Hi again from Thessaloniki!
I had a great day on Sunday because we went sightseeing. The weather was really bad, it was snowing and freezing but we went to the city center.
Normally there is always a traffic jam there, but because it was Sunday morning and all the shops where closed it was quite nice!
So here are a couple of pictures of me and Skippy, driving to the city center.
This is the main square of Thessaloniki. It is called "Aristotelous Square" named after the ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle.
We had to stop in Starbucks (love it) for a hot cup of coffee to keep us warm, and for a sweet snack!
Then we went to see the "White Tower", the symbol of the town.
It used to be a notorious prison and scene of mass executions during the period of Ottoman rule. It was substantially remodeled and its exterior was whitewashed after Greece gained control of the city in 1912, turning the former "Tower of Blood" into the present-day White Tower.
Take a look at the Greek flag in the middle, the blue one with the white stripes.
A fountain in the city center
and the statue of Alexander the Great, king of Macedons (336–323 BC). He was one of the most successful military commanders of all time and is presumed undefeated in battle.
Did you know that Thessaloniki is named after Alexander's sister "Thessaloniki"? It is the second-largest city in Greece and the capital of Macedonia, the nation's largest region.
This is me in a real size "sarissa".
The sarissa was a 4 to 7 meter (13-21 feet) long pike used in the ancient Greek warfare. It was used in the traditional Greek phalanx formation as a replacement for the earlier dory, which was considerably shorter. The sarissa, was very heavy for a spear, weighing over 5 kg (12 pounds).
Can you find me in the photo?
Then we went at the marina to see the sailing boats
Sunday is a day for family gatherings, so grandma invited us for lunch. Here we are driving to go to her house.... can you see the snow outside the window?
Oh, take a look what we had for lunch
-souvlakia (meat on a stick)
-kefte (mince balls)
-salads (potato salad and cabbage/carrot/spinach salad)
-sardines in the oven for those that prefer to eat fish
Did you know that it's the carnival season in Greece?!
More updates are coming soon....