Practical Information

Hi again an apology for neglecting the blog. I have been very busy lately and did not have time to update it.

In this post I will give some practical information about the wedding.

I know that many of you will use taxi to move around. Taxis in Greece are relatively cheap compared to other European countries. The cost from the Centre of Thessaloniki to Panorama's Townhall should be around 10 Euros. The only issue is that sometimes if the destination is not very suitable for them they will refuse to take you there. A few telephones for taxis are: 2310214900, 2310517470, 2310 866366, 2310511855. If you use a foreign mobile number, please add 0030 in front of the numbers above. If you call a taxi they will not refuse service but it will be an extra charge (1-2 Euros I think).

This is a map that includes the Townhall and the reception hall plus some hotels that some of you will stay (everybody should copy the link below and then paste the link on any browser for the map):

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps/ms?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=FdYDbAId6wdeAQ%3BFSZbawIdCYRfASHg-lnJEQm7Gw&ie=UTF8&doflg=ptk&msa=0&msid=109377790766201484878.00046fc886fc44af04e72&ll=40.613692,23.030434&spn=0.125098,0.308647&z=12&saddr=Odos+Komninon%2F%CE%9A%CE%BF%CE%BC%CE%BD%CE%B7%CE%BD%CF%8E%CE%BD&daddr=%CE%94%CE%B7%CE%BC%CE%B1%CF%81%CF%87%CE%B5%CE%B9%CE%BF+%CF%80%CE%B1%CE%BD%CE%BF%CF%81%CE%B1%CE%BC%CE%B1%CF%84%CE%BF%CF%82

If you need any help my home number in Panorama is 0030 2310340441. My mobile number is 0030 6983483336 and my UK mobile is 0044 7766295225. Or alternatively, you can call Phyllis' Taiwan mobile number at +886 931362102.

For all of you that have invitation that do not state when the reception will start, the reception will start at 21.00 at Lusitania The BARestaurant. Full-screen

We will know the wedding time after we submit all the paperwork.

That's it for now!

Food in Thessaloniki

Hi again

This post will give you some ideas for food you can have in Thessaloniki. Thessaloniki is quite famous in Greece for its many restaurants and food shops. Of course you will find all the touristy delights (feta cheese, greek salad, mousaka, souvlaki etc) but I would suggest to be more adventurous and try the real Greek food.

I will list the some foods in catecories that I think you should try

Pastries: One of the most famous specialties of Thessaloniki is bougatsa. In Thessaloniki it is found as savoury or sweet and it can be filled with either cream/custard (sweet) or cheese (savoury). It can also be found filled with mince. The ones filled with cheese or cream are very popular as breakfast. DO NOT TRY BOUGATSA IN ATHENS-THEY DON'T KNOW HOW TO PREPARE IT. Other popular pastries is cheese, spinach, leak, meat pies. You can spot shops selling pastries all over Thessaloniki. They smell great (unlike Gregg's!!) and you could try a few different tastes.

Meat: If you are in Greece you should try gyros (even in Athens...). It is the greek kebab but it tastes like real food! It is made of pork (not lamb as in the uk) and tastes like heaven! It is usually served with pita bread, french fries or chips and salad. You can also add tzatziki or other sauces. Usually the portions in Thessaloniki are much larger than the ones served in Athens even though they cost a bit more (very cheap again-with 2.80E you can be full for a day!). Best fast food in the world! It does not taste like the kebab in UK...you have to try.

In most taverns in Thessaloniki you can usually buy a selection of various meat specialties. If you order one of them they will bring you a big tray of meat (!!) with many different tastes to try. They all taste great! Try to taste soutzoukakia (a type of greek meatball), souvlakia (meat skrewers), lamb chops, kontosouvli and kokoretsi (not for everybody-made from lamb intestines).

Fish and seafood: You can find very good fish and seafood in Thessaloniki. Usually the best fish can be eaten in specialized restaurants, and can be a bit expensive. There are good sea food restaurants in the Perea area of Thessaloniki. Prawns, mussels, squids are very popular. Especially in Halkidiki you can find good fish and seafood very easily.

