Греция-замечательная страна! Greece is a wonderful country!

We rested in Greece (Chalkidiki, Sithonia peninsula, Porto Carras Meliton Thalasso & Spa 5 * hotel) from 06/02/2011 to 06/12/2011. In general, about the rest in Greece: a wonderful country (clean and calm sea, beautiful beach), which I want to return to again, we really liked it (I went with my mother and with my 10-year-old son). Overall hotel rating: 5+!!!! Greece overall rating: 5! And now everything is in order. Tour. operator: MOUZENIDIS TRAVEL. MOUZENIDIS TRAVEL in Greece has an excellent organization in everything (excursion programs, provision of any information, guides, etc. )! We did not regret a bit that we flew with them. The weather in June 2011 in Chalkidiki on the peninsula of Sithonia: we arrived at the hotel on the morning of June 2, after checking into the room and after breakfast, we decided to walk around the hotel and go to the beach. Already in the morning (about 10.00-11.00) the weather was wonderful, the sun was shining (the temperature in the morning was about 22-25 degrees), it was very warm. But we did not swim in the sea that day, because the water was very cool. I got frustrated…. The next two days we were not at the hotel, because we went on excursions. And we ended up at the hotel on the beach only on June 4. And I want to say - it's a miracle! For 2 days, the sea (more precisely, the water temperature) warmed up so much that I was surprised. In general, from June 4 until the end of our holiday - the sea was magnificent: warm (my son was only in the water all day). The air temperature was amazing, during the day up to 32 degrees (maybe more). Based on the fact that out of 10 days of our vacation - 5 days we had excursions, and only 5 days we fully rested on the territory of the hotel on the beach - I arrived like a chocolate. The sun is very hot! In June, Halkidiki had good, hot weather, you can get a good tan and swim plenty in the sea. In the morning and in the evening there is also a pleasant sun, sweaters have never been worn. It rained once when we went to Kastoria on June 3, but there was no rain on the peninsula of Sithonia that day. According to the guides, in August (the hottest of the seasonal months) in the shade, the air temperature reaches up to 40 degrees! They say that at this time it is not very comfortable to rest, because the sea heats up to such an extent that it does not cool after sunbathing. Hotel area: I want to note that in June there were not many tourists in the hotel (when compared, according to the guides, with July and August). There were few Russians (about 30-35% of the total number of tourists). The entire territory on which there are two large hotels Sithonia Thalasso & Spa 5 * (in some travel companies it is like 4 + *) and Meliton Thalasso & Spa 5 * are privately owned and the entire territory is called Porto Carras. The Meliton hotel is one level higher than the Sithonia hotel (this can be seen both on the territory of the hotel and in the rooms, etc. ). There is also a third hotel on the territory of Porto Carras (villas, I don’t remember what they are called), but when we rested there, it was under reconstruction. The territory is vast, very green. Many palms, pines, eucalyptus, various flowers. Lots of lagoons outside the hotel, a golf course, helipads, vineyards, etc. You can rent bikes and go around the entire territory of Porto Carras, but we walked. Along the entire promenade (outside the hotel, but on the territory of Porto Carras) there is an asphalt path along which you can walk and see the beaches and lagoons. We caught sea urchins there. Mom even dried one hedgehog and brought it as a souvenir to Russia. There are no sea urchins on the territory of the Meliton and Sithonia hotels! There are 2 pools with sea water on the territory. The Sithonia has a fresh water swimming pool on site. Guests/tourists of Porto Carras can walk throughout the territory without restriction, visit any pools of both hotels. A free train runs around Porto Carras every hour. On it you can get to the wine cellar, where you can taste the wine (tasting fee = 2 euros) and optionally buy Porto Carras' own wine. There is a port on the territory where yachts call. There are boutiques with clothes and a super market with food products on the territory of the port. The Meliton Hotel has a Spa on the "B" floor, but we did not visit it. Near the Spa there is a small boutique with clothes. There is a wonderful saleswoman, we bought 2 dresses from her (for mom and ourselves) for a total of 190 euros (I made a good discount)! Resettlement: We were resettled very quickly. The deposit is 100 euros per room, they are returned before departure from the hotel. Initially, we booked and redeemed a ticket to the Sithonia Thalasso & Spa hotel, because it is cheaper than Meliton. When we arrived - we were pleasantly surprised - we were accommodated in the Meliton hotel (according to the hotel guide, this is due to the fact that while there are few tourists in general, those tourists who booked the Sithonia all-inclusive hotel - they left them at the hotel Sithonia, and those tourists who have "breakfast + dinner" are relocated to Meliton. We are lucky! the following days we adapted. If you walk along the beach to the town of Neos Marmaras, you will see that there is also sand on the beach, not only small pebbles. The water in the sea is calm, there are no waves. But, on our last day of rest, with something