I’ve been posting photos of Athens and the islands, but our first stop in Greece was actually Thessaloniki. This city, albeit being the second largest in Greece, is not really hot on the tourist map, but we have some lovely local friends who planned out a nice itinerary for us – we eventually had to change our plans due to the Greek bailout referendum, but we had a wonderful time nonetheless. For one thing, Thessaloniki is famous for its vibrant food scene (apparently much more so than Athens), so let’s start with those…
One of the restaurants our friends took us to was Massalia, and dinner was so good that we went back again the next day by ourselves for lunch. Here are just a few of the delicious dishes we tried during the evening.
We also paid a visit to Modiano Market, where the locals get their daily groceries. The meats, the fruits and vegetables, the olives, and spices…and the cheeses! I was in wonderland.
For sweet lovers, a must visit is Hatzifotiou, a Greek pastry shop that’s been around since 1946. In their boutiques you can find a large assortment of chocolates, pastries, and ice-creams, all made from scratch in Hatzifotiou’s own facility. I’m not a connoisseur of Greek pastries, but The Guardian tells me that Hatzifotiou has the best baklava and other syrupy desserts.
On another note, graffiti seems to be a popular activity here.
Along the ocean front, especially beautiful during sunset hours.
If you are planning a trip to Greece, consider Thessaloniki as one of your stops. It’s a vibrant city full of small details to be discovered, plus it’s a convenient base for exploring the inspiring monasteries in Meteora, as well as the gorgeous beaches in Halkidiki. More details in the next post.