THE MOST CORRECT REVIEW
Well, dear reader, hold on!
First of all, I would like to express my gratitude to our Greek friend, who gave us unforgettable impressions of Greece! (author's note: he's actually Greek).
So, winter has come and for some reason I really wanted to snowy snow-white sandy Greek beaches with emerald-turquoise clear water and teeming living creatures under the warm sun of sunny Greece, where, by the way, there is everything!
The search began with direct flights to Greece from Ukraine, but stopped on a journey through Istanbul (Turkey) to Thessaloniki (Greece) and further on a rented car along the serpentine along the mountain ranges and the coast of the Aegean : ) and the Ionian Seas to the city of Sivota.
This route was chosen because we had enough time to choose a hotel - because we wanted to get into one of the most elite with its own bay and so that on the way to it we could already admire the views of Greece.
Travel Information: Hotel ORNELLA HOTEL Sivota, Greece for a couple for a week cost 225 Euro plus car rental 160 Euro for 8 days plus gasoline - as they say: "Gasoline is yours - our ideas", O. Bender. The price of gasoline is 1.6-1.7 Euro per liter. In general, we refueled for about 150 Euros - this was enough for the whole trip, and we traveled a lot - through the whole of Greece!
FLIGHT
Duty Free in Odessa works around the clock (we decided so) - therefore, immediately after registration, we boldly moved along the rows of foreign utilities, without which it is impossible to go on a trip, and with the view that they say why do we all this is needed - we will buy everything there, we proudly left the domestic Duty Free.
It worked out very well with air tickets: the route from our hometown of Odessa to Thessaloniki with a transfer in Istanbul and also back cost about 426 Euros for two (saving more than 100 Euros against a direct flight from Ukraine to Greece).
Food at Turkishh airlines, pretty good. Fly for about an hour. Everything is very good - there are TVs with a selection of movies, cartoons, etc.
OVERALL FLIGHT RATE: 5+ (EXCELLENT)
ISTANBUL'S NEW AIRPORT
The new Istanbul Airport is simply amazing. While waiting for a transfer to Greece, there was an opportunity to visit at least a hundred thousand stores and run more than one hundred kilometers (according to sensations) to the desired gate.
The design of the Airport is very cool.
NEW ISTANBUL AIRPORT EVALUATION: Wow!
After waiting for the flight to Greece, we happily jumped into our plane, anticipating the upcoming vacation.
We were fed again on the plane - thanks to Turkish Airlines!
Thessaloniki Airport
Thessaloniki Airport is an international airport located 15 km southeast of the city, near the Kalamaria area. They say that the Airport receives up to 5.00, 000 tourists a year, however, while we were checking in, we didn’t see something like 5.00, 000 tourists divided by 365 days divided by 24 hours, but, probably, they will then catch up with the required number by the end of the day. ..
Having rented a car before starting the road trip, we decided to start with coffee - everyone in Greece drinks chilled coffee. On the way, we chose the cafe Coffee Island.
Yummy, of course, but the prices began to "bite" immediately upon first acquaintance with Greece: Europe after all!
RATING OF COFEE ISLAND CAFE: 5+ (EXCELLENT)
TIP: there is another good network Bruno cafes (price / quality), where you can also buy very good natural juices (by the way, the prices for these juices in the supermarket are 2.3 Euro).
Thessaloniki City
Historical note: Thessaloniki is a port city on the coast of Thermaikos Gulf in the Aegean Sea. Throughout the history of its existence, it was under Roman, Byzantine and Turkish influence. This is especially noticeable in the area of Ano Poli (Upper Town). So, for example, in the ruins of the palace of Emperor Galerius there is the rotunda of St. George, which at different times was both an Orthodox church and a mosque. In 1917, the city center was badly damaged by fire. In the 20th century, the city was rebuilt and now has a modern European layout.
Tourist information (gag): you can take a walk along the embankment - in the evenings there are a lot of young people who sit right on the floor until late at night. Right there on the embankment there is a monument to Alexander the Great and you can walk to one of the symbols of the city - the White Tower.
More travel information: The White Tower of Thessaloniki is an architectural monument and museum in the coastal region of Thessaloniki, Greece. The tower, although called "white", has the color of buff. It is located on Victory Street on the shores of Thermaikos Gulf of the Aegean Sea.
Immediately we recommend trying the national dish, for example, moussaka or doner kebab or bagels.
Obzhiralov's note: Greek moussaka consists of baked layers, from the bottom layer of eggplant with olive oil, the middle layer of lamb with tomatoes, to the top layer of bé chamel sauce. Sometimes zucchini, potatoes or mushrooms are added to moussaka.
And away we go - before the trip: we decided to stay at our Hotel in Sivota for the night in front of Mount Olympus.
In ancient Greek mythology, Olympus is a sacred mountain, the seat of the gods, led by Zeus. In this regard, the Greek gods are often referred to as "Olympians". On the northern slope was the sanctuary city of the Macedonians - Dion, that is, the city of Zeus.
By the way, Mount Olympus is not one mountain, but a whole array, the three highest peaks of Olympus: Mitikas (2917 m), Skolio (2912 m) and Stephanie (2905 m).
On the way to Olympus, we turned onto a toll road.
TOll ROAD IN GREECE
Everywhere along the movement of the toll road there are signs about the cost of the section of the road, including the cost of building tunnels and bridges. Taking into account that we drove 52 tunnels to our main place of residence in the hotel in Sivota and there may be the same number of bridges, we can say that we drove not such and such a number of kilometers and not even such and such a number of tunnels, but the distance can be measured in hundreds of millions of Euros, maybe even billions of Euros - so it immediately somehow became easier for us to pay for a toll road.
Autobahn information: the fare varies from 1 to 3.5 Euro per road section.
