Magic of the Greek City – Thessaloniki, Greece – Tourist Blog

In the lobby of the hotel, the Little four-year-old girl flies.

– And if we are afraid of the plane, and he will fly away without us, then we can stay here?

– No, we will fly away by another aircraft.

The last ray of hope, so hard penetrated through the droplets, stuck in the cilia, UGAS. Sobbing, having resigned with the inevitability, smearing the tears in his peach cheeks, the girl sits in a taxi. At the airport, the retired passengers are asking to hurry ..

Twelve years later. New year’s night. The only night of the year, when desires manage to make a mystery of the Clavtov, sincerely believing in their execution.

– I have a message to Santa Claus!

– Yes, the mail is now working. You did not have time to break through the quarants, and the envelopes with the desires have already arrived, "Santa Claus" laughs with sixteen years.

In the message only one line: "If you send me abroad for the whole summer, then let it be Greece".

From surprise a glass with champagne fell out of the hands.

– Why Greece?

– Because I waited for this whole eternity!

Magic of the Greek City

The plane commits a landing at the city of Thessaloniki. Hello, Greece! We returned!

Return to Greece with a feeling that you come back to my house – it is positive and can not be! The city happily takes us into his arms. We still do not know what we are waiting ahead, but I already know exactly what it is easy to believe in the performance of any New Year desires.

Long-term traditions did not change, left to get acquainted with the city, throwing non-smashed suitcases right at the threshold.

Good, clean area, a large comfortable apartment with a beautiful view of the bay and moored yacht. Outdoor Parking. Friendly neighbors. In walking distance, a large supermarket and public transport.

I often ask the same question: "Whyssaloniki?". Most of our friends sincerely believe that the same Athens or Chalkidiki is much more interesting. "Why not?"I answer and start a story about the city, where the most incomprehensible way combines the peace of everyday life with the business activity of citizens. About the city where a rich historical and cultural heritage is kept carefully, successfully connecting the achievements of civilization and century-old traditions. About the city in which you can simply live and sincerely rejoice in trifles. Finally, about the city where Million Friends can be found.

A little beautiful story. Thessaloniki – the capital of Northern Greece or how her loving is called locals – the north bride. Name of the city based in 315 g. to N.NS., Gave a young and unusually beautiful girl named saloni, a summary sister of Alexander Macedonsky and the wife of the Macedonian king Cassandra, who founded the city.

The amazing fate of the city of Thessaloniki developed from the periods of dawn and decline, luxury and forgotten, greatness and shame. In today’s city, you can easily find evidence of all these pages of his history.

It is said that every city, like every person, has its own soul. Anyone who comes to see Thessaloniki sees first of all its inhabitants, sees the Greeks in all their diversity. Yes, it is the Greeks that are the soul of this city. These ancestors were created, for what many tourists come here, although there are many places, worthy visits in the world, and monuments everywhere something similar. But the Spirit – it is he who makes thessaloniki unique, and perhaps it is he who actually attracts those who come here again to meet this amazing city.

Say about thessaloniki "beautiful city" – it’s not to say anything. This city, slightly neglected, not too clean, even in its very center, however, charming, expressive and completely magnificent with its ancient ruins, narrow winding streets, wide modern avenues, unexpected squares, statues and architecture. I will say honestly: at first I didn’t impress me at all. In the first days I tried in vain to find at least some kind of advantages. And we must give him due: the city did everything to love him, conquer our hearts with their modest charm. It needs to be taken as it is: Southern, at the same time fussily and majestic, to love its inhabitants, such different, but most of their open and friendly, to get used to the inexhaustible flow of tourists and, maybe try to learn two dozen "smiling" Greek words and expressions to feel even more comfortable and cozy.

Thessaloniki is not only charming ruins – the remains of the glorious, but already forgotten past, these are not only the well-known areas of the ancient city, these are not only beautiful parks and shady alleys. Thessaloniki – a city of incessant movement. This is a city of nightclubs, full of life and noise. No, it’s not just noise, it’s a lot of noise anytime. This smell: the smell of coffee, hot sweet pegs and amazingly delicious pies with many different stuffing. In this city, the door of some bar, cafe, restaurant, where you can drink a glass of beer, a glass of good wine or a clock to savor Frappe – Cold, with pieces of ice, coffee.

