This morning I was doing my first land crossing from Greece north into Macedonia. I had planned this trip months ago but in the weeks leading upto my trip the Syrian refugee crisis hit.Media reports had them overwhelming the border, it being shut temporarily, and me wondering how this affected regular traffic and whether I would make it thru.I had emailed the bus company to ask, they said their buses were running ok everyday, no problems. For extra reassurance I ...

Heading back to the hotel to avoid the midday heat I wanted to pass thru Aristotle Square first. This is a large plaza on the sea with a long boulevard cutting northward thru the city centre back to the park with the Roman Forum and Rotunda.The boulevard is pedestrian only though motorbikes will still pass thru. It had upscale shops, trendy cafes, and tourist shops.At the north end back by the park was a truck full of police officers. I ignored them and went abou...

At the eastern end of the city is the famous landmark of Thessaloniki, the White Tower. This was built by the Ottomans for defence when Salonica (Thessaloniki) was an in important trading port.With all the walking I was going to do each day I decided not to pay to go inside and climb all the stairs to the top. I had already been having knee problems a day or two back.A few blocks further was the Archaeological Museum. I was debating if it wanted to walk that far ...

At the eastern end of the city centre is Attaturk house. This is the house where Turkish leader Mustafa Attaturk was born. It is now housed inside the compound of the Turkish Consulate.Security will first need to buzz you in and entrance is free. The interior does not have much furnishings now but does tell the story of Attaturk and the city's history.Attaturk had studied in other regions of the Balkans such as Bitola Macedonia which I would also be visiting, or ...

After all the early morning bus tours in Munich today was the first day I got to sleep in having arrived in Thessaloniki Greece.Formerly known as Salonica, the town was the hub and coastal gateway of the Ottomans in the Balkans. Athens only played a minor role, while Salonica with its Mediterranean sea access and road links to Istanbul and central Europe was the economic engine of Balkan activity.The Ottoman era also ushered a period of close religious activity. ...