The total cost of the train on the toll road from Thessaloniki to Sivota is about 13 Euros, but since there were elections in Greece that weekend when we were there and a real Greek was driving our car, we didn’t pay anything! Thank you Greece and our friend!
TIP: our opinion is that it is better to drive on the toll road - especially at night, because there is lighting and the road sections are more direct. In general, it is better NOT to ride in the mountains at night - it is VERY DANGEROUS!
GRADE OF THE TOLL ROAD IN GREECE: 4+ (VERY GOOD).
BUDGET HOLIDAYS IN LEPOTKARI
Historical reference: the city of Lepotkarya is located near Dion and Pimpleia, where the ancient Thracian city of Libetra was located. According to legend, Orpheus was born, lived and died in Libetra or Pimplei.
The cost of accommodation in the Hotel under Olympus is 18 Euro without breakfast.
TIP: you need to go straight to the supermarket and take it MANDATORY:
1) wine
2) tomatoes
3) olive oil
4) feta
5) tzatziki
Sauce reference: tzatziki, also tzatziki, tzatziki - a cold appetizer sauce made from yogurt, fresh cucumber and garlic, a traditional dish of Greek cuisine.
Tip: there is tzatziki for everyone and always - there is no way in Greece without it!
Also, along the way along the road (only not on the toll road) one could buy fruit.
So, the hotel is quite good for the money, a spacious room, a terrace overlooking the coast of the Aegean Sea, on the other hand, a view of Olympus.
The vacation has begun!
On the road in the morning!
HOLY METEORS
Holy Meteora - a stone city between heaven and earth. Saint Meteora can be likened to a stone city of unearthly origin, which consists of many rocks located in the west of the Thessalian plain, between the mountain ranges of Pinda and Antihasion. It is impossible for a person to describe in words, nor to depict their majestic beauty.
For the first time, the word "Meteora" inspired the priest of the monastery of the Transfiguration of the Lord, the Monk Athanius of Meteora (1343/4 A. D. ), when he first climbed a giant rock called "Wide Stone". Subsequently, this name became common to all the rocks of this area, and the word "meteoros" itself literally means "soaring high in the air. " In the Life of Blessed Athanasius, we also meet the definition of "lithopsis" - "stone city".
Already in the 11th century A. D. , the first hermits came to Meteora.
Inside or near a cave, they built small huts and prayer rooms, the so-called "chapels". These patient hermits and stylites became the founders of hermit monasticism in Meteora, which even today arouses universal admiration for the height of spiritual self-denial and is rightfully considered a holy place.
In the 14th-15th centuries, hermits already began to master the highest rocks, climbing them with the help of piles and ropes. Over time, the number of monasteries and sketes reached 41. Currently, in the central part of Meteora there are 6 monasteries, which are monastic communities, these are:
1. St. Stephen's Monastery
2. Monastery of the Holy Trinity
3. Monastery of Rusanu or Saint Barbara
4. Monastery of St. Nicholas Anapavs
5. Monastery of Varlaam (All Saints)
6. Monastery of the Great Meteor (Transfiguration of the Lord)
A lot has been written and said about Meteors. I will say one thing - it is DEFINITELY worth the trip. Preferably with your own transport. A bus tour is quite expensive (approximately 70 Euros per person - only for travel and a Russian-speaking guide). At the same time, you depend on the organization of the whole group, the guide gives about half an hour to visit the monastery, and you have time to see a maximum of 3 monasteries.
We pay special attention to the inconvenience of traveling by bus - a very limited time, the guide keeps track of the schedule all the time.
Of course, it is very difficult to visit all 6 monasteries in one day, given the height of the ascent to the monasteries, however, there is practically no feeling of fatigue.
The cost of visiting each monastery is 3 Euro.
The above is information from our previous review of Greece, and it seemed to us that each next time it would be even more difficult to admire the power of the rocky ridge crashing into the blue sky, and the beauty of the warm stones of the walls of the monasteries, but it turned out that each new impression stronger than the previous one.
This time we were only in one monastery - last time, there was a reconstruction. Now, after the renovation, the monastery has simply changed, as if made of milk chocolate - very beautiful.
Inside the monastery there is a small shop, next to which there is a place where you can bow to the shrines.
There are a lot of tourists. Many of ours and Germans.
It is advisable at the entrance to the monastery or to overtake a group of tourists with a turtle guide, who delays everyone very much, and then starts to rush to the next monastery.
Inside the monastery, you have access to almost all the premises - it is practically a museum: you can see the life of the clergy.
In front of the monastery, on a platform with cars, local comrades sell the same religious attributes as in the monastery, but a little cheaper, as well as other dust-collecting souvenirs.
If you're lucky, you'll be able to see the local elevator in action - an iron basket on very little cables over a cliff.
Going down towards the sea, you will pass through the small town of Kalambaka.
Historical reference - the city of Kalambaka is located on the western edge of the Thessalian plain, at an altitude of 242 meters above sea level, on the left bank of the Pinhos River, 264 kilometers northwest of Athens, 68 kilometers west of Larissa and 21 kilometers northwest of Trikala.
By the way, the locals are very careful about the design of their homes - the eye simply could not get enough of the abundance of greenery in which the small cozy houses of Kalambakay or Kalambay people are buried, probably more correctly.
Kalambaka, in a word!
In this city, we had two goals: muck and slippers.
The nasty reference is pitogero / pitohos / gyros: Greek shawarma, in general. Very tasty, but small, Price is about 2.5 Euro, there is more expensive if there is a size XL.
Usually offered with a drink, then the price will be 3.5 Euro, respectively. There are many variants of muck and for every taste. In the more crowded (fashionable) places in Greece, the size of the muck decreases, and its value increases.