Of course, to see the city "from the inside", feel (and feel) the spirit and rhythm of his life, it is better to rent an apartment. There are a lot of housing in thessaloniki and you can easily find an apartment, big or small, no matter. Thessaloniki is also easy to find apartments or a room in one of numerous domestic hotels. Naturally, you should not expect something ultramodern in the interior design. It will be a simple, ordinary apartment without embellishment and frills, with modest furniture and modest objects of life, even in the elite area of ​​the city. But, in any case, the apartment or apartments will cost you cheaper than the hotel, especially if you arrived for a long time. And in order to truly plunge into the life of the local population – the market to help you! Yes, yes, it is the market, very reminding Soviet collective farm markets of the 60s-7-kits of the last century.

Our daily market hiking in the morning for fresh, night fishing, fish and fresh fruit steel for us a kind of "cultural" event. Ripe on the root peaches was impossible to rinse well (as it did in the homeland), their thin gentle skin-shell always rushed. There was still more inconvenient of them: a small naughty enough to splashing out of Peach juice already glasses on the face and hands, tormenting the new place on the blouse or shorts. Fish left special memories. I do not like fish and do not like to cook it, and I have allergic. From the smell of fried fish it becomes bad, but the interests of the family were always in priority, so, sometimes I am her, although it is extremely rare, but I prepared. A miracle happened here in Greece: the fish became almost the main food. And in order to be correctly learned to cook it, I had to seek help from our new Greek friends. They also taught us to "see" the most recent fish lying among the "melting snowy snowdrifts", on the trays of local merchants.

But, whatever it was, we tried to do not change the taverns and cafes.

We try to taste Greece

It has long been known: to enjoy the unique atmosphere and tastes that will make a visit to Greece and, in particular, thessaloniki unforgettable, you need to immediately, on arrival, make a small reconnaissance. That is, to pre-examine the area as far as possible from the place of your stay, unless, of course, you do not live in the hotel or did not remove housing on the outskirts of the city.

It is quite natural that most of the monuments are geographically located in the historic center of the city. Therefore, it is quite natural to eat, enjoying panoramic views, looking at ******************** The expanses of the thermal bay of pleasure ships, a white tower or carefree children chasing pigeons on Aristotle Square , I would like everyone. But Thessaloniki is a city that attracts a huge number of tourists at any time ago, so restaurants are sincerely confident that the lack of visitors does not threaten. And therefore do not even seek to attract customers who most of them will never come back here. It’s no longer a secret that the main goal of many restaurants located in the most popular tourist points of the city is to squeeze everything possible from every day, to sat down as many tourists as possible for street tables, prepare as much ordinary average dishes as possible, pour as much beer as possible or guilt. Have a couple of times in one of these restaurants (overlooking the thermal bay and a white tower), "new discoveries" did not do for myself: the wine bottle is brought already open, baskets with bread and bottled water on the table are automatically put, and with The same automatism includes them in the account.

The method of samples and "errors", not immediately, but still managed to find a pair of restaurants, a couple of taverns and a cafe, the visit to which managed to paint "Evenings’s holiday". It is easy to guess that restaurants and taverns are not in the tourist area, but ****************** a minute drive by car (or bus) from the center (well, or very far from him ).

For everyday everyday life, the taverns approached how it is impossible by the way. One of these cute institutions was on the embankment, not far from the place of our time deployment.

Tavern. There is no cold and faceless luxury in the interior, nor in the kitchen. Rather, on the contrary, in the atmosphere of comfort, national traditions, love for the kitchen, the noise of the surf and the smell of the sea, the cost-effective staff takes place quickly and … delicious.

It was the favorite tavern, in which we definitely did not risk getting a frosthed fish dish. I will say more, the owners of the institution did not even leave us a chance to try pizza from frozen products. In the covers of the Taurry "Zarey" products were absent, because the choice of dishes was small. Rather, slightly modest than, for example, in the same central restaurants. But most of all surprised that, despite the huge desire of the hosts of the institution, constantly improving and comply with high standards of restaurant business, they still managed to maintain a unique, home atmosphere, absolutely uncharacteristic for the vast majority of taverns and restaurants of the hospitable city.

Yes, nice memories do not happen much!

The city of Byzantine temples

Historical Fact: Greece – Holy Places Treasury. From here, from Greece, it came to Orthodoxy on Russia and as a result – a huge number of historical sites of Greece are connected with Orthodoxy, as the culture and national identity of the Greeks are associated with it.

If you believe legend, then thessaloniki – the Christian gate of Europe, from where he began his preaching the apostle Paul. Therefore, a visit to the holy places of the city of Thessaloniki will be interesting not only to the deeper to believers, it will be interesting to people uncommon or, in a different way, so.E. those who are baptized, considers themselves Orthodox, but does not attend worship and does not observe posts, finally, it will be interesting even to the intensive atheists. Believe me!

