For our last day in Greece we decided to do some sightseeing in Thessaloniki. Our flight home was departing from this city, so timing was perfect.
We packed up to our old but beloved Peugeot (check out it’s story here!), and set off to this interesting city. We found a good parking spot in the city centre but couldn’t figure out how to pay for it. There was no parkometer around.
Przemek went to the nearest kiosk and found out that we have to pay for parking indeed. The method was very surprising – we had to scratch accurate day and time of parking on the scratch cards. Because Przemek is not fond of scratch cards, I had to do it while he organised our sightseeing trail.
Saloniki is known for its’ culture and history. The White Tower is the one of of the most famous monuments and used to be a part of the city’s fortification. It was built in XVI century. For some time there was a prison. In 1826, at the order of the Sultan Mahmud II, there was a massacre of the rebellious Janissaries imprisoned there. At this period it was called “Tower of Blood” or “Red Tower”.
Walking toward city center we encountered the Palace ruins of Roman emperor Galerius, in Navarinou Square. This view is quite spectacular as around them there are modern blocks. Walking further we got to Rotunda built as mausoleum for Galerius. It’s purpose was changed as it became a church and then a mosque.
Close to the the Rotunda there is an amazing market. Local sellers encourage you to buy anything from fish and meat to paintings and space ships 🙂 The atmosphere is quite hectic but also very positive.
Talking about doing the shopping we must admit we consider Thessaloniki as the perfect place to spend the money. This city is full of well-known designers and chain stores but also little boutiques. You can find really unique clothes, shoes and accessories. One was particularly amazing – Elegance+ boutique located at Tsimiski Street – the main shopping street in Thessaloniki.
We found some really nice stuff including Julia’s bikini. The crew in this shop was super nice and helpful. We talked for a while about our Greek experience. For me very cool were PlayStation pads looking like calculators. The employees use them to count the discounts 🙂
Lastly we had to eat something! We promise you, we were very hungry 🙂 We chose highly recommended and local place – Tavern Zorba. To sum up our trip we ordered mussels and calamares. Check out our review here!
Brought to you by: Julia & Przemyslaw