Sandal information - the cost of sandals starts from 25 Euro (women's) and from 45 Euro (men's), of course, what we liked cost 35 Euro for madams and 65 Euro for gentlemen. Children's sandals cost 20 Euro. We took with us the patterns of the niece's paw, so we could not make a mistake with the size. Feedback on such gifts was as follows: “Vzula ta zabula! ". In general, TIP - buy for yourself or for gifts, although you can find cheaper ones than here, but there were some of the highest quality.
And away we go - tunnel, bridge, road, tunnel, bridge, road, etc.
And here it is, the city SIVOTA…
Tourist information: the city of Sivota is very small, according to the census the population is about 908 people, well, maybe 909 already. The town is built on the shore of a small bay, along which small islands are scattered here and there (Agios Nikolaos, Mavros Oros and others). From the time of the Ottoman rule until 1959, Sivota was called Murtos. Currently, Sivota is one of the most important resort towns in Epirus, where a large number of Greek and foreign tourists concentrate in the summer.
What kind of tourists do we belong to? To foreigners - we are not from Greece, but we have a real Greek with us, which means we are Greek, but okay - we will not be tourists, but locals: the sensations do not deceive, we are definitely local!
So, Hotel ORNELLA HOTEL Sivota, Greece.
This is a very nice hotel, located on a hill above the city.
On one side of the Hotel there is access to the bay Bellawraka, on the other side - access to its own Beach with a small bay.
Ballovraka is a bay on the opposite side of the bay of the city of Sivota, which is divided by a shallow passage along a sandy spit to the beach of a nearby island.
BALLOVRAKA BEACH EVALUATION: must go
There are many car parking spaces on the territory of the Hotel - this was important for us, since we arrived in a rented car and did not want to leave it outside the Hotel.
IMPORTANT - Greece has narrow streets and a sea of parked cars. Moreover, even during the period when the season had not yet begun, it was already difficult to park the car, so in the season, probably, there will be a problem with parking at all - you will have to rent a yacht, hehe ...
NUMBER
There is a Swimming Pool in front of the Room - you can enter it simply through the door!
The water in the pool is quite cool, but crystal clear. During the day, the sun reflects on the ceiling of the Room from the surface of the Pool - such comfort and spatunes are very cute.
The hotel has a very cozy area, a lot of flowers, there is a tennis court nearby. In the direction of the sea, such a lemon tree grows for itself - it was tempting, of course, to pick a lemon for yourself as a keepsake, but we are locals, not some kind of tourists!
The room is quite spacious. Air conditioning. Heavy curtains - very good sleep.
They clean every day (it seems that in Greece it is not customary to leave a “tea” for cleaning, but we left 1-2 Euros from towels while waiting for dolphins, however, during our vacation they didn’t wait for them).
IMPORTANT: they say that in Greece almost all doors can only be opened from the outside with a key - there is a latch in the door. Naturally, we immediately slammed the door and stayed outside - we had to enter the Room through the Pool.
In front of the room there is a small lawn, sun loungers and a table with chairs, a towel rack.
TIP - it is better NOT to leave towels and swimming trunks on the dryer near the Room: at night they turn on the watering of the greenery and everything will be wet in the morning!
WIFI
Wifi in the Hotel, of course, is, but as if it is not there.
WIFI EVALUATION: yes
And so in the Hotel everything is just fine!
In the neighboring Rooms, the check-in was on the last day before our departure, so only we used the emerald Lawn with pearl dew in the morning and the Pool with turquoise water.
Actually, adjectives like "emerald" and "turquoise" in Greece can apply to a lot of things...
ROOM RATE: 5+ (EXCELLENT)
POOL RATING: 5++ (JUST GREAT)
RESTAURANT
Despite the fact that we were in Greece, for some reason the table in the Hotel Restaurant was “Swedish”… The food was not very varied, but quite normal. Everything is very fresh. We ate omelettes, tomatoes and yoghurts. Unfortunately, there was no choice of olives at all - only one kind. But we had breakfast alone - it's not the season yet, we didn't come in large numbers.
By the way, between breakfasts and lunches, the Restaurant has a Bar where you can treat yourself to very good coffee, both hot and fredo coffee or ice coffee - this cold coffee drink, is considered one of the most popular Greek soft drinks that locals drink during the day, night, morning and so on.
RESTAURANT BAR RATING: 3 (STANDARD). IMPORTANT: consider the cost of the order and the change - in this case, the bartender is very bad with arithmetic: plus minus 10 Euros, and then, as you realize that you have noticed that you are being fooled, the bartender immediately becomes very bad not only with calculations and also in English!
RESTAURANT RATING: 4 (GOOD)
BEACH
The Hotel has its own Beach, to which a blue road leads.
IMPORTANT - right before the entrance to the Beach (landmark - a mulberry tree), for some reason they made 2 steps, which you can not notice, and yeah - there is a hospital only in a neighboring town 150 km from the town of Sivota, so be CAREFUL!
In front of the Beach there is a Bar where you can order not only soft and strong drinks, but also food. Prices are twice as expensive as in stores, but you can survive: 3.5 Euros for a beer, 8 Euros for a cocktail, 5 Euros for French fries and 5 Euros for tzatziki sauce.
The beach consists of two parts - flooring and sand. Along the deck there is a pier for yachts and boats, in one of which the guests lived, without checking into the Hotel, and swam in the sea without access to the Beach.
Sunbeds and umbrellas on the Beach are free, by the way, as well as an inspection of the living creatures that staggered along the seashore: fish, some kind of creeping reptiles and sea urchins.
The fish bit - it didn't hurt, it was even fun.
Beach towels are provided free of charge in blue, unlike white ones in the Room, and changed every day.