Mezedes: This is very typical greek. Mezedes is a selection of small dishes, quite similar to tapas in Spain (mezedes just taste better however). In Thessaloniki especially most tavernas serve mezedes. The type of mezes depends on the area. In Thessaloniki all the tastes are heavily infuenced by Asia Minor (turkey) tastes. If you are near the sea probably you are going to have sea food mezedes. This web page gives a good discription of the meze culture: http://www.greecefoods.com/meze/index.htm . The places that serve this type of food are called ouzeries, because this type of food is usually accompanied by ouzo. The most famous ouzeri in Thessaloniki is Ouzou Melathron (co-owned by my cousin) and I strongly suggest to visit it: http://www.ouzoumelathron.gr/. Also the Athonos area of Thessaloniki is full of ouzeries that you could visit. Both Ouzou Melathron and Athonos are in the centre of the city.

Sweets: Try tsoureki from Terkenlis sweet shop. Landmark sweet shop in Thessaloniki. Just follow the smell and you will find it. There is one in Agia Sofia square and one in Aristotle square. Tsoureki is a sweet bread and is very common in Easter time. For more info: http://www.terkenlis.gr/En/proionta_Tsourekia.htm

Also you should visit Hatzis sweet shop. In operation since 1908, when Thessaloniki was still an Ottoman city, this sweet shop is specialized in the tastes of old Constantinople. After Hatzis, you'll never ask for a simple 'baklava' again. Thats all for now. I will try to update the food section very soon with some healthier choices...I am hungry and need some calories so bye!

Hotels in Halkidiki

Hi again

In my previous post I wrote that I will give information for hotels in Halkidiki. I was a bit optimistic about this because actually have an idea only about the hotels of the Athos area of Halkidiki. With a quick search I did on travel republic the prices are variable depending on the hotel.

I will post for the hotels I know in the Athos peninsula and some general information for accommodation in Halkidiki.

Even though the area of Athos that is open to the general public is quite small there are many hotels in the area. Between the villages Nea Roda and Ouranoupolis there is two 5 star, two 4 star and three 3 star hotels. Most famous hotel in the area is the Eagle's Palace Hotel, probably one of the most luxurious hotels in Greece (members of the British Royal family seem to prefer this hotel). It is a bit expensive, but if you are in the area you could just visit it for a diner or a swim in their swimming pool (has a bar inside the pool!!) or private beach. For more info http://www.eaglespalace.gr/ . Another hotel of the area is hotel Alexandros. This is a five star hotel as well with a great location and a great swimming pool (has a private beach as well). I think there is a spa as well. Again not very cheap but for sure cheaper than Eagle's Palace. For more info: http://www.alexandroshotel-halkidiki.com/. A similar style hotel is hotel Aristotelis. This one has a great view of the sea and all the usual (swimming pool, private beach, spa etc). For more info: http://www.aristoteles.gr/ . Another good choice is Xenia hotel in Ouranoupolis. This has the advantage to be cited in the village of Ouranoupoli. It has also a private beach and swimming pool. I couldn't find an official website but I found this for extra info: http://www.greatlatedeals.co.uk/Hotels/HotelCriteriaEstab.aspx?EstabId=289152&mkid=35857883&aid=1 . Finally Hotel Akrathos is probably the cheapest amongst the hotels i suggest. I think it's a 3 star hotel. For more info: http://www.bookhotels.gr/hotel_card.asp?id=229

There are numerous hotels in the other two penninsulas of Halkidiki, Kassandra and Sithonia. In Sithonia the most famous hotel is Porto Karras that offers pretty much everything (from golf, horse riding to casino). Again one of the most luxurious hotels in Greece. The EU leader summit was held in this hotel a few years ago. If you want to spent a bit more it really worths the money. For more info: http://www.portocarras.gr/

In Kassandra again the only hotel I have visited is Sani Resort. Similar to Porto Karras it offers all kinds of amenities. For more info http://www.saniresort.gr/page/

However in my opinion you could find a self catered room/studio in any place in Halkidiki that will cost you around 60 euros/night (for a double room). Unfortunately most of these places you have to see them by yourself to decide if you like them. Most of them are quite nice and good value for money. They can be booked on the day, and usually in most of the villages you will pass or even on your way between villages you will find signs that advertise self catered rooms.

