, even if it was chilli (because it was mid of February) but so amazing really. One of my favourite things to do is this, to walk in the evening or night along the sea or if I don’t have sea, just to walk and relax, calm my mind.

Close to the city centre you can see the White Tower, it looks like a fortress, actually it was one in the medieval time and the surroundings of that area are like the old town parts. You have a really nice view from this point, you can see the sea and also the centre. This tower now is just a archaeological museum where you can see different artefacts from periods of Greek history. My friend told me that this tower use to be a fortress to keep prisoner, so a prison. But the remaining part is just the tower, if you go close enough to it you can see the parts that were destroyed. The White tower is one of the main attractions but of course there are different museums that you can visit like the Museum of Macedonian Struggle, The Ethnological museum, the Gallery of Fine Arts, the Technical Museum and the big International Trade Fair.

If you keep on going straight from the White Tower soon you will get into the heart of Thessaloniki. While I was walking I was so surprise by the fact that they have so fancy places to eat, or have a coffee, or bars. Really, greeks are the best I think at this stuff.

We were also looking for a nice place to eat, because I was starving after a long journey, dinner was all I had in my mind. So we walked and walked and walked till we found a really nice place, greek of course, they call this places “taverna”, good food with live music! First night in Greece, live music, good food, bingo! It was such a great atmosphere there, I felt really happy and so grateful that I have the chance to experience all this things. Maybe I’ll make a special post about this place and how was it, the food and everything. But a small thing to mention is that…I couldn’t believe that after you order so many dishes, being so full, but happy, they will also bring free dessert! yes you hear well…free dessert! They brought us some ice-cream with a sauce of something. Well I don’t remember what was it, but it was a perfect combination. Then my friend told me that it’s normal after you order to bring dessert and each restaurant have their own dessert. I was already in heaven. I have a weakness for sweets so yeah, they got me. The music was perfect, I had a lovely dinner with my friend and I enjoyed the quality time we spent together on my first night in Thessaloniki.

Second day was Saturday, so we had a full day to visit and relax, as I learn my favourite word in greek then xalara (relax). I just applied it everyday. We went for a walk in the city, I was tempted to go in the shops because it was sale time (my favourite time of the year) but then I said well, attractions are more important. And I was right, the city was lovely by day as by night, it was sunny and so nice, I could just sit in a coffee shop and enjoy the rest of the day. But then she took me for a really nice coffee place, at the top of one expensive and fancy restaurants in Thessaloniki, I guess the most expensive one, called Electra Palace Hotel, and the view was just amazing really, I could see the sea, the square in the city, other places from above. This was a really nice spot for a coffee. I would suggest to go here if you are in Thessaloniki, you would enjoy it, it was perfect perfect. The sun was reflecting in the sea, it was so calm, peaceful and I was really happy, like I said before, I could have sat there for hours and hours and still not get tired of that place and the view.

The coffee was also nice, and they brought free desert, free water, it was amazing. I know maybe you guys think I am exaggerating, but I’ve learn that the best things in life are the small ones who brings you the greatest joy. Officially it was a perfect day, but that was just the begging. After that lovely time we had up there we took the bus and went for a castle.

By the way, the easiest way to travel in Thessaloniki is also by bus, I guess in Greece is the best way to travel. Inside the city a ticket for a student one way cost 0. 60 cents and for an adult 1. 2 euros or even 2 euros. I also know that in the night the prices changed so it was 1. 2 euro for a student. Well not so much but still it’s better to be a student! So we took the bus from the city centre and we went in the old city where the Castle of Thessaloniki is located, also known as Heptapyrgion or Yedi Kule. The Old Town is called Ano Poli. The location of the castle gives gorgeous views to the city, the port and the Aegean Sea. I can post here some more historic information about the castle if you are interested, like the fact that it was built on the spot of the ancient Acropolis, founded by Cassander in 316 B. C. The walls of the castle, that are still visible today, date from the 4th century A. D. when the Byzantine emperor Theodosius I fortified the town. It’s still looking good and indeed the view is gorgeous. I’ll post some pictures that I took, because I’d love to take pictures, with the castle and the view and around.

It is interesting that Thessaloniki and also Ioannina have castles, I really love that about a city, gives me the impression that history is still alive somehow and i’m part of it.

The day was nice as I said, so we had a break there at the castle, we sat down on a bench and enjoyed the sun, along the quality conversation. After that we have visited more attractions and you know that when you have a good time the day passes so quickly. We went back into the cities, but on a different way, through some small streets ( which are typical for greek cities) and I noticed all this houses in the area, the architecture was so interesting and so different for almost each house. Really nice houses, like in the movies, typical for greeks. We walked and then we took a lot of pictures around, she took me to the church called Agia Sofia, the largest and most famous Byzantine church in Thessaloniki. I like to go and see churches the architecture and the differences in style from other churches that I have saw.

Then we went in the city again, found a lot of other interesting stuff along the way, did some shopping and in the end was almost dinner time. So, we tried to find a place perfect for us, we searched and we found a really nice one, close to the sea and really fancy one (I might also write a post about this one), like sailor style. The waiters were dressed like sailors and the whole place was decorated in this style, really cool place, I’d love it so much. Not so typical greek but modern and really fancy. We ordered this fancy sea food and when it arrived we were so happy and I think they were so good that I never tasted something like that before… I really need to write a separate post, for sure! It’s a must!

Yummy, even now when I'm looking at this photo again, I'm so hungry, this was a baby squid with tomatoes and mashed eggplant I think. So delicious! This restaurant was the best! I have to remember the name of the restaurant and then I'll just write the review. Because it's perfect, everything that I have tasted was melting in my mouth and it was like an explosion of yummy-ness. Also had like fried shrimps with a dip, fried zucchini and others. Really, I have never had this sea food before cooked in this way and the combination was just perfect. As I plan to go back to Thessaloniki soon, I'll will go back to this place, then I can write you even more and photos, of what they have and what you should try.

So let's continue:

After this we had a lovely walk next to the sea, it was such a perfect evening. On the way back home I have seen some monumets and modern art. The Monument was made in honour of Alexander the Great and the modern art was a place with lots of umbrellas. I'll attach some photos later on.

Then Sunday "my xalara day" (my relaxing day) was a lovely day, speding it with my friend, we went for a coffee, in a really nice place. Oh I wish I could remember all this places, but I didn't know that I will write this posts so yeah. You can understand. Anyway, lovely day, nice coffee, met a new friend of my friend, we talked about a lot of stuff and then about Ioannina. My friend's friend she used to study in Ioannina so I asked about a lot of stuff. Than we walked home and I had a lovely dinner with her family, really nice family, so kind and warm. I enjoyed my time there with them and my friend.

After the dinner I was getting ready to leave to my next adventure: Ioannina.

Took the bus from the main station where you can travel inside Greece. I paid 30 euros from Thessaloniki to Ioannina, but If I would had my greek student card PASO I would have paid 15 euros. So yeah, it makes a difference. Then the next 3h30min I was so excited about getting there and see what it is like. For more information about Ioannina and my life here as a student, check the other posts.

I also plan to go again in Thessaloniki soon, so I'll will update this post with more information and photos.

More infos soon!