Everyone can find something new: the believer will have the opportunity to touch the shrines, the Othersmann – as can and how he can pray for himself and its loved ones, will give the note and put the candles, the atheist will get a "lecture" on Orthodox history and culture as a whole that will definitely expand (or deepen) his knowledge.

And further. I am sincerely sure that a person does not belong to: a Christian, a Muslim or Catholic, it doesn’t matter, and how strong his faith, everything, without exception, will be fascinated by the former grandeur of the Byzantine temples, located both on the territory of Thessaloniki and His neighborhoods.

Unfortunately, I do not know the exact number of temples and monasteries located in the city. Specially, purposefully not studied. But something for myself recorded.

1) Acropolis and the ancient walls surrounding the historical center of Soluni;

2) Church of the Holy Martyr Dmitry Solunsky, Heavenly Patron of the city of Thessaloniki. His power is kept in the temple, and in the underground part is Crypt, where Holy Dmitry took a martyrdom;

3) Roman Agora;

4) Church of the Holy Sophia of the wisdom of God. In the temple, the relics of St. Metropolitan of the Fesalonian Vasily are stored. The temple is built according to the type of ancient Constantinople Sofia;

5) Monastery of the Holy Feodora MiroMatch. In the monastery, its holy power is kept;

6) Monastery by Nastad;

7) Grigory Paloma Temple, where his power is stored;

8) Catacomb Temple with Holy Sources of John Forerunner.

As you understand, this is not a complete list. Rather – it is only the beginning ..

Kaleidoscope entertainment

Thessaloniki – a completely amazing city. It is impossible to visit thessaloniki and not see or not to visit such significant symbols of the city as: Acropolis, White Tower, Old Port, Museum of Byzantium, TV with its restaurant, or embankment.

Going with children in the zoo, so harmoniously inscribed in a natural landscape; Planetarium and NOESIS Technology Center in order not only to look at the stars, but to "figure out" with another head; Ride on "flying elephants" in the Moon Park or become a captain of pirate *******, moored off the coast of the water park.

Forgetting about all matters, dedicate the "weekend" to Xeno-blue sea. Refuse such pleasure It is unlikely that anyone can: swim in the pure waters of the Aegean Sea, not in the rays of the affectionate sun, enjoy the delicious exotic cocktails, lying on the sun loungers in the shade of trees or large umbrellas – satisfying the rest. And what else needs to be tired of the city bustle of the tourist?

Another tourist condition can be called shopping centers and boutiques, which in thessaloniki premium set.

One of them: MEDITERRANEAN COSMOS TC. From my part it would be rashly writing about what attending this shopping center, you make a wonderful trip to the world of beauty, fashion and style. But, of course, will not be left without shopping, for example, to work in the country area.

MEGA OUTLET – the largest in the Balkans Stock-Center. At that time, when we visited it, the choice of clothing was really, and the prices were attractive, only the dimensions were slightly pushed. All clothes like on the selection – for podium girls.

Shopping shops. If you care about your health, then walks on shopping streets of thessalonikov you are contraindicated. Multi-kilometer jogging on a thousand stores of only one street and lifting weights (bags) can negatively affect physical and mental health.

And further. Although thousands of Russians come to Greece on shopping, thousands of Russians are coming, in the stores of thessaloniki not so many Russian-speaking or at least tolerably expressly spoken on your understandable and native language. Be prepared to actively use the "interplanetary" language of gestures, if you, of course, do not speak Greek (or English) perfectly.

Afterword

Bright travel. Amazing discoveries. From year to year, I sought to make my holiday more interesting and saturated. This season, we discovered the unknown city of Thessaloniki, met with the provincial town of Drama and visited the Angitis cave, seized the majestic meteor.

The openness and friendliness of the villagers allowed the closer to get acquainted with their amazing way of life. Lunch, specially cooked for us, elderly Grechany, consisted of the products of traditional Greek cuisine, but the taste and smell of these amazingly delicious dishes still lives in memory. Repeat me, alas, it did not work!

And for a special honor, to this day, I consider our invitation to christening. The ceremony, so unlike our, but such a solemn and beautiful. Unusually for us and very beautiful, to this event, a decorated church, invited, dressed in the best festive outfits, specially prepared treats for children and adults, unusually tasty homemade wine, ceremony of baptism, congratulations, festive lunch in the tavern, music and sirts … It was an unforgettable day. Perhaps the best of all.

Yes, on this trip, all the components of the rest went in an amazing way: from the incendiary dances to dawn to a relaxed beach holiday, from the desires to be away from the bustle of the big city before exploring such a clear and almost native Greek culture.

Now the choice is yours! Go to search for new impressions and enjoy every moment, even insignificant.