Thessaloniki

Day 22 for the records. After a very good breakfast we walked to the White Tower where the Hop-on / Hop-off buses would take off. We arrived early, they would only begin in 45 minutes. So we had a coffee nearby. At the payment point we were advised about some “specials”. The second bus would be full with a school class. And every hour the round trip would take longer and longer because of road maintenance in town. We said thank you, but thank you and started the tour on foot.

Soon we reached the Archeological Museum and bought the ticket and had another visit to the past. Next we found Agia Sophia, the first of two orthodox Churches. The second was also nearby. From there up the hill to the castle. Before we reached it, we had another coffee at a terrasse overlooking almost all of Thessaloniki.

**Archaeological Museum with fine artifacts**

Strolling around the city and up the hill to the top.

On the way back we found a great restaurant with healthy salads. Leisurely we reached the hotel, collected our bags and maneuvered the motorhome out of its trap in the parking. As the “manager” of the place, who was clearly a choleric, started to shout at me he got a mouthful from myself and restrained his anger.

We drove southwards to the first finger of Chalkidiki for a camping ground and found a decent one with a spot on the beachfront again. After a stroll at the beach and drinks in a nearby hotel we had dinner at home.

Day 21 for the records. As my trip around Eastern Europe would last more than a month, Ingrid planned to come to Thessaloniki and accompany me for about a week until Dubrovnik. On that Monday morning the weather was again rather dizzy and humid. I had breakfast at home and left the camping ground at 11:00 a.m. I arrived at Makedonia Airport Thessaloniki at 13:30 about when Ingrid’s flight left in Vienna and had my C+C in a coffee shop on a terrasse.

As next day was Ingrid’s birthday I booked a hotel in town. To find parking was a little effort and a short discussion with the runner of the place. A directed me into his last corner close to the fence. I accepted gladly. Alternatives were scarce. Cost me 15 Euro for 24 h.

The hotel was a good choice. We could walk to the Aristoteles Square and back easily and had quite a good dinner back close to our place.