FREE BEACH TOWEL ASSESSMENT: Thank you
THE BEACH RATE OF THE HOTEL: 5+ (EXCELLENT) or even 5++ (SUPER if you hadn't seen everything else)
ORNELLA HOTEL EVALUATION: VIP
But why did we linger on the Beach and our bodies began to spread from the sweet bliss on the blue beach towels? !
We gathered our strength and moved down towards the city center. In vain we did not go by car: back up the slope, although at night we had a gift - fireflies accompanied us all the way: such a charm!
The city of Sivota is located in a small bay, where both the white-winged yachts of the capitalists and the pretty boats of ordinary fishermen are moored.
EMBANKMENT
Along the entire Embankment, they offer to rent both small motor boats and more serious units.
The price of renting a boat is 30 Euros for half a day plus gasoline, which makes about 50 Euros for a trip. If the boat or boat is more serious, then you will need a license. Therefore, we subsequently rented a small boat before leaving for Thessaloniki, which we RECOMMEND to everyone!
Speaking of renting a boat / speedboat, in addition to the pleasure of riding the waves of the Greek sea and contemplating the blue-green-blue waters, you can add another bag of happiness to yourself by sunbathing in the blue bay, where, if you're lucky, you will be alone until the travel agencies bring you 3-4 ships with one / two hundred tourists, who will most likely start pointing fingers at you and taking pictures, they say, it’s necessary how the locals relax on such beaches on their boats! And then it's time to wash off back to the port.
Here, on the Embankment of the city of Sivot, there are restaurants and taverns with a beautiful exterior and interior no worse. Prices are standard for resort towns. Dinner will cost around 50 Euros for two.
Tip: everyone should take salads with tomatoes: as they say in Odessa: These tomatoes are something special! ".
You can also cheat: a Greek salad costs 6 Euros, but if everything is the same, but without feta cheese, then the salad will cost 4 Euros. As a result, then we ordered a Greek salad everywhere without cheese and cucumbers, but asked for more onions.
By the way, everyone has onions - not at all bitter, we even brought a kilo home with us!
Inside the lanes of the center of Sivot and along the road to the exit from the city, there are miniature cafes and shops. There is nothing particularly interesting, although we found Bangladeshi pareos for 7 Euros - everywhere in Greece for 10-12 Euros, they were cheaper only on the island Lefkada (6 Euros).
By the way, there are many islands along the coast of Greece, we counted more than 2 thousand, we can’t say how many of them more precisely - everyone has a reason to go and count them, like steps on the Potemkin Stairs in Odessa!
In the center of the city of Sivota, you can buy fruit for the beach - Greece has everything: in May, we saw almost all the "summer" fruits: watermelon, apricots, strawberries, melons and, for example, kumquats.
Vitamin reference: kumquat is a plant, the Rut family, included in the genus Citrus, mandarin, in short. The fruits are elongated.
In Greece, there are a lot of varieties of kumquat sweets: jam, dried, etc. , and excellent liquors are also made from kumquats.
On the main street of the city, almost near the central square, there is a very good cafe Anevava where you can buy very tasty muck or some kind of pita. By the way, you can ask for pita without potatoes, but to add more onions (reminder (see above): everyone has onions! ).
RATING CAFE Anevava: no rating needed (TripAdvisor already rated)
As for going to a restaurant, especially for dinner, we give you a free ADVICE: don't sweat it out and try to save money: feel free to go to the Embankment and choose the restaurant you like - you only live once!
We chose a restaurant MAMAMIA at the end of the Embankment.
Everything was just perfect: the service, the seafood, the wine, and the sunset. About the sunset a little later.
The name of the Restaurant Manager is Dee, he asks everyone about their names and offers to collect the entire alphabet.
As a gift, they brought us 12-year-old ouzo - Greek vodka. The product is interesting and, although we are adherents of Dmitry Ivanovich Mendeleev and William Vasilyevich Pokhlebkin that vodka should be 40 degrees, we still liked this selected Greek distillation product, which is considered the national drink of Greece, since its production takes place in the traditional way exclusively in Greece.
For dinner, we had hare kidneys, twisted pike heads, although no, there were octopuses, mussels, shrimp, squid, fish with puree on a natural stone plate, spicy cucumber sauce, hot bread, tomato salad and Lifkadia wine.
Wine is offered immediately 0.
5 liters and liter.
Tip: take a liter of wine right away, so that later you don’t have to order three times, as we do (it’s cheaper to take a liter right away than in installments).
Lunch will cost about 50 Euros (2 Greek salads for 7 Euros, two fish for 8.5 Euros, 3 beers, bread, sauce and one non-alcoholic beer for 3.5 Euros.
Dinner will cost about 60-65 Euro (8 courses + wine).
ATTENTION: you will have to pay for bread in any case, but almost every time they give a gift, but the cost of which is approximately 1 Euro can be included in the bill.
Therefore, tipping, regardless of the amount of the bill, can be left in the amount of 1 Euro.
RASING OF THE RESTAURANT MAMAMIA: 5+ (EXCELLENT, respect to manager Di)
SUNSET
Then it was sunset. We have never seen such sunsets. The whole range of colors and a couple more colors unknown to science: from soft green to orange and jungle fire. It is a pity that the photographs do not convey the beauty that we and the sea urchins in the coastal strip on the rocks observed that evening.
And the sunset didn't end, and then it all ended, we waited a bit, but that's all for sure - it ended and went to the Hotel.
SUNSET RATE: no comments
MORNING
Morning started in the morning.
Evaluation of the rise this Greek morning is also "no comments".
Having refreshed ourselves in the Hotel Restaurant, we set off.
The serpentine of Greek mountain roads, immersed in greenery and flowers inside a downed carpet of trees on the slopes of the mountains, did not at all correspond to our idea of Greece according to childhood memories from cartoons about the exploits of Hercules or about the Argonauts, where there were more sandy slopes and Minotaurs ...
