Having been in Greece not the first time, I still storing the loyalty to this amazing country. This time I decided to visit the Halkidiki Pena, Na-Mudania. And thanks to the proximity to thessaloniki, in this lively city with ancient history I managed to go twice on the rented car. Traveled with a child in a stroller.
Starting from the hotel: a comfortable car, a children's chair, air conditioning, a local navigator and free roads make the city to the city are light and pleasant. The only moment - somewhere it is quite difficult to turn around, I wanted to go to the gas station, I had to break my head to understand how to leave from there. We are going through the most beautiful places, contemplating the cultivated valleys, the picturesque villas in the distance, the point and the case of the blue sea between the hills. The road to Thessaloniki from Nea-Mudania takes about 40 minutes.
The first time came early, and still rolled out on the streets for a long time, trying to attach the car in the shade. I advise you to remember very well where you leave the car, it is advisable to take a picture of the rooms and the names of the streets nearby, as well as the house number or some identification signs. I barely found my car after the hike in the city - I was hoping for the navigator, and he had an error in determining the location of 150 meters. So that.
Now - closely about thessaloniki. The city is very beautiful, but really dirty and terribly fatty. Well, not surprising with such a heat. Streets are narrow, sidewalks purely symbolic, no cracks for strollers, many broken sections. With our cane it was hard to move hard. For local, the most popular type of transport is scooters. Maneuverably and comfortable. Architecture is typical for a sultry city: not very high houses, acquired by loggias around the perimeter. The most beautiful on the embankment near the White Tower. Orange trees grow here along the roads, like a poplar.
I got to go on the embankment at the very beginning (or end), at the fishing pier. Here the embankment is very well-groomed, wide, with bicycle and treadmills, benches and pleasure alley. The sea splashes quite clean, they immediately catch the fish, in the distance - graceful silhouettes of ships. Slowly moving towards the White Tower, I notice - it becomes all the lively, restaurants start, more celebrating.
The tower itself is a pile of tourists and buses. From here, most excursion routes begins, and I decided to see the city yourself, as far as possible with the baby. In the Tower - the Museum of the City History, and from her top opened an impressive look. The tower itself has a story: She began to be called white after thessaloniki became a Greek city. She was twisted and this as if was washed off her bloody story. And during the times of Turkish rule, the tower served as a prison and a venue of execution, because they called it bloody, or red.
Now the walls of the tower are elegted begging and just tourists-dicaries, leaving right on their Baulas. The old Greek on a shroud plays guyless motifs, which together with the noise of the city, the splash of the sea and the solar panorama brings the feeling of unity with the city, as if he was penetrating his rhythm, coming from ancient sources.
Monument to Alexander Macedonsky - next to the White Tower.
In thessaloniki many churches, or basil. The history of the city of Pottit conquests - for a long time he existed as a stronghold of Christianity, during which temples were laid. And then, as usual, the city won the Turks, and just like everywhere, began to repaint Christian churches in the mosque. But they completely could not do it. Already in the 20th century thessaloniki again became Greek.
Going across the road from the White Tower, we get to the crossroads: a bundle of horizontal arrows signs sends tourists to the Aristotle Square or an archaeological museum, and still ten places. Left - to Aristotelis Platoa, past numerous cafes, souvenir and grocery shops. Roads are better here.
Aristotle's area is a beautiful place, do not forget to lose polished thumb of sculpture - belief is reading that you will become smarter. Immediately, fraudsters and bred, imposing incomprehensible things and demanding money for it. The easiest way with a stone face to ignore them is to smile, and they will not retain until the euro is stretched out of you. From the square the road rises up. Tourists roam under the arch of the Roman emperor gallery, capturing the ruins of the palace, as well as the Basilica of St. Sophia.
According to thessalonikov, walking well, from time to time peeping into shady coffee shops and enjoying delicious ice cream and pastries. Watching antiquities is better in the morning, not so hot. Parked by car is very difficult, especially in the area of the tourist center. The most attractive place is the embankment and the Aristotle Square. Markets, bazaars, noisy youth, fun tourists and beautiful cafe terraces make Thessaloniki in the popular evening holiday destination.
By the way, from Thessaloniki leads a magnificent road to the cave Petralon. According to authentic villages, through the mountains, by serpentine, from which unprecedented beauty opens. Be sure to visit thessaloniki, and not with the excursion, but on your own - so it is possible to feel better to feel the unique atmosphere of the city.