If you are more adventurous you could try camping. There are many organised camping sites in Halkidiki, with the most famous in Sithoni: Armenistis and Kalamitsi. Armenistis is the most famous one it is very organised, clean and fun! I 've been there a few times and I enjoyed always. Amazing beach as well! For more info: http://www.armenistis.com.gr/. Kalamitsi has a diving centre so you could join a diving trip. Furthermore it has bungalows for those that don't like tents! For more info: http://kalamitsi.com/

I hope this is of some help. If you want suggestion for a place to visit in Halkidiki, please send me an email and I will try to help you with the accommodation.

That's all for now.

Sorry for not updating the blog sooner!

In this post I will give some information about the most popular sea resort near Thessaloniki Halkidiki. Halkidiki is a peninsula southeast of Thessaloniki. The penninsula itself consists of 3 other peninsulas (Kassandra, Sithonia, Athos) that resemble a trident. Kassandra is the westernmost and closest to Thessaloniki peninsula. It is also the most popular and densily populated area of Halkidiki. It attracts lots of tourists and is full of hotels, clubs, bars, restaurants. Places to visit in Kassandra are Kalithea, Pefkohori, Fourka and Nea Fokea. Sithonia is the second peninsula and it appeals more to the nature lovers and holiday makers that want to escape from civilization. Sithonia is the perfect combination of mountain and sea. In Sithonia you can find a variety of beaches deserted or crowded, full of pine vegetation where the sea and the sky make you relax. Areas of Sithonia that deserve your attention are Agios Nikolaos, Vourvourou, Neos Marmaras (were you can find Porto Karras hotel, one of the best in Northern Greece), Sarti, Pirgadikia and Nikiti. I would recommend either Agios Nikolaos or Neos Marmaras.

Athos (or Mount Athos) is the the last and most historically significant area of Halkidiki. It is the location of Agion Oros (Holly Mountain) which is the home to 2o Eastern Orthodox monasteries and is considered a self-governed monastic state within the Greek state. In 885, the Byzantine emperor Basil I, proclaimed it the exclusive domain of monks and hermits, and it retains this state till today. The number of visitors is restricted and all are required to get a special entrance permit before entering Mount Athos. Only males are allowed entrance into Mount Athos, which is called "Garden of the Virgin" by monks. For more information check this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Athos. However, there is a small part of the peninsula, before the borders to mount Athos, that is accesible to everyone (men or women). This is the part of Halkidiki I spent most of my summers and it has some of the best beaches in Greece (at least in my opinion!). The only island of Halkidiki, Ammoliani is also located in the area. Sites I recomend are Ouranoupolis (very picturesque little village where you can arrange a boat trip around mount Athos), Ammoliani (small island with amazing beaches), Ierissos and Olympiada.

The central part of Halkidiki is mountainous and is has many traditional villages that you can visit. It is very good for hiking or just driving around and exploring the various small villages. Arnea is a small traditional town that really worths a visit (http://www.halkidiki.com/arnea/index.htm). On your way to either of the 3 peninsulas don't miss Agios Prodromos, a small village that is very famous for its food. Very higly recommended!!!

Halkidiki, as you can see by the photos is really diverse in its scenery and I would suggest to rent a car from Thessaloniki and try to travel to all 3 peninsulas. There is plenty of accomodation (hotels or self catered rooms) that you can book on site. Also for the more adventurous you could try camping as well. I suggest Armenistis camping in Sithonia( http://www.armenistis.com.gr/index?lang=en).

You could also travel by bus, but this is quite restrictive because Halkidiki is a large area and it needs a car to really enjoy it. Of course you could book an all inclusive hotel and just relax for a few days.

