A Rejuvenating Journey

The two weeks I spent, mostly, in the northern, Macedonia region in Greece offered the most pleasant and refreshing experiences I think I have ever had during a short holiday…

When I booked two tickets to the Free Earth festival at the end of last year I did not have any idea of what Greece was going to be like and I soon realized that, on occasion, when entering into a new experience with no expectations, the rewards are bountiful!

My reality was about to be transformed in all of the best ways…

Thessaloniki

In mid August my husband and I flew, early in the morning, from Hamburg, Germany. The raindrops pattered lightly on the dark, quiet streets. We breezed through security, ate the breakfast we had prepared for ourselves and waited to board our plane. Our flight was slightly delayed, but soon we were on our way. We arrived in Thessaloniki and when we exited the airplane we were greeted with warm sunshine on our faces and a refreshing breeze. I grinned happily to myself. The bus (X01) ride into Thessaloniki took about 40 minutes and only cost 2 euros per person. We checked into our hotel, which was a basic room with a large double bed, a balcony and en-suite bathroom for 30 euros a night, (considering it is rare to find a bed in a shared dorm hostel room for less than 20 euros per night, this was a win indeed) then popped out for some lunch and returned to the room for a snoozey afternoon siesta.

Later that afternoon we wandered down to Artistotelous Square and met up with a dear friend from Australia. We sat at a bar and enjoyed catch-ups over wine, beer and yummy nibbles. – I just love the aperitif culture that exists in southern Europe. – We wandered along the shoreline, found a shady spot in a park at the foot of the White Tower and watched the sunset over the bay. That evening we ventured through the city centre and found Bosporos, a traditional taverna playing live music with seating out on the cobbled street. We settled in for the next couple of hours indulging in delicious plates of food including saganaki, zucchini croquettes, feta, tomato and cucumber salad and the guys enjoyed a meat platter. The red wine was exceptional and served chilled in a beautiful copper cup. We even received a complimentary dessert of rich chocolate fudge cake with vanilla ice cream when we asked for our bill, which only came to 45 euros! We drank, ate, laughed and danced! My husband was not shy and joined in with the locals who held onto each others shoulders and danced in a circular motion through the space. I was in love with this country already!

Day two in Thessaloniki was beautiful. We ventured to the Ano Poli district in the upper part of town along cobbled, winding lanes, we ascended steep steps, dodged the little kittens that snoozed on the side of the footpaths, admired the colourful little houses and gates and observed children playing in a small square where elderly men sipped coffee and chatted. A castle and ancient wall greeted us at the top and as beads of sweat rolled down our faces we decided to find a shady place to sit and have a drink. I spotted a little ice cream shop and bounced over to order a scoop of delicious pistachio ice cream. Later on, after ambling lazily back down to the shore, we stopped for a frappe coffee – a super popular drink in Greece – before we found a sweet spot to see the sunset. Once the temperature began to cool (slightly) we found a lane full of tavernas! Every restaurant had inviting outdoor seating. We chose a comfy spot and settled in for another glorious meal. I ordered halloumi with pita, grilled aubergine with feta and tomatoes and red wine, and my husband enjoyed steak, calamari and beer. Once again we were spoiled with a free ice cream dessert and I wondered when did the hospitality part of a dining experience get lost in many parts of the world? To sit at a table and be served a large bottle of water for no additional cost, plus the free bread with unbelievably yummy olive oil and a complimentary dessert, I felt so amazingly appreciated! Efcharisto/Thank you!

Mount Olympus National Park / Litochoro

We awoke, packed out bags and missioned to the airport (after a slight detour in the wrong direction) to pick up our hire car. We got along with the Abbycar representative really well and once he found out we were from Melbourne he shared stories about his family members who live there and then offered us an upgrade on our car. We ended up hiring a little diesel Fiat 500 and oh my goodness she drove like a dream! We named her “Feta.” We cruised to Litochoro, a little town nestled between the mountains and the sea, also known as the gateway to the Mount Olympus National Park. I instantly felt overwhelmed with joy seeing the huge mountains reaching up to the sky! We found a little place to eat lunch and I decided to find us a hotel for the next two nights. In the centre of town, Olympus View was a cute and super clean little hotel. The owners were lovely and helpful and once they found out where we had come from they welcomed us even more warmly… the husband’s brother lived in Melbourne…

As the sun began to set we went for an evening walk into the valley to a water hole called Zeus’ Bath. We found a spot to sit on a rock and listened to the stillness of the breathtaking mountains. As I laid in bed with the window open, I listened to the crickets chirping into the night air while down in the valley below a restaurant had live music playing… the instruments and the woman’s voice sounded so traditional… like ancient magic floating up from the valley to the mountain tops. I listened, feeling romanticized by the entire setting and drifted gently into a deep and comfortable sleep.