From this side of the coast of the Greek sea, there is a lot of greenery and flowers!
Approaching the island of Lefkada, our Greek friend suddenly became silent and turned off the road towards the sea: then it became clear - he was preparing a surprise!
There has never been such a coast, which we saw from the slope of a dense pine forest with the purest air, in our wanderings. The color of the sea somehow reminded us of the White Island in the Ras Mohammed nature reserve in Egypt with white sand, but there is no forest there!
And here!! !
Seeing our reaction, smiling with pleasure that the surprise was a success, our anti-susanin led us out of the forest and began to lure us with stories about the next interesting places that will be even more beautiful, so we need to go further, not “ drop anchor” here. We did not believe and were mistaken: it was even more beautiful!
PORTO KATSIKI BEACH
It is believed that this beach is one of the ten most beautiful beaches in the world. True, we did not directly see all the other nine, but it is difficult to imagine that there could be something more beautiful. White pebble. Not water, but rock crystal. The sheer pale brick wall of the mountain along the beach, the beauty of the bend of the coastal strip was amazing! And wind. The wind is so strong that you can just lean on the air flow, and then watch our cap flying in the lower layers of the overhanging snow-white clouds for a long, long time (author's note: we managed to return the cap, but we bought it anyway amazing place for another cap for 7 Euro with the inscription Greece and Lefkada).
The smile just never left our faces and that's why we have a question: " Why is it necessary to place a blue flag here, who needs it, who has doubts that it's so good, huh? ".
Okay, memories flooded in - let there be a blue flag in addition to what is, let it be not 100, but 101% of pleasure (beach and flag).
ASSESSMENT OF THE BEACH OF PORTO KATSIKI: we don't even know how to evaluate it - THE PEARL IN THE CROWN OF THE WORLD!
We didn't want to leave the beach. But you need to eat. On the way there was an eatery: coffee and something local. There was nothing with meat or cheese. We took donuts with custard and cold coffee. Prices are standard: coffee 3.5 Euro, rolls from 1.5 to 2.5 Euro.
LEFKADA ISLAND
We limited our acquaintance with Lefkada only to lunch on the Embankment and a couple of souvenirs from local shops.
TIP: Cheap leather sandals, quality Indian or Indonesian pareos, and opal silver jewelry can be found here.
: two types of opal are distinguished: noble and ordinary opal, which differs from noble by the absence of a play of color on its surface). We took Lehos, the color of the sea wave.
Entrance to the island is blocked by an ancient fortress and the path leads through a pontoon bridge (a small vessel that, if necessary, moves ashore, freeing the passage through the channel for yachts that enter and leave the bay of the island).
Near Lefkada there is an Orthodox male Monastery Faneromeni, where you can buy religious paraphernalia from the holy places of Palestine. There is a small zoo on the territory of the Monastery.
LEFKADA ISLAND RATING: 5+ (EXCELLENT)
Next, the city of Parga was waiting for us.
What can I say, only Parga can be more beautiful than Parga or something about the mountains? By the way, there are mountains here too.
So, we decided not to waste time on trifles and take a small island as a souvenir.
JEWELERY SHOP ARGO.
TIP - come in, see, buy, say thank you and move on. This is a very good Shop (you can refer to us - the hostess should have remembered us (guys from Ukraine who were given the phone of a Ray ban glasses repairman in Thessaloniki) and they will give you a discount). Here you can and should buy something, because the products are exclusively Greek (the city of craftsmen is located near the city of Parga, most likely they are being brought from the Lapis (h) factory) and here, in this Shop, the most original gold-plated silver items that we have seen during our trip to Greece. The price for the product is about 25 Euro.
ARGO JEWELERY STORE RATING: 5+ (EXCELLENT).
Next, we recommend walking along the Embankment and climbing up the hill, where the ruins of the ancient fortress Kastro are located.
Here you can relax in the cafe. Prices are more or less standard, for example, freshly squeezed juice costs 3.5 Euros.
If you go further you can see a beautiful beach.
RATING OF THE CITY OF PARGA: 5+ (EXCELLENT)
Next, we recommend visiting the town of Perdika, a small fishing town, one of the most charming places in Greece, where you can have a bite to eat in many cozy traditional restaurants and taverns.
You MUST relax on the beach Mega Ntrafi Beach Perdica.
TIP: the maps will not show the exit from the highway to the Beach - you will have to go down the stairs from the nearest hotel, but in fact there is a car descent from the highway directly to the beach: you just need to drive a little further along the road.
We have previously talked about the beauty of the first 10 beaches in the world - our opinion is that Mega Ntrafi Beach Perdica is in no way inferior to them. There are several hotels on the shore, so if you really liked it here, you can try your luck and stay here for a couple of days.
RATING OF THE CITY OF PERDIK AND THE BEACH: 5+ (EXCELLENT)
CORFU ISLAND
Historical Background: Corfu (or Kerkyra) is an island off the northwestern coast of Greece in the Ionian Sea, dominated by rocky mountains and a rolling coast lined with many resorts. The island became part of Greece in 1864, and before that, at various times, it belonged to the Venetians, the French and the British, which left a mark on its architecture.
Protected by two Venetian fortresses, Corfu Town is known for its winding medieval streets, French-style arcades and the majestic Palace of Saints Michael and George built during the British Empire.
You can get to Corfu by ferry, which runs about every hour. The fare is 11 Euro one way (you need to have a document with you - they may ask for your full name).
When traveling by ferry, you will be able to see Albania on the right side.
In the city of Corfu, the Mon Repos summer palace, previously owned by the Greek royal family, where the Duke of Edinburgh was born, has been preserved.
