Life-Changing Greek Trip

Wow!  The school year is over and it flew by.  It was quite an eventful (and good!) year.  Between broken limbs, penis kissing, and coke floats this class kept me on my toes but was an incredibly wonderful group of kids.  I already miss them.  


Finishing the year was a feat; visitors, school events, weddings, illness, and travel consumed all of my time.  I've really slacked writing, but one of my summer goals is to write about some of the cool things that I was doing instead of writing.  I'm gonna work backwards since my Greece trip is the freshest in my mind.

Church in Limenaria on Thassos

I flew into Thessaloniki and ran into JL at the baggage claim.  We both landed around noon.  Our journey was just starting.  We needed to get to the island of Thassos.  We took a taxi to a bus station, a bus to the port, a ferry to the island, and then a rental car to the village.  We had to wait 30 minutes for the bus and 2 hours for the ferry.  After a stop for lunch and dinner, we ended up at the house around 10:30 that night.  It was a long day.  

The next day we were delighted to wake up and see the view.  

View from the terrace

We stayed at a house that my parents' friends own.  It is in a little town called Theologos.  Theologos is seriously small.  It has about 5 restaurants, 2 tourist shops, a bakery, and a few small grocery stores.  It is a real Greek village.  On an evening walk, I was definitely the stranger in town.  Men sitting outside at tavernas and women taking care of children all watched as the foreigner walked down their streets.  I did help stimulate their economy by purchasing a new pair of sandals from the cobbler and tub of olives from the tourist shop.  There are many sheep, goats, and charmingly abandoned buildings.  

Abandoned Building

Theologos is a village in the center of the island which meant that we drove the 10 km to various beaches everyday.  We spent most of our days at the beach.  Typical day went like this:  sleep in, eat breakfast, go to the beach, head home, shower, read, eat dinner, go to bed.  It was rough but we survived.  The beaches were beautiful.  We tried several different ones and preferred quieter ones like Notos South Beach, but found them all agreeable.  

Thassos's South Beach

We watched the world cup at an Australian bar.  If possible, my drink was more interesting than the game. It included fruit decor, colored sugar, a sparkler, and an umbrella of course.  We ate at home a lot.  My olives, feta, and tomatoes were hard to beat.  The baklava varieties were amazing and I could happily eat one every day for the rest of the year.  Greeks are geniuses with honey!  Speaking of genius, the inventor of Fanta lemonade is one.  It is the most refreshing drink I could ever imagine.  If you ever see it, don't pass up the chance to try it!!!  

The most memorable meal we had was however, the one were JL proposed.  After a dinner of roast chicken, fresh beans, potatoes, and ice cream (try the caramel Magnum bar if you ever get the chance!) JL and I were standing on the terrace admiring the full moon and the sound of the sheep bells.  The next thing I knew I had a beautiful ring on my finger.  It was all very quick and spontaneous and kind of a blur.  The ring ended up being too big so at the moment I am ring free.  The rest of our time in Thassos was very restful and relaxing.  

We headed back to Thessaloniki Friday so that we could spend a day there exploring a Greek city and make it to the airport on time Sunday morning.  Thessaloniki turned out to be a huge hit.  It is on the water and full of history.  While I haven't been to Athens I hear it is quite dirty.  Thessaloniki is not.  It is also extremely cheap, especially when compared to Milan.  The best part of Thessaloniki though is the Byzantine history everywhere you go.  We went to The White Tower, the Museum of Byzantine Culture, and the church of St. Demetrius.  

White Tower

Briefly, the White Tower was built during the Ottoman rule so it is not Byzantine and is relatively newer than the rest of the city landmarks.  It is right on the water and not white.  I thought it would have been a lighthouse but it was actually a prison and eventually whitewashed by a prisoner in exchange for his freedom.  Today it is a museum explaining the general history of the city.  It is well done and when you get to the top, there is a 360 degree view of the city and shore.  

Clay pots- so thin I can't believe that they were hand built

The Byzantine Museum was my favorite sight.  The outside is ugly, but inside wow!  Plus, the cafe is great!  The artifacts in the museum are generally from the 4th-7th centuries.  They trace the various elements of life such as churches, burials and cemeteries, home life, art, and coins.  What struck me about much of the everyday artifacts was that the jewelry and dishes are still appealing.  Human taste in art doesn't really change.  I like the same things that people in the 4th century did.  That is amazing to me.  

St. Demetrius at the Museum

St. Demetrius's Church was very cool because it was rebuilt in the 20th century after a fire in 1917.  Some of the foundations are still there.  The crypt was unfortunately closed, but the mosaics that have been installed are beautiful!

Overall, a hugely romantic, exciting, and relaxing trip.  Greece was hospitable, easy to get around, and inexpensive for the Eurozone.  Worth a trip if you ever have the chance!