The next day we had breakfast at the hotel before hitting the road for a windy drive to Prionia. “Feta” drove like a gem and hugged the curving mountain road tightly. We parked near a little café and hiked the E4 trail for a couple of hours. The forests were beautiful, the north facing side of the trail was mossy and cool and the south facing was dry and hot. There were moments when the sun shown through the gaps in the branches and scorched us, and the earth beneath our feet. We hiked up to around 1400 meters and then headed back. The views and the waterfall were breathtaking. Once back at the car we went for another glorious drive down to the coastal town of Plaka where we found a fish taverna, Aiolos Pharotaverna, set just a few meters back from the beach. After our hot hike the cool salty sea breeze refreshed us as we sat at a table under two massive evergreen trees. We order a feta, tomato, cucumber salad, a sea bass and a bream. The salad and fish were massive and the fish were grilled to perfection! Our late lunch was followed by a blissful dip into the turquoise, Aegean Sea. The super salty and cool water instantly settled the mosquito bites on my legs. What a relief! Feeling recharged from the hike, amazing lunch and a swim we drove back to our hotel to rest. Once the sun was beginning to set behind the mountain tops we ventured down into the valley where we heard the music coming from the night before. We found a bar called Skoipia, which had a mystical, earthy setting, underneath gigantic maple trees. It had a slight ampitheatre-esque feel, raw wooden tables that kind of resembled mushroom caps and a water feature in the centre. Lanterns glowed as the sky gradually transitioned to darkness and we toasted our glasses and praised the great day we had enjoyed.

Free Earth Festival

I awoke with an excited fluttery feeling in my tummy. We showered, packed our belongings, went to a local bakery for flakey, cheese and spinach pastries, drank cappuccinos, said our farewells to Litochoro and drove to the Halkidiki Peninsula. The festival was located on the second finger of the peninsula called Sithonia. Sithonia was a nature paradise! Torquoise, crystal clear waters and olive groves nestled at the edge of evergreen forests. As we drove through Nikiti we went shopping at Lidl for water and food supplies and went out for lunch, devouring a massive leafy salad drenched with feta and olive oil, before venturing to the festival site.

The site was spectacular! I had never danced on such a beautiful beach before. Parvati Records put on an epic line up and I loved the music from start to finish. There was amazing down tempo/dub on the beachside Oxygen stage with chunky beats. We met so many beautiful souls from Greece, England, Australia, Germany, Finland, Serbia, Turkey, Bulgaria, Romania, Brazil, Mexico, Denmark and Japan.

The only downside was the amount of plastic that was used… water bottles (due to no onsite drinking water facilities) plastic cups, cutlery and plates. The use of plastic water bottles was a problem throughout the whole of Greece. The infrastructure has not been established to recycle properly and in many/most parts of the country the tap water is not safe to drink since the piping systems are literally ancient! Many locals also buy their drinking water. The shear amount of plastic bottles was insane though and made many of us at the festival felt quite shocked and saddened by this serious problem.

Otherwise, my days there were dreamy! I felt relaxed and chilled. I rested a lot since it was so hot during the day. I swam lazily in the sea and I danced on the soft earth. Our campsite was in an olive grove, which was perfect for setting up a shade structure and we were able to camp with our car. Bore water was pumped up for the showers and we used the shady dried up riverbed as our pathway to get from our camp to the dance floors. Walking along this pathway felt like wandering through a mystical jungle, where vines drooped down from the branches overhead. The air was still and moist. On the Sunday night, after enjoying a delicious feast prepared by a friend, which included cheese and red wine, I danced in the sand on the beach. The music from Ulvae had an organic and psychedelic sound as it bellowed beyond the Parvati stage dance floor, across the beach where I was dancing and out to the sea. The sun had just set behind the multi-layered horizon consisting of the cove, followed by the Halkidiki finger of Kassandra, then the mainland of Greece and Mount Olympus far off in the distance. The stars were beginning to shine their light and as the night air began to cool, a kind Greek guy from Thessaloniki, who was camping next to my friends, created a little pit and lit a fire! I felt completely connected to this magical moment! The almost primal simplicity and satisfaction of dancing on a beach, next to a fire, under the stars made me feel completely happy and content.