happened by the sea, apparently the storm was in the open sea - the waves just knocked you off your feet! But how all the vacationers liked it - everyone jumped in the waves. In general, for 9 days - the sea was very calm and the little children splashed with pleasure in it. On the territory of the Meliton hotel there are fenced off area of ​ ​ the beach, which says "only for Meliton guests. " There were always enough sun loungers, even if you came at 10.00-11.00 h. in the morning, and you can take sunbeds under an umbrella on the first line. There are a lot of sunbeds (they are free), free and beach towels. Room: free safe. Paid mini-bar. The room is good (flooring in the room and tiles in the bathroom, double bed, sofa, armchair, table, long table with TV, 2 bedside tables. There are 2 wardrobes in the hallway. There are always towels, shampoo, shower gel in the bathroom , soap, hair dryer). The view from the balcony we had was the sea + the port (the view is amazing). Although we had a partial view of the port from the room, the yachts passing by did not bother us at all (no noise)! Cleaned to the conscience every day. Tipping was not left. The insulation is good (no worries). What is near the hotel: if you walk along the promenade (along the paved path) through the Sithonia hotel, then after 30-40 minutes at a calm pace you will reach the town of Neos Marmaras. We visited it 5 times. Wonderful town! There is a small port in it, shops, souvenir shops, taverns, cafes. There we bought souvenirs, ice cream and just walked around. If you are too lazy to walk into the city on foot, then the Meliton hotel in the port has a schedule according to which every 30 minutes. there is a small boat that takes people to the city and back for 2.5 euros per person one way. Very cozy and friendly city with narrow streets. Meals: we had "breakfast + dinner". Everything is on the level! Always for dinner there is meat, fish, salads, greens, soup, spaghetti, sauces, fruits (peaches, apples, cherries, apricots, kiwi, pears, oranges), oriental sweets, ice cream. But for us for dinner there were all drinks (including water) paid. And for breakfast, drinks were included (that is, they were free), you could take everything (water, coffee, tea, juices), but cream of alcohol, alcohol at breakfast is also paid. Liked the food. Breakfasts always had fruits, desserts, scrambled eggs, omelettes, bacon, salads, milk soup, etc. There is a cafe on site where you can have lunch, but we only dined there once (it’s a little expensive). They didn’t die of thirst, because we bought water there (9 liters = 1.5 euros), and we brought a kettle and tea from home, brewed tea in the room if necessary. Excursions: All excursions take place on comfortable, often double-decker buses. The tourists of our Meliton and Sithonia hotels are lucky, because. they are the very first to take seats on the buses, and the tourists, whom the bus brings later, sit in those places that remain free. The only negative is that the guests of our hotels had to get up very early for trips on excursions, because our hotels are located almost at the end of the Sithonia peninsula, and we never had time to have breakfast, but we always had time to have dinner. Upon request, breakfast can be ordered to your room or you can take your lunch with you. packages. It is forbidden to eat on buses. In this regard, I always make stops for breakfast in a cafe. 1) Kastoria (a trip to fur / fur coat factories). We are picked up from our hotel Meliton at 05.10. in the morning and brought back for dinner. The cost of the tour is free! Drive one way for about 6 hours with a stop at a cafe for breakfast and lunch. Lunch in this tour is free from the operator MOUZENIDIS TRAVEL. If you want to buy a “good” coat of an exclusive style, a black llama, and if you have good money with you, then you should buy such a coat, you won’t find such a coat in Russia (perhaps). If you would like to buy a cheaper fur coat (ordinary mink, regular style) - we also have them in Russia (in Greece they are also not cheap). In short, we planned to buy a short fur coat for my mother, but those coats that we liked (black llama, super style, size 54-56) - it cost 3100 euros. We were greedy. If you have a smaller size, then the fur coat will be cheaper. The price of fur coats is built depending on the number of skins used, the style and category of fur. As a rule, factories sew and sell fur coats of only medium and highest quality, dressing skins. In Chinese markets, fur coats are mainly sold from the lowest quality of skins, hence the cheap price for Chinese fur coats. On this tour, we visited about seven fur factories and one fur trading center. On the same tour, we are from the tour. The operator was presented with audio CDs with Greek songs. 2) Monasteries of Meteora. We are picked up from our hotel Meliton at 05.10. in the morning and brought back for dinner. The cost of the tour - adults = 65 euros, children = 35 euros. One way to go about 5.5-6 hours. Stops in a cafe for breakfast and lunch (lunch is paid, and breakfast is your lunch. packages from the hotel). The tour was led by a guide, whose name is Panayotis. A wonderful storyteller, with a pleasant voice (he is very pleasant to listen to, knows a lot of information about Greece in general, has written several books about Greece and made many films). On this tour there will be a stop at the monasteries in a souvenir shop where you can buy icons and other souvenirs. The monasteries themselves are an amazing sight. We visited one active male monastery at an altitude of 960 m above sea level. Wandered in the nutria of the monastery. Interesting! In general, this wonder of the world is worth seeing, only the road is really tiring, although with a guide like Ponaetis, you will not be bored! 