I will post on Friday a a few hotels that I recommend for Halkidiki.

That's all for now!!!

Thessaloniki part 2-sightseeing (continued)

To finish the posts regarding sightseeing in Thessaloniki I will introduce you to the Upper Town (or Ano Poli in Greek ). This is the part of the city where I grew up and it's my favorite. This part of the city is totally different and is characterised by narrow streets, old houses and gardens. There are a lot of small squares where children play, people are just relaxing having a coffee. At some parts of Ano Poli there are tavernas with delicious food and traditional cafes, called 'kafenia'. You can easily get lost in the narrow street and you can catch some of the best views of the city. The Upper Town contains many of the city's most historical sights. The city walls and towers are intergral part of the Upper city and religious structures, like the Church of Osios David and Saint Aikaterini and the Vlatades Monastery worth the time to visit.

That is some of the sights that I would suggest to visit in Thessaloniki. I will post soon some more practical information about transportation in Thessaloniki and food (!!!!).

I found this article in the online version of New York Times about Thessaloniki. I think it's a more objective view than mine and can give you an idea about the city.

http://www.nytimes.com/1995/09/17/magazine/uncovering-history-layer-upon-layer-in-salonika.html

Thessaloniki-Part 2 Sightseeing (continued)

I will continue a previous post for places you could visit in Thessaloniki.

Finishing with churches you could visit in Thessaloniki I shouldn't forget to mension Panagia Acheiropoietos. It was build in the 5th-century and is the only church from Thessaloniki's early Christian days to have survived pretty much intact, without the restorations and renovations that have changed the characters of Ayia Sofia and Ayios Dimitrios. There are mosaics of floral and vine motifs interspersed with birds and 13th-century frescoes showing some of the 40 Martyrs. The missing martyrs were probably obliterated when the church was converted to a mosque in the 15th century after Salonika fell to the Turks.

But appart from museums, archeological sites and churches there more relaxing things you could do and visit in Thessaloniki. Probably one of the most famous landmarks of the city is the waterfront, with Nikis Avenue being a particularly famous promenade here, stretching along the waterfront and heading in an east-west direction, between the port and the White Tower. Nikis avenue is lined with an enormous number of bars, restaurants and cafes and it lines the city's main square, Aristotle square.

Aristotelous Square is probably the largest square in Greece and appears rather like a bottle in its shape, as opposed to an actual square. This area is the heart of the city, and all big events are happening here. There are plenty of open cafes and restaurants that you can visit (however the prices in Aristotle square and in Nikis avenue are very expensive; for example a coffee is around 6 euros, a beer is 7-8 euros (330ml!) and a glass of whiskey is 9 to 12 euros!!)

A block away from Aristotle square is Modiano market. The roofed market was built in 1922 by the wealthy Jewish merchant Eli Modiano, whose handsome family mansion (at 68 Vas. Sophias) is now the home of the Folklore and Ethnography Museum of Macedonia. You can easily spend a morning in the glass roofed market that covers an entire square block and happily wandering from stall to stall admiring the fish, meat, fruit, vegetables, flowers, spices, and baked goods on sale. If you get hungry you could get a bite one of the small tavernas that are based in the maarket (Unlike Aristotle square and Nikis, food and drinks are quite cheap in other areas of the city). Next to Modiano are many flower shops that give a special colour to the area, and the Turkish old baths Giahoudi Hamam.

If you like shopping the major shopping district of Thessaloniki are Tsimiski, Venizelou, Agias Sofias, Ermou, Mitropoleos, Egnatia and M. Iossif St. All these streets are in the centre of the city and in a couple of hours you can walk around them (taking your time of course).

That's for today. I will update the sights of Thessaloniki section again because I have quite a few more to list. Here is a link with the position on the map of some of the sights I listed (unfortunately it crashed halfway and couldn't list everything-I will do this soon).

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=109377790766201484878.0004679fdf63b844b527f&ll=40.639423,22.943702&spn=0.015468,0.038624&t=h&z=15

The Parthenon

One of the world's most famous buildings, this temple was begun in