Airplanes are landing right above the port towards the city.
Immediately in front of the port, local businessmen will offer you bus tours around the city for 25 Euros.
In the direction of the old town of Corfu, you need to go to the left of the port along the embankment. Go far enough. On the opposite side of the embankment, you can find a place where you can leave backpacks that have become too heavy.
The old city begins with a fortress.
Fortress reference: the city of Corfu itself was located on the east coast in the central part of the island between two fortresses: the "Old Fortress" ("sea", "Venetian" or Paleo Frurio), located on the eastern tip of the city, cut off from the city an artificial moat created in natural drainage, with sea water underneath. "New fortress" ("coastal" or Neo Frurio) - in the north-west of the city, consisting of three separate fortifications connected by underground passages, extremely fortified and converted by the French.
There are a large number of shops on the streets of the city, for example, there is more choice of things than in other cities where we have been, as well as quite small cafes where you can take a break while enjoying a light aperitif.
You can also visit the New Fortress - the entrance costs 6 Euro.
In the center of the city there is St. Spyridon's Cathedral - an Orthodox church of the Metropolis of Corfu, located in the center of the city of Corfu on the island of Corfu. Consecrated in honor of St. Spyridon Trimifuntsky, who is considered the patron saint of the island. The relics of the saint located in the cathedral are one of the most revered shrines of the Orthodox Church.
Around the Cathedral there are many merchants' shops selling both religious attributes and sweets and souvenirs. Almost all sellers are Russian-speaking.
You can simply wander around the city through the narrow streets around the central streets, where carriages drawn by a pair of horses with tourists can rush past you along Italian, French and Greek style houses richly decorated with greenery and flowers.
TIP: We also recommend that you pay attention to the jewelry shops of Corfu, where, against the background of the general high cost, you can find very original jewelry, for example, a buba for a Pandora bracelet with the outlines of the Old Town carved on it.
To get back in the same way - by ferry along the coast of Albania.
RASING OF CORFU ISLAND: 5+ (EXCELLENT)
And now the day has come when it is time to go home through half a hundred tunnels and bridges of Greece worth billions of dollars through Thessaloniki Airport to Istanbul and then home to your native Odessa.
Before going home, we recommend buying edible souvenirs in the form of chocolate, olive sauces, feta cheese, wine and even German cotton clothes at the LIDL supermarket at prices lower than even in Ukraine.
Packing your suitcases at Thessaloniki Airport will cost 6 Euros.
We were fed again in flight - thanks again to Turkish airlines.
ATTENTION: at the Istanbul airport, you DO NOT need to change dollars and Euros when entering the city, but on the way back, if you still have Turkish liras, which we strongly doubt, then here, at the airport, there are a lot of exchangers, to change back Turkish liras to Euros or dollars.
The Euro exchange rate when we were on average was 5.55 Turkish lira for one US dollar and 6.4 Turkish lira for one Euro, but the rate for all exchange offices in the city changed constantly - the best rate was traditionally near the Grand Bazaar.
What immediately catches the eye after Greece is the buildings in Turkey above 8 floors, because in Greece there are practically no skyscrapers due to the danger of earthquakes.
So, after an elite vacation in Greece, we decided to savor the Turkish underground.
We savored all the 18 Euros of the cost of living for two: from the first hotel with a very domestic terrace (we were evicted without explanation - they simply were not allowed into our room), but they immediately settled in a neighboring hotel opposite the metro bridge.
HORROR HOTEL IN ISTANBUL
Let's say right away that this price included fairly hearty breakfasts, an air-conditioned room with a rooftop terrace, which offers a beautiful view of night Istanbul especially at night, and there was free wifi.
There is a mosque next to the hotel.
We closed the windows in the room at night, because the hotel is located very close to the highway and it was very noisy.
EVALUATION OF BUDGET HOTEL IN ISTANBUL: cheap and NOT cheerful
This weekend we were in the midst of Muslim holidays, so all the squares of the city, houses and mosques were decorated with many flags and night illuminations, and there were stunning discounts in all stores.
Of course, given the location of our nightmare hotel, we immediately moved towards the Egyptian Bazaar.
Historical reference: The Egyptian Bazaar (MISIR CARSISI), also known as the Egyptian Market, also known as the Spice Market, also known as Mysyr-charshysy, is a market located in the old part of Istanbul, in the Eminonu district, by the way, this is the second largest market in Stmbul after the Grand Bazaar. On the territory of the Egyptian market there are about 100 shops and there is everything or almost everything or almost everything.
The market was built back in 1660 by Sultana Hatice Turhan (formerly a Ukrainian Nadezhda), who was the concubine of Sultan Ibrahim I and the mother of the future Sultan Mehmed IV, and initially the market was part of the New Mosque complex.
It's worth noting right away that approaching the Egyptian Bazaar from the side of the Embankment, you still need to walk to it, passing through a million shops, shops and just sellers who sell goods not always worse than in the market itself, but definitely cheaper.
Since the last trip to Istanbul at the Egyptian Bazaar, nothing has changed - everything is standard: sweets and spices are inside, fine coffee is ground in front of the entrance KURUKAHVECi MEHMET EFENDi, and around the Bazaar there are many shops with almost original items and sneakers of world brands for 10-12 dollars.
Knowing that tomorrow is Sunday, and if the Greek Bazaar is still open, then the Grand Bazaar, certainly not, we went towards the latter.
As you know, until the middle of the 19th century, Kapali-charshi (Grand Bazaar) was the center of the slave trade, therefore, given the presence today of such a phenomenon / concept as "shopaholic", the situation has not changed dramatically ...