Kortiri Studios

In order to rest, recharge and clean up after the festival I had arranged an accommodation for us to spend a couple of days at. It turned out that Kortiri Studios was one of the most beautiful, friendly, welcoming and peaceful places I have ever stayed in! Just a few kilometers from the small town of Agiou Nikolaos, Kortiri Studios was run by Gisela and Christos. Gisela was super friendly and made us feel instantly at home. She gave us great suggestions of places to see and eat at, she had interesting stories to tell, she arranged for a baker to deliver freshly baked bread and milk to the studios for breakfast and she owned two lovely dogs, Miele and Leon, who were wonderful, cuddly company! It was blissful to sleep in a proper bed after camping in a tent for a week and from the balcony of our studio we could see and hear the sea, only 400 meters away. Once again we were on a property in an olive grove. The space was tranquil.

After a hot but restful nights sleep we spent the day exploring the eastern coast of Sithonia. We drove to Kavourotripes Beach for a swim, ate a picnic and basked in the glorious views of Mount Athos, which was visible across the sea, located on the third finger of Halkidiki, Agion Oros. This coastline was stunning! On the drive back we stopped at one of the olive farms to buy olive oil to take home with us.

That evening the dogs joined us for a sunset swim. They guided us down to the beach and greeted the other beach goers with sniffs and snuggles. This was their little village and all the locals knew both dogs well and gave them treats. After our swim, we wandered back up to the studio, showered and drove further down the coast to the next little fishing town of Pirgadikia to go to a seafood restaurant for dinner. I am not normally a seafood person but I had heard that the octopus in this region of Greece is a delicacy and since my husband loves seafood we thought it appropriate. The octopus was indeed divine and we also enjoyed grilled feta, tzatziki, grilled fish and potatoes. Yum! I fell in love with Greek food!

On the Road to Athens

The time had come to head to Athens. We drove back to Thessaloniki, dropped off “Feta” at the rental car depot. We were then shuttled to the airport where we caught the bus to the train station. My husband and I love catching trains so our trip would not have been complete without this part of the journey. We had a couple of hours to wait at the station before our 15:00 EC train to Athens. As the train pulled into the station we were impressed by the colourful top to bottom graffiti on every single carriage! (You would never see this in Melbourne!) We boarded the train, found our seats and then assisted a lady to lift her suitcase up onto the overhead rack. She spoke English and I asked her where she was from. She and her nine other family members she was travelling with were from Melbourne! They were a Greek family and had come together to visit their homeland with their mother before she became too old to travel. It felt as if we had come full circle…. from meeting all the different Greeks who had family members in Melbourne, to meeting a Melbourne Greek family reconnecting with their motherland! It was beautiful! They were such an entertaining family and we chatted with almost all of the family members throughout our four hour trip. We learned that outside of Greece, Melbourne has the largest Greek population in the world!

Exarchia

We booked a sweet flat for a couple of nights in Exarchia. We didn’t know where we were staying exactly until we got there. Exarchia was a small district of Athens that’s only a 15 minute walk from the Plaka and Acropolis area of the city. We came to learn that Exarchia is the centre of left wing political and intellectual activism. As we wandered the streets and admired the insanely bold and colourful building walls and laneways we began to notice the political voice and struggle; the struggle that’s very real in a country that has been financially broken for many years. We had never seen such a vibrant and intense combination of graffiti artwork fill every last inch of wall space! Murals, stencils, stickers, political imagery, slogans and tags, this street art ‘gallery’ showcased the real life that existed within this community. There were wonderful cantinas, tavernas (Rosalia and Ama Lechei were amazing), bars, cafes and ice cream parlors and the food was delicious and inexpensive. There was a bookshop or music shop, full of instruments on every corner. There were tattoo studios and second hand clothing shops. The demographic of the local people consisted of university students, elderly people, young families and professionals. There was so much to observe.

Exarchia was surrounded by riot police 24 hours per day. They looked tough and had shields, batons and helmets. They watched us closely as we walked past. The police did not venture into the centre streets or square and the graffiti on the walls made it very clear that this was a space where police were not tolerated… stencils of anarchists throwing Molotov cocktails spray painted in black and red decorated the walls. I began to believe that the riot police were most likely present to stop any possible violence that was ignited in this area from spreading to other parts of the city.

Athens was the place that birthed the foundation of the democratic system that has been used to govern nations for over 1500 years! The view of the ancient Acropolis from the top of Mount Lycabettus put the city and the ruins on full display and began to make my mind wonder… The Acropolis, rising up on its ancient plateau pedastool as if being lifted up to the gods, was a sign of prevalence, power and order… and, almost ironically, just down below, only a few blocks away was a centre for anarchy bigger and stronger than I had ever experienced before! The contrast of culture was extreme!

Until next time…

This journey truly was an eye opening experience, which was full of warm hospitality, food that was better than I ever could have imagined and breathtakingly beautiful scenery! Macedonia, Greece has kept a little piece of my heart and Athens opened my eyes. I will return one day.