We've gotten settled into our apartment and are really enjoying it. It's a pleasant, cozy space and is in a great location to access all that this city has to offer. And this city has a lot to offer! We live near the corner of Egnatia and Agapinou. Agapinou means 'beloved' in Greek and that's our street--how cool is that name for our first overseas address? And Egnatia is part of the Roman-built 2nd century BC Via Egnatia, which traversed the Balkans and went all the way to Istanbul. That's pretty cool, too.
Yesterday was a lovely, sunny day so we ventured up the hill to take in the view over the city. To get up there, you walk past a constant stream of Roman ruins and other famous sites, like the house Kemal Ataturk was born in. We also took advantage of the clear skies last night by watching the sunset from our roof. The sky was so clear that we could see Mount Olympus which is about 45 miles away.
Last week was eventful across the country. Food service workers were on strike on Tuesday and it looked like almost every coffee place, cafe, restaurant, etc. was closed for the day. The next day was the anniversary of the 1973 student uprising which contributed to the demise of the Greek junta. The following day, Sam got to take a school bus. She's exploring opportunities to volunteer at a school here. I walked her to the bus stop for her first day of school, awwww. It was a close call, but fortunately we didn't put her on the wrong bus!
As much as we love the city, we've decided to enjoy a jaunt down to the Cyclades. We're going to spend a week on Syros, an island that a bunch of Greeks, including our landlady, hold in high regard. So, although we usually hate to travel the day before Thanksgiving, we're making an exception this year. Hopefully the traffic is light!
Wishing everyone a happy holiday!
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| View over Thessaloniki |
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| Another view on the way up the hill |
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| Sunset view from our roof of Mount Olympus in the distance |
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Sam waiting to board the school bus...but this one wasn't it
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| The waterfront path on last Sunday |
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| Agapinou--our street |
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| A common Greek scene--oranges and apples stored on balcony (and the Greek dryer, i.e., sunlight) |
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| A neighbor, in red, watches activities at the church across the street |