3) Aridea-Edessa. We are picked up from our hotel Meliton at 07.15h. in the morning and brought back for dinner. The cost of the tour - adults = 40 euros, children = 20 euros. Stops at a cafe for breakfast. In the city of Aridea, they visited waterfalls. I liked it, but they provide very little time. You will have some time to visit the souvenir shops there. In the city of Edessa visited the thermal springs. We were there for 3 hours. Liked! You can also dine here. After swimming and lunch, you will have time to visit a small market. In this market, we bought Greek honey from the nectar of mountain flowers (400 gr. = 3.5 euros) - very fragrant and tasty, bought mountain tea (mountain herbs), and bought homemade halva by weight (like oriental sweets), which we brought to Russia - very tasty (1 kg = 10 euros). 4) Olympus-Dion-Vergina. We are picked up from our hotel Meliton at 07.15h. in the morning and brought back for dinner. The cost of the tour - adults = 50 euros, children = 25 euros. Stops at a cafe for breakfast and lunch. Visiting Mount Olympus at an altitude of 1000 m above sea level. Great! Super feeling!! ! What is the air! What a scent of fragrant herbs! I liked it very much. You will rise to a height of 1000 m by bus! Imagine - a double-decker bus climbs up the mountain along a narrow road, there are cliffs nearby and tiny houses can be seen from them, which remained below at the foot of the mountain (especially if you ride on the second floor of the bus - unforgettable sensations !! ). Then we visited the ancient city of Dion from Byzantine times (these are archaeological sites). Be sure to take hats and sunglasses with you, because. you will walk around the city under the open sun in the daytime, and there it is very hot and the sun bakes strongly. An exciting sight (if anyone likes this kind of excavation). You can take beautiful photos. Then we went to the city of Vergina, where we visited the underground museum (excavations) of the burial place of the father of Alexander the Great - Philip II, etc. 5) Thessaloniki + visiting the wine cellar. We are picked up from our hotel Meliton at 07.15h. in the morning and brought back for dinner. The cost of the tour - adults = 40 euros, children = 20 euros. The city of Thessaloniki is worth a visit if someone does not dare to go on an excursion to Athens. We did not go to Athens, because it is very tiring with children. The road to Athens is long (departure from the hotel in the evening, drive to Athens all night + morning. You will be in the city for about 4 hours and go back to the hotel). In Thessaloniki you will immediately feel the rhythm of a big city (population over 1 million inhabitants). Greeks in the daytime "everyone" hang out in taverns and cafes over a cup of coffee. For us, it was crazy. Yes, they have such a custom - from 15.00-18.00 h. They have a siesta (rest) and few people are at work at this time. In Thessaloniki, we visited the Acropolis (the highest point of the city), the temple of St. Demetrius, the bloody (white) tower. And we had 4 hours of free time. We went to the Greek market, which sells vegetables, fruits, fish, souvenirs, sweets and cheap clothes. For example, I bought 4 dresses and oriental panties, each costing 10 euros. You can buy souvenirs at the market. Then you can go shopping (Zara, etc. ). And also in Thessaloniki there are branded stores where prices bite like everywhere else. Next We went to the wine cellar, which is located in one of the hotels. It is possible to buy wine after a free tasting (sweet, semi-sweet, dry, semi-dry). For all buyers of 2 bottles of wine - the third bottle as a gift (cost of 1 bottle: sweet = 7 euros, semi-sweet = 9.5 euros). Souvenirs: Greece is a country of olives. I bought an olive soap in Neos Marmaras (3 pieces of soap in a package = 3.5 euros). You can bring olive oil and creams. Greek honey, you can buy on the Aridea-Edessa excursion (400 gr. = 3.5 euros). Oriental sweets (in Duty Free a box of sweets 950 gr. = 9.5 euros). Greek Turkish delight by weight, you can buy on the Aridea-Edessa tour or at the Greek market in Thessaloniki (1 kg = 4 euros). Plate with symbols of Greece/Chalkidiki (diameter 14 cm = 7 euros). Greek wine, you can buy on Thessaloniki tour + wine cellar (3 bottles = 14 euros or 3 bottles = 19 euros, depending on: sweet or semi-sweet wine, etc. ). Marble figurines of small size (Venus, Aristotle, etc. = about 10 euros). You can buy Meteora on excursions or anywhere, they are everywhere. T-shirts with the symbols of Greece can be bought at the Greek market or in Neos Marmaras (Neos Marmaras, depending on the size: adults = 10 euros, children up to 7 euros). It’s cheaper on the Greek market!! ! A rosary (there are made of natural stone is a little expensive), you can buy it on the Greek market in Thessaloniki (1 piece = 1 euro), in Neos Marmaras (1 piece = 5 euro). We really liked Greece. Greece is worth a trip! Mass of impressions. I can’t say about all the hotels in Sithonia, but the Meliton Hotel is a fairy tale! If you have any questions - write to my e-mail. address: marina. samohina-smi@mail. en