The construction of the Grand Bazaar began under Sultan Mehmed II, the conqueror, immediately after the capture of Constantinople in 1453. After the earthquake of 1894, its large-scale reconstruction was carried out. The oldest buildings of the market are the old (Sahaflarbedesteni) and sandalwood (Sandalbedesteni) bedestans located in the center of the complex, with vaulted and domed ceilings. The bazaar building has 18 gates, among which the most notable are the central Nuruosmaniye gate located next to Chamberlitash Square, on which there is an inscription “God has mercy on the one who devotes himself to trade” and the Beyazit gate located next to Beyazit Square.
The streets of the market have retained their old names - Kolpachnikov Street (Kalpaklar Caddesi), Kalyanshchikov Street (Nargileci Caddesi), Samovar Street (Semaver Sokak), etc.
The first impression from being inside is how beautiful the architecture is and how much attention and love was paid by the merchants of Istanbul to decorate their workplace, that is, with what respect the Turks treat such a craft as trade, including the representation of the country, from which should always be a pleasure to bring something to remember.
Something has already changed here: discounts have become quite suspicious, for example, starting at $80 for a silver ring with sultanite, we were offered it for $30 as a result, we began to doubt that this was true and bought it for 25!
It was evening.
Therefore, since tomorrow we decided to go home to Taksim street.
Returning from the Grand Bazaar to the Egyptian Bazaar and crossing the Galatsky Bridge on the right side, we visited the coffee house MURAT MUHALLEBiCiSi.
We claim that here is the most delicious Turkish coffee and some of the most delicious sweets in Istanbul.
The price of coffee is 9 lira (approximately 1.4 Euro).
RATING OF THE COFFEE HOUSE MURAT MUHALLEBiCiSi: 5+ (EXCELLENT)
If you cross the street and fend off a million seagulls soaring in the air, you can save 20 minutes of your time not to walk to Taksim Street and take the funicular.
Name - TUNELL, fare 2.5 Turkish Lira (0.4 Euro) - pay with the same Istanbul card.
TUNELL EVALUATION: respect, some Turkish delight
Immediately at the exit, there will be the final turnaround station of the famous Turkish Tram - one of the symbols of Istanbul.
Here you won't be able to dive on this beautiful red tram, but you can take a picture near it or climb on its step - for these purposes it is standing here.
If you go to the right, after 100 meters there will be a tram stop, but getting on the tram the first time - there are few chances, just like getting on the tram is also most likely not going to work, and he rides with 100% load inside and 200% load on the steps outside!
TRAM ASSESSMENT: difficulty 5 (as indicated in the pictures by numbers, whoever knows what it is about will understand)
Street Taksim - you have to walk a lot and there are a lot of shops.
Taksim Street - an eternal sale and discounts on everything.
TAKSIM STREET EVALUATION: there is not enough money to buy everything here, although there are branded items of good quality, like, there
Then we went back through TUNEL, on foot across the Galatsky Bridge and to the Hotel.
Air conditioning on, windows closed, everything - sleep.
In the morning, go to the city center by tram-metro.
The stop is located opposite the Egyptian Bazaar. The fare is 2.5 Turkish Lira (0.4 Euro) - pay again with the Istanbul card. If there is not enough balance on the card, you should not survive: almost everywhere there are biletmatik machines at bus stops.
We decided to drive to the Grand Bazaar stop and walk back towards the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia.
BLUE MOSQUE or SULTANAHMET MOSQUE (Sultanahmet Camii) is considered one of the first mosques in Istanbul. The mosque has six minarets: four, as usual, on the sides, and two slightly less high - on the outer corners. It is considered an outstanding example of Islamic and world architecture.
The mosque is located on the shores of the Sea of Marmara, in the historical center of Istanbul in the Sultanahmet district, opposite the Ayasofya Museum. The mosque is one of the symbols of the city.
NOTE: on the square opposite the mosque there is a public toilet where you can pay both in cash (with a coin - 1 Turkish lira) and biletmatik.
CARD EVALUATION biletmatik: just great!
HAGIA SOPHIA - THE WISDOM OF GOD, HOLY SOPHIA OF CONSTANTINOPLE, HAGIA SOPHIA.
In the past, the Patriarchal Orthodox Cathedral, later - a mosque, now - a museum; the world-famous monument of Byzantine architecture, a symbol of the "golden age" of Byzantium. The official name of the monument today is Hagia Sophia Museum (Ayasofya Mzesi).
For more than a thousand years, St. Sophia Cathedral in Constantinople remained the largest church in the Christian world until the construction of St. Peter's Cathedral in Rome. The height of the St. Sophia Cathedral is 55.6 meters, the diameter of the dome is 31 meters.
On Sunday, as we expected, the Grand Bazaar was closed, but you could safely walk along the deserted streets around the Bazaar.
Lastly, we decided to relax in the GULHANE park: we asked all tourists and locals to go out for five minutes so that we could walk alone in this hotbed of greenery and tranquility, we were obeyed and we walked in splendid solitude.
GULHANE PARK EVALUATION: very green and flowery
Here in the city center near the Blue Mosque is the final stop of buses S1, which will take you back to Istanbul Airport - their route passes through the Embankment: you need to go to the opposite side of the street from the Grand Bazaar and go left (in the opposite direction from the city center).
IMPORTANT: don't forget to top up your biletmatik card before boarding the bus (we remind you that the fare to the airport costs 18 Turkish liras (approximately 2.8 Euros)).
Given the size of the airport, it is better to buy a trolley for 1 Euro at the very beginning - which (my native Euro) can be returned when the cart is returned to the stall by scanning a barcode, which you must remember to take upon receipt of the trolley (very detailed instructions are posted on the front side of the machine and there is always an airport employee nearby for some reason in the costume of the captain of a sea vessel).
EURO RETURN ESTIMATION FOR THE CARRIAGE: you're lying, you won't take it - this is my Euro!
