I spent two days in Thessaloniki in Northern Greece. It is best known for being the land of Alexander the Great. It has played a very important role since Antiquity… which is awesome! Now fast-forward to today, and Thessaloniki is a vibrant, modern city with fun nightlife, good shopping and much, much more.
Thessaloniki is Hot! No, Really… I Need to Escape the Heat
The first night I arrived in Greece, Katerina and I went out to the seaside in Thessaloniki for dinner and drinks. I put on my new dress (a white maxi dress with black polka dots I had to buy in Zara that very afternoon since my bags didn’t arrive – go to the last post to read all about my missing bag) and we strolled out of Hotel Electra Palace and walked all along the crowded Nikis street which faces the seaside.
The street was alive with people coming and going and with cars that cruised up and down. Women with dresses fluttering behind them as they walked; children weaving through a multitude of strangers while their parents hurried behind them; groups of young people laughing and enjoying being seen; drivers in flashy cars playing loud music and zooming through traffic. People enjoyed the spectacle sitting in cafes and bars, the tables spilling into the sidewalk so you had to maneuver around them as you walked passed. The heat was sweltering, it clung to you desperately. The sea provided no relief. There was no breeze to cool you down. The only escape was stopping at a café to enjoy a cool drink.
Overlooking the Sea With a Glass of Greek Wine
Katerina chose Brasserie Garcon, a two story restaurant with elegant interior and French jazz smoothly playing in the background. We sat at a table upstairs in the balcony overlooking the busy Nikis Street and beyond it, the sea. We ordered Greek wine and took pictures as the sun set staining the sky above the sea with slashes of pink and purple.
We drank our cool wine as we watched boats cruise over the dark blue waters of the Aegean and heard the street below us grow louder with laughter and people enjoying a beautiful (yet hot) Saturday night.
A slight breeze made its way to our table, carrying the salty smell of the sea. Katerina and I had dinner. The special that night was a silky beet velouté. It was rich and silky on the tongue. I also had the grilled sea bass with a fresh lemon sauce that complemented my Greek rose wine very well. During our dinner, one of Katerina’s friends joined us. Agnostis had just arrived from Athens. It was my first time meeting him and I liked him immediately. He was playful and liked to tease us about all kinds of things. He ordered a molten lava cake with ice cream and was nice enough to share 😉 Katerina is actually Agnostis teacher! She practices English with him and has helped him improve. I can attest that his English is extremely good. I threw in some of the Greek vocabulary I have learned this past year and they both seemed to appreciate it.
A Paloma in Greece
After dinner, the three of us walked along busy Nikis Street then I followed Agnostis and Katerina as they expertly navigated through the streets around the harbor. There was people everywhere! Walking, laughing, sitting at bars and cafes, enjoying the night. At last we had a drink at a bar called Ahilleion where we each ordered a drink and talked, joked, and people watched from our small table on the sidewalk.
I ordered a Paloma, which is a Mexican drink made from tequila and grapefruit soda. This particular Paloma at this restaurant was made with a local grapefruit soda. It was a really good drink!
Museums, Gyros, and More Museums
The following morning, Katerina and I enjoyed a delicious American breakfast on the terrace of the Electra Palace Hotel. The breakfast was phenomenal. They even had an whole honeycomb from which you could get your honey to sweeten your breakfast.
After checking out of the hotel, Katerina and I walked along the city, stopping at the port and the White Tower (I later learned that the White Tower is what is still left from the old city wall). We went to the Anthropology museum where we learned about Alexander the Great and old Macedonia. We spent close to two hours here looking at remnants of marble statues depicting the gods or emperors and old artifacts from the Macedonian region. I was happy since I love museums, but also because it was an escape from the unbearable heat.
We had a small lunch break that featured chicken gyros, hummus, and falafel. Then back to more museum time. This time about the Byzantine Empire where entire mosaics found from ancient houses in Thessaloniki were in full and colorful display. I also learned that Cyril and Methodios, the two brothers who developed the Cyrillic (Russian) alphabet were born in Thessaloniki. They formulated this alphabet to help spread Christianity to the Slavs. We even met a French man who was visiting Thessaloniki to follow in the footsteps of St. Paul. He was on a mission to visit all the major sites in the city visited by the apostle. Indeed, Thessaloniki also holds a special place in Christianity. St. Paul came to this Macedonian city to begin preaching Christianity. Thessaloniki became the gateway of Christianity in Europe. In fact, you may already know this. Do you recall the Letters of Paul to the Thessalonians? He was writing to the people of Thessaloniki. There are a number churches built to the apostle throughout the city.
When we left the Museum of Byzantine Culture, the temperature outside had begun to cool. We strolled down the sea side where we passed the statue of Alexander the Great, which featured the Macedonian conqueror atop his horse, the White Tower, and the Royal Theatre. We took a small coffee break in Nikis street and enjoyed a Freddo Cappuccino (iced cappuccino) facing the sea.
We retrieved our bags from the Electra Palace Hotel and took a taxi to the Thessaloniki bus station. Here we took the 9:30pm bus to Katerini where forty-five minutes later, Katerina’s dad picked us up and took us to Katerina’s house.
Truly, Thessaloniki, was a wonderful experience. It featured a different facet of Greece. A vibrant, modern city with a history that expands empires and religions. It is worth a visit.
Living vicariously through you every moment! Keep the magnificent description of people, places and experiences coming.