The Middle Finger of Halkidiki

We enjoyed last week's sojourn to Lake Kerkini and Kavala so much that after two nights back in our apartment, we headed out again. This time to Halkidiki, which is a region held in high regard by seemingly every Greek. Locals often tell you that it looks like the Maldives or the Caribbean. We felt like we needed to visit it before leaving Thessaloniki in a few weeks--you know, research for potential places to live at least part time--and it sure is lovely and the water often does look quite tropical.

Travel Excitement

A charming trait of so many Greeks is the passion they express for trips that other people take. In many parts of the world there's often jealousy about other people's vacations. But whenever we tell locals we're going somewhere they get positively giddy about our trip. It's almost as if they're going with us vicariously. It's really interesting and endearing. Before at least three recent trips, we've gone to our favorite bakery to pick up some car snacks. The friendly young women see our backpacks and want details about where we're going. Sam tells them and then cackles of delight, like they've won the lottery, echo in the little shop. Greeks all say, earnestly, "Enjoy every minute of your trip!"

Halkidiki

Halkidiki is shaped like the palm of a hand with three fingers attached. The first finger is the party/resort finger, the middle finger is the nature finger, and the third is the holy finger, where Mount Athos and lots of monasteries are located. We opted to visit the middle finger, Sithonia, and it's a stunner. It's only a 90 minute drive from Thessaloniki but is a complete contrast to the busy, noisy, crowded city. We lucked into a great place to stay near a town with the alliterative name of Vourvourou. The view from the house of the sea, a nearby island, and olive trees was practically entertainment enough. And we had access to a semi-private beach. Unfortunately the water's still too cold for swimming, though Sam did wade in it a few times. So we mostly got to do some pleasant strolls along a handful of gorgeous beaches and coves (before temperatures dropped back into the 30s again at the end of our stay!).

At the most stunning beach, Karydi, we chatted with a 29 year old Greek woman who does seasonal work in hospitality on Sithonia. She and her colleagues have been cleaning up the rental places in preparation for the holiday season which begins with Orthodox Easter this weekend. She: 1) told us that because of how hard she's worked over the past decade plus, she feels more like she's 80 years old; 2) said basically that the world's fate hinges on her generation but that her cohort has no way to change the status quo; 3) asked us if some completely nuts US political conspiracy bunk was true; and 4) told us that it rains in Greece every (Orthodox) Good Friday because that's Mary's tears about losing her son. Somehow this pleasant twenty minute chat encapsulated lots of the conundrums of Greece.

Residence Permits Soon?

We're back in Thessaloniki and it seems we might be getting our residence permits late next week. And just days after that, we'll leave Thessaloniki for the foreseeable future. Our landlady started off friendly but now that we're leaving, she's dropped the charm and it seems she and we are both ready to be done with the lease. Over the next few days, we'll get to ponder where we'll choose to spend ten days in early May before we arrive in Chania, Crete. The young women at the bakery, no doubt, will be excited to hear where we go next.