By the way, there are some jokes with discounts in the Duty free of Istanbul airport, like, buy now for 150 Euro and on your next trip through this airport you can get a 20% discount, like: “ I'll kiss you, then, if you want...".
STABUL RATING: 5+ (EXCELLENT)
RASING TURKEY: 5+ (EXCELLENT)
The plane will again feed and again you will NOT be able to watch the film to the end - the flight is only four more than one hour.
That's about it!
Although no, earlier, there were requests for a price list.
Do you need prices? We have them!
PRICES (EUR) FOR EVERYTHING AS OF MAY 2019:
0.0 - photos and selfies on vacation (Greece and Turkey)
0.1 - plastic bag in a supermarket (Greece)
0.13 - drinking water in a supermarket, 0.5l (Greece)
0.15 - outdoor drinking water, 0.5l (Turkey)
0.27 - a bag of cat food in a supermarket (Greece)
04 - ground coffee in a supermarket, 96 grams (Greece)
1.12 - plastic salad bowl in a supermarket (Greece)
1.19 - yogurt in a supermarket, 200 grams (Greece)
1.39 - chips in the supermarket, 200 grams (Greece)
1.2-1.5 - tomato in a supermarket (Greece)
1.23 - beer in the supermarket, 0.5l (Greece)
1.28 - disposable plates in a supermarket, 10pcs (Greece)
1.4 - natural coffee in a cafe (Turkey)
1.46 - natural juice in a supermarket, 1l (Greece)
1.5 - ice cream, one scoop (Greece)
1.56 - natural freshly squeezed juice, 250 grams (Turkey)
1.6 - olives in a supermarket, 200 grams (Greece)
1.6 – lavash with chicken (Greece)
1.6 - chicken eggs in a supermarket, 10pcs (Greece)
1.6-1.7 - gasoline at a gas station, 1l (Greece)
1.65 - sausage in a supermarket, 140 grams (Greece)
1.72 - oatmeal cookies in the supermarket, 200 grams (Greece)
1.79 - toast cheese in a supermarket, 300 grams (Greece)
1.8 - watermelon in the supermarket, 1kg (Greece)
1.99 - Gouda cheese in a supermarket (Greece)
2 - oranges on the market, 1kg (Greece)
2 - strawberries on the market, 1kg (Greece)
2.25 - mango on the market, 1kg (Greece)
2.2-2.5 - disgusting cafe (Greece)
2.3 - natural pomegranate juice in a supermarket (Greece)
2.3-2.5 - natural coffee in a cafe (Greece)
2.3-2.7 - wine in the supermarket, 1.5l (Greece)
2.34 – bylyk ekmek on the embankment of Istanbul (Turkey)
2.45 - tuna in the supermarket, can 3x80 grams (Greece)
2.5-3.5 - kumquat in a supermarket, 1 kg (Greece)
2.53 - chocolate in the supermarket, 250 grams (Greece)
2.55 - straw biscuits in the supermarket, 2 packs (Greece)
2.8 - bus fare from the airport to the center of Istanbul (Turkey)
2.9 - ice cream in Corfu, one scoop (Greece)
3 - mini dondurma + ice cream show (Turkey)
3 - entrance to the monastery, Agios Meteora (Greece)
3 - a cross in a monastery (Greece)
3 - T-shirt for men near the market (Turkey)
3-5 - small icons in a wooden frame (Greece)
3.2 - muck in a cafe + drink (Greece)
3.5 - apricot in the supermarket, 1 kg (Greece)
7-12 - silver toe ring (Greece)
7.5 - visor cap (Greece)
8 - cocktail in a restaurant (Greece)
8 - cap in the store (Turkey)
8.14 - chicken fillet in a supermarket (Greece)
8-9 - rag sneakers in the bazaar (Turkey)
8-9 - quality men's shirt on the market (Turkey)
10 - olive body cream (Greece)
10 - cheese in a supermarket, 1 kg (Greece)
10-12 - T-shirt for men (Greece)
11 - one way ferry fare to Corfu (Greece)
13 - leather men's shoes at a discount (Istanbul)
15 - branded women's jeans at a discount (Istanbul)
15-30 - silver ring with opal (Greece)
18 - beach towel (Greece)
18 - accommodation in a hotel room for two with breakfast (Turkey)
18 - accommodation in a hotel room for two without breakfast (Greece)
22 - women's leather shoes in a store (Turkey)
22-25 and up to 50 - silver buba for a Pandora bracelet (Greece)
25 and above - women's leather shoes (Turkey)
25 - silver jewelry (Greece)
25-35 - men's cotton shirt (Greece)
25-30 - men's leather sneakers (Turkey)
29 - perfumes at a discount in the duty free of Istanbul Airport (Turkey)
29 - men's leather flip flops (Greece)
50 - lunch in a restaurant, 6 courses + beer (Greece)
50 - half day boat rental, including the cost of gasoline (Greece)
60 - women's cotton dress (Greece)
65 - dinner in a restaurant, 8 courses + wine (Greece)
65 - leather wallet (Greece)
65 - men's leather sandals (Greece)
65 - women's linen dress (Greece)
70 and above - Italian leather shoes (Greece)
88 - feta cheese in a supermarket (Greece)
89 and above - sunglasses in store (Greece)
100.000, 000 is the approximate cost of building one section of a toll road (Greece)
billions - the cost of the road, bridges and tunnels from Thessaloniki to Sivot (Greece)
ohreneliard - impressions of the views of Greece and discounts in Turkey
But we can say one thing - the view of domestic plowing from an airplane is cuter than anything seen before!
Thanks everyone!
That's it for sure!
IMPORTANT: the rating of the Holiday depends on the rating of the Review!
