Greek people
by csordila
There are two kinds of people - Greeks, and everyone else who desire they were Greek!
The Greek people are famous for their hospitality to foreigners. Greece is one of the few places where you may be invited for a meal but most Greeks would think it a big discourtesy, if you, as guest want to pay for the meal.
The Greek people use different movements to signify ‘yes and ‘no’, instead of the usual nodding and shaking of the head, ‘Yes’ is signalled by a slight nod of the head downwards, and ‘no’ is signaled by a small bob of the head upwards.
The Greek people are also very superstitious. Tuesday is considered very unlucky, because it is the day when Constantinople became part of the Ottoman Empire.
The Greek people do not celebrate birthday, they consider its celebrating is generaly a matter of the family.
Thessaloniki Tip
by Michail
The capital of Macedonia and second largest city of Greece. It was first established in 316 B.C. by Kassandros and named after his wife, Thessaloniki, sister of Alexander the Great.
It is here that Paul, the Apostle of Nations, first brought the message of Christianity (50 A.D.) and that Demetrius, a Roman officer died in martyrdom, thus becoming the holy patron of the city for ever (303 A.D.).
Thessaloniki becomes the second important city of the Byzantine Empire, next to Konstantinople, ornamented with numerous majestic and glamorous architectural works that display all forms of Byzantine art. After this illustrious era, the enemies take over. But each time, after every catastrophe, Thessaloniki reexalts her splendor, dressed in her eternal garment of ancient and Byzantine glory.
Follow the walls...
by Erinoula
The famous White Tower, near the waterfront, dates from the period of Venetian rule (1423-1430). You can’t miss it. However, if you don’t take the time to wander around the city it’s easy to miss a lot.
The best thing you can do in Thessaloniki is to get lost. Wander around anywhere above Aghiou Dimitriou St and look at the city walls. Not just what they were, but how they are intergrated into the life of they city. Some places treat their historical monuments as something separate, removed. Not here.
A bit of background - the first walls were built when the city was founded, but have been continually extended and reinforced. Some of the walls in Ano Poli, the upper city, were first built in the first century BC, but have been repaired and rebuilt many times since then, often with recycled materials. The fortifications at Vardar, for example, used the marble from the old hippodrome. Most of what we can see today is from the Byzantine era. Large sections were demolished in 1869, but a lot remains.
What I think is most striking is the way ancient and modern are juxtaposed..
The walls are not a monument, they are a part of a living breathing city which is in harmony with the past. In these photos you can see how people live with the walls as part of their lives, even part of their houses.
Froutotypo
by hamouras
Froutotypo
It's a nice cafe in Navarino square which has the best fruit juices and fruit based cakes and salads in Thessaloniki.
Best time to go there is during the afternoon, but not long after 2 o'clock cause it would be difficult to find any table available.
By going to Froutotypo in the summer, you can also get some hints about whether to stay at Thessaloniki or not. For example: in case you go there at 3:30pm lets say and the cafe is empty, then you are at the wrong place at the worst possible time. Meaning that you should better go to Halkidiki and by the beach.
In and Around Market
by gale.blog.pl
Take a walk in and around Thessaloniki city market. You'll see lots of restaurants and cafes here. I personally recommend those in which locals dine.
In the market hall a some of small restaurants can be found serving local specialities at reasonable prices. Often you can chose from variety of seafood to be cooked for you.
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shrimp saganaki
Siesta in the shadow
the lake
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