When you tell people that you
are going to Greece, they are quick to conjure images of the blue and white
houses of Santorini or the Parthenon in Athens. This is the default set of
imagery that one associates with this country. And then I thought, hey, why not
Thessaloniki? Thessalo-what? Thessaloniki is in the northern part of Greece,
not far away from the Macedonian border. In fact, the region is called Central
Macedonia. Are you confused yet? So am I, but let’s discuss further.
After some research, I found
out that the term Macedonia is a rather controversial word. This is said to be the
reason as to why most Greeks refer to the country as FYROM (Former Yugoslav
Republic of Macedonia). But why are we discussing this anyway? Let’s leave
politics to those interested in it. In any case, I would’ve chosen Athens and
Santorini too, but this decision has more to do with practicality and air
connections, as well as upping the country count. You know I have a mission to accomplish.
The Athens – Santorini combo
would’ve been ideal if I were going back to Southeast Asia afterwards. Scoot
plies the Athens – Singapore route for cheap, you know. But this is just a
one-week break. I have to go back to Germany on Monday, southern portion to be
exact. There are no cheap direct flights from Athens to Basel, but from Skopje,
yes there is. And so I thought, hey, why not just settle for Thessaloniki and
then bus to Skopje later on? And so I ended up in Thessaloniki. Am I
dissatisfied with my choice?
Not really. Thessaloniki is
mostly unknown to tourists who have no idea about Greece outside Athens and
Santorini. However, this city is quite well-known to backpackers and European
tourists alike. Touted as the country’s cultural capital, there is an
unmistakably vibrant vibe here, as well as a chill atmosphere associated with its
harbors and abundance of squares and cafes. Even so, there are ruins here and
there that you just stumble upon as you gallivant around town. Shortchanged? I
don’t think so.
But I still chose to chill. My
Cyprus itinerary was a hectic one day/one city kind of thing. I arrived at
lunch time, had lunch, went sightseeing, uploaded all the relevant
documentation by dinner, woke up the next morning, and hopped on another bus. Repeat. It
was stressful. For Thessaloniki, I set aside two days not to see more, but
rather to see what I can in a leisurely pace. This is why Day One was just all
about taking a stroll around the city and getting a grip on the overall feel,
which I ended up liking.
I started early on my second
day, but decided to just see the main areas of interests for most tourists. My
Airbnb place is close to many museums catering to different eras of the city’s
past. In my opinion, though, the city itself is an open museum. Like I said,
you will find ruins incorporated within the vicinity of the parks and the
pedestrian streets. You will see structures from the 3rd and 4th century right
next to apartment complexes from the 80’s or the 90’s. That juxtaposition is
surreal, to some extent.
What I’ve noticed is the
similarity in architectural style, though. There’s just too much brick
involved, or some material that resembles it. As opposed to the ruins I’ve seen
in Cyprus, the ancient structures here in Thessaloniki don’t seem so ancient.
Why so? I think it’s because of that very co-existence with modern life here. Those
structures that stood the test of time have been absorbed into the city’s urban
sprawl that sometimes your brain tricks you into believing that they were just
constructed a few decades ago.
But more than these persisting
relics from 1600 years ago, what I appreciate most about this city is the body
of water stalking you from the harbor. In any bright and sunny day, you will
see the surface of the water sparkling under the sun’s rays as if it rained
diamonds. The last time I saw something as stunning was in Port Moresby.
Despite the heat and the crowd, that image gives you some semblance of
tranquility somehow, a stress reliever of a view that I wouldn’t mind enjoying
from time to time.
I won’t talk about the
churches and the temples anymore. Seeing them with your own eyes requires no
further elaboration. I’ve been here in Thessaloniki for only two days, but the
images I saw will linger in my mind for quite some time. The probability of
coming back depends on my motivation to learn Modern Greek. My university of
choice is the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, which means I might be
coming back after all. When that time comes, I’m sure I’ll get to know the city
more. For now, I chilled.
[THESSALONIKI] All Chill Here in Thess
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