So Much to Remember...

An Evening Stroll Home

It was a lovely evening for a stroll...

On Syntagma Square, this periptero, aka kiosk, is open for business (as usual)

I really like these color changing fountains on either side of the Square

and the lovely fountain

and, then through the National Gardens

a short stop to cross the busy avenue in front of the Kalimarmaro, the Marble Stadium

and, finally back to campus where we can see folks studying for finals

Unforgettable Postcards from Athens

view from the balcony

in the apartment

the best gyros from Quick Pitta

this little guy is the pet of one of the kiosk owners - how funny!

morning coffee on the balcony

selfies in the park

catchin' the sunlight

while they all catch the sunset from Mars Hill, we enjoy the last of our time in Greece

view from the rooftop garden restaurant

The Deserted Flea Market

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Above is a photo I took of the Athens Flea Market right off of Monastiraki Square back in January when we were first here in Athens. Below are pics snapped of the amazingly empty Flea Market when all the shops are closed - usually late Sunday evenings. If I remember correctly, these were taken on Easter Sunday. Yeah...all the shops were closed. 

people like to walk through the Flea Market when it is clossed...as you can see,
there is artwork that you can only appreciate when the doors are closed

this is looking from inside the Market out onto Monastiraki Square - a lot of the
tavernas and cafes were open, even on Easter. Tourist business is always worthwhile.

And, this was a shot of Ermou Street - the major shopping street. Usually, it is so crowded you can hardly walk
without either getting bumped or being in someone's way. The city is eerily peaceful when the streets are mostly deserted.

The Last Sunday in March

Just a few snaps and thoughts from our last Sunday in March.

It is still kinda cold, grey, and threatening rain. Everyone here is pretty darn tired of it!

We grabbed a sandwich by an old church on Ermou and watched the people go by. A great opportunity to think of the bigger things in life like tradition, life, and what is edifying.

We sought out a sweet (our favorite - kreme pie), and headed for a sweet little cafe just off the main thoroughfare. Just a couple of business down from where we were sitting, there was a traditional Greek men's club meeting in a cafe dressed in their traditional costumes - very cool!

After enjoying a light salad and a cappuccino, we set our sights for home, We gave to some of our favorite needy, visited our favorite bread ring vendor, and watched all the people strolling along Ermou. This part of Athens I will miss.

Oh, and when we arrived in Syntagma Square, there was a portable geodesic dome set up. Wow! It was the European Space Expo and spanned the Square. We popped in for a quick look - it was a free interactive information expo. Pretty well done, too.

On our way through the metro station, we noticed the time - was it that late, already?? Spring forward for the time change from daylight savings to standard time took place today... So, we strolled through the National Gardens, exploring a few paths we hadn't been on before, and finally made our way out near Zappion. Along the way, a feathered friend posed for me. How nice.

The European Space Expo

one of the needy near the fountain

a couple of the traditionally dressed men

awesome traditional costumes

y'know, sundials don't work very well with no sun

one of many Eurasian Magpies - they are beautiful when they fly and have very long tailfeathers

 

along Ermou - yep, they were good enough that we put some change in their case

Walk-About Thessaloniki

yeah...now I have your attention!
This town has more sweet shops than...well, I don't know where!
Actually, all the places we have been are well-populated with sweet shops and bakeries...
it is a wonder that obesity is not an issue in this country!

Happy Birthday, Kyle! Aristotle wished him a happy day, as well
(he's the statue in the background)
It is good to be 20.

this was a cool square that fronted onto the sea - beautiful! 

yes, I would like a Paloma, parakalw

we are homesick - our favorite restaurant is the TGI Fridays where we enjoyed real hamburgers and food with some kick
(the wait staff was surprised that I ordered the 'Brave Texan" burger with jalapenos...haha! Yummy!)
Look closely at this place mat - headers in English, text in Greek! 

*shaking head*
I have no words for this.
All I can hear is Alex Michael laughing...

I think my coffee addiction has doubled...

the famous and iconic White Tower of Thessaloniki

Thessaloniki (Greek: Θεσσαλονίκη [θesaloˈnici], also known as Thessalonica or Salonica, is the second-largest city in Greece and the capital of Greek Macedonia, the administrative region of Central Macedonia and the Decentralized Administration of Macedonia and Thrace. Its honorific title is Συμπρωτεύουσα (Symprotévousa), literally "co-capital", and stands as a reference to its historical status as the Συμβασιλεύουσα (Symvasilévousa) or "co-reigning" city of the Eastern Roman (Byzantine) Empire, alongside Constantinople.

The Thessaloniki Metropolitan Area extends over an area of 1,455.62 km2 (562.02 sq mi) and its population in 2011 reached a total of 1,104,460 inhabitants. Thessaloniki is Greece's second major economic, industrial, commercial and political center, and a major transportation hub for the rest of southeastern Europe; its commercial port is also of great importance for Greece and the southeastern European hinterland. The city is renowned for its festivals, events and vibrant cultural life in general, and is considered to be Greece's cultural capital. Events such as the Thessaloniki International Trade Fair and the Thessaloniki International Film Festival are held annually, while the city also hosts the largest bi-annual meeting of the Greek diaspora.

Founded in 315 BC by Cassander of Macedon, Thessaloniki's history spans some 2,300 years. An important metropolis by the Roman period, Thessaloniki was the second largest and wealthiest city of the Byzantine Empire. Thessaloniki is home to numerous notable Byzantine monuments, including the Paleochristian and Byzantine monuments of Thessaloniki, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, as well as several Roman, Ottoman and Sephardic Jewish structures. The city's main university, Aristotle University, is the largest in Greece and the Balkans.

Thessaloniki is a popular tourist destination in Greece. For 2013 National Geographic Magazine included Thessaloniki in its top tourist destinations worldwide, while in 2014 Financial Times FDI magazine (Foreign Direct Investments) declared Thessaloniki as the best mid-sized European city of the future for human capital and lifestyle. ~wiki