Advertiser in the north of Greece
All summer I wanted to relax. I sincerely envied every tourist who went to the sea, because most of all I love the sea, the beach, comfort. The plans were Thailand, the Dominican Republic, the Maldives....well, in extreme cases - Egypt or Turkey.
But the circumstances were such that, reluctantly, I booked a very difficult program in the north of Greece. Somehow I prepared the docks for the embassy, and without worrying too much, I began to wait for the result. Oddly enough, but on September 24, a visa was opened to me, and this despite the fact that instead of a certificate of income, I submitted a simple declaration of my income for the past six months, and a certificate from the bank confirmed that I had in my account, no less, 1000 euros.
And so, on 09/26/10 - SUNDAY - a caring husband took me to Boryspil, where I met with a group of the same travel agents (thank God that the group is small - 15 people) from where we flew safely to Thessaloniki.
Arrival in Thessaloniki: the first thing that shocked me was the landing of the plane from the water, i. e. the runway begins almost at the shore and until the last moment it seems that we are landing on the water. And here it is - the capital city of Macedonia and the meeting of our group by a representative of the company Β Ο Μ Ο TRAVEL. Transfer to Loutra Loutrakiou (Aridea). On the way, we stopped at the small town of Esdes, which is known for a very beautiful waterfall. (photo No. 1) A very tragic legend is associated with it, that after the defeat of the Greeks in a battle with the conquering Turks, all the women of the village rushed from it into the abyss of waters. Those. everyone died
Then we got to Aridea - there are thermal springs, where we were waiting for a visit to the healing springs of Loutra (Turkish name - Pozar) - hot healing springs in the open air, the constant water temperature of which is +37 degrees all year round, have been known since the time of the Roman Empire. (photo No. 2) After that we had a delicious dinner in a traditional tavern.
On the second day - we arrived in Kastoria - a picturesque city of Western Macedonia, spread like an amphitheater on the shores of the fabulous lake Orestiada. We walked around the city. and Byzantine churches. We arrived at the hotel late. Yes, and the hotel is cool - high in the mountains, our minibus climbed the serpentine for 15-20 minutes. But below opened a gorgeous view of the night city
The third day we devoted to the study of factories and exhibition centers of fur products: we went to the exhibition and sale "EDIKA", where unique products of the factories of the city and its environs are presented in 60 pavilions, we had the opportunity to get acquainted with the technology of sewing fur products. (photo No. 4)
On the fourth day we went to METEOR (KALAMBAKA).
Meteora is a place where you experience fear and delight at the same time! The originality of Meteor lies in the harmonious combination of the phenomenal natural landscape with the creation of human hands. The grandiose cliffs, rushing up from the flat surface of the Thessalian valley and reaching a height of 600 meters, are a rare geological phenomenon. These amazing, massive, as if hovering in the air "sculptures" were called Meteora (from the Greek "meteoros" - floating in the air). (photo No. 5) Meteora are among the most revered places of pilgrimage for all Orthodox Christians and, at the same time, is one of the most visited places by both residents of the country and foreign tourists. On the same day we went to the mythical Delphi, to meet with the temple of Apollo. We arrived only when it was already dark.
In the morning we went to this archaeological reserve. (photo №6)
In ancient times, this city was one of the main centers of Greek civilization; according to the ancient Greeks, here was the center of the universe - "the navel of the earth. " In the temple of Apollo, Pythia predicted the future, whose services were resorted to even by kings and she was asked about the fate of entire states. Delphi, as the largest religious center, was a place of all-Greek contacts and discussions that took place in beautiful buildings with a magnificent view of the Itian Gulf of the Ionian Sea. The tour starts from the Kastalsky key (mountain spring), which, according to legend, has a rejuvenating effect. The sacred mountain, where the ancient Greeks built their treasuries, showing the whole of Greece the wealth and grandeur of each individual policy. Visitors will certainly be enchanted by the theatre, the stadium and many other monuments. After that, again a long journey to the north of Greece. On the way, stop at the Thermopylae Gorge, at the monument to King Leonid, who became famous in the famous battle of 300 Spartans against the large Persian army.
On the 6th day we returned to Thessaloniki.
Traditional sightseeing tour of the city: we were on the Acropolis of the city, from where the ruins of the fortress walls are visible, admired the panorama of Thessaloniki. We visited one of the famous temples in the country - the temple of St. Demetrius, the patron saint of the city. After the tour, I walked around the city, on the embankment with a wonderful view of the Thermeian Gulf, went to a tavern - where I tried fish dishes of Greek cuisine. We didn’t have to relax for a long time - again moving to Halkidiki, the town of Kallikratia. Honestly, I did not like it - the only advantage is the proximity to Thessaloniki. There are very few good hotels. Mostly inexpensive villas for short stays. On the same day - moving to the second "finger" of the peninsula - Sithonia. And here, finally, a very pleasant surprise awaited us - we were the first group of travel agents from Ukraine who confirmed our accommodation in this hotel (apparently, the crisis affected the management of this pretentious hotel), so - we were waiting for accommodation at the Danai Beach Resort & Villas 5 * hotel. (photo No. 7) Before arrival, they warned that it was impossible to take pictures of the interiors, just look (of course, we still took each other’s rooms) In no case did we have the right to take pictures of hotel guests, there are very important guests and not always with their wives Hotel level - presidents, prime ministers, important political figures, etc. In Greece, hotels do not have fences (however, like housing), but this hotel has one. And serious security. Very, very high level of service. Each room is provided by a majordomo, who will arrange for you a romantic dinner on the Aegean coast with candles, carpets on the sand and antique tables and armchairs. And everything in this spirit. I had a bungalow room with my own pool and garden. (photo # 8)
On the last - the 7th day. We looked at the Porto Carras complex, I won’t list the hotels, I’ll just say that I really liked it - Villa Galini. It’s also not for mass recreation, Salvador Dali worked there for a long time, there was his workshop and now the owners keep his works, they decorate the territory and rooms. The design of some apartments is also his work. It is located on a mountain, below is the sea.
So the week went by. Although I felt like I was there for a month.
To be honest, I'm just happy! Let Thailand wait.
We returned to Ukraine through the VIP-lounge.
