Week 10 - Thessaloniki
This week...
For the second leg of the Dickmans in Europe adventure, we took our van on a 430 kilometer journey to Thessaloniki, a coastal city in northern Greece. Thessaloniki is the second biggest city in Greece behind Athens. We stayed in Nea Irakleia, a tiny beach and farm town 30 minutes south of the city center. My first visit to Greece couldn't have been better.
I Learned...
White Tower
The most prominent structure in Thessaloniki is the White Tower located on the waterfront. It was built in the 15th century after Thessaloniki fell to the Ottoman Empire in 1430. It's been called many different names and has served different functions over the centuries including a station for the Ottoman janissaries, a prison, and an execution building. In 1883, its blood-stained walls were painted white, and it was renamed the White Tower, putting its horrific past behind it and becoming a new symbol for the city.
Ancient Agora
In the center of Thessaloniki are the remains of the Roman Forum, also called Ancient Agora. This intricate stone complex is several feet underneath today's walking ground. The Forum was constructed by the Romans late in the first century and remained active for 300 years as a center for social, religious, and political purposes. Inside the complex is an amphitheater and shop remains lined by corridors and decorated with arches and columns.
I Ate...
Gyros
It is an obvious must to try the gyros in Greece. They are very similar to the duners in Bulgaria, consisting of a pita bread wrap filled with chicken or pork, tomato, cucumber, onion, french fries, and tzatziki.
Traditional Greek Dinner
We tracked down a highly rated restaurant outside the city, and when we arrived, it was closed. But we could smell something incredible nearby. We followed our noses around the corner to a tiny restaurant packed with locals. We walked in and quickly realized we were the only non-Greeks in the establishment, and no one spoke english. The kind waitress spent some time attempting to break the language barrier, but after failure on both ends, we resorted to our usual tactic. We asked her to bring us anything and everything she likes. She would say a dish in greek and try to explain in english, and to everything we responded, "Yes, we'll take two."
The outcome couldn't have been better. We had grilled bread, greek salad, fried calamari, roasted tomatoes in a clay pot, potatoes, and two fish fresh from the Aegean Sea filleted for us. It was one of the best meals of the semester so far. Dessert was a plate of fried dough balls coated in cinnamon and honey and topped with ice cream, two orders of course.
I Experienced...
Meteora Monasteries
One of the coolest groups of structures I've ever seen is the Meteora Monasteries. We drove around the bay three and a half hours one-way, and it was totally worth it. It's located in the mountainous region of Meteora, Kalampaka. The Meteora are mesmerizing rock formations that are over 600 meters tall, knocking Pedestal Rock in Arkansas out of the park.
The phenomenon doesn't stop there. Look closely at the rightmost hill in the above photo. On top of these rock formations are complexes of Greek Orthodox monasteries, and they live up to their name Meteora, a Greek word meaning "suspended in the air." There were originally 24 monasteries built between the 13th and 14th centuries, but only six remain today. The Meteora Monasteries have even been included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Other Interesting Things
Driving is rough in Greece. It's very common to double, or even triple, park on the street, but as long as you keep your hazards on while you're out of the car you should be set. Parking the massive van was tricky on the tiny streets.
Scooters are used as delivery vehicles, but large deliveries won't fit on a scooter, right? They will if you strap a double wide metal locker on top of the scooter. It was fascinating to watch the driver maneuver this thing, especially since it's top-heaviness makes it bound to topple over.
Thessaloniki has the most beautiful stone beaches. These stones aren't just boring gray rocks. They're every color under the sun - red, purple, green, white, black, orange, yellow - and super smooth from tumbling with the waves. The sound of the rocks rolling when the waves come in is incredibly calming and should definitely be featured on a noise machine app. In case you couldn't guess, my dad, my sister, and I spent an hour here looking through all the rocks.
Julia Dick
References
“History.” White Tower Thessaloniki, Amasis Communication Design, https://www.lpth.gr/history-weg-74399.html.
“Meteora Monasteries.” Meteora Thrones - Travel Center, Meteora Thrones - Travel Center, 4 Aug. 2021, https://meteora.com/meteora-monasteries/.
“Roman Forum (Ancient Agora).” InThessaloniki, InThessaloniki, 17 Apr. 2019, https://inthessaloniki.com/item/roman-forum-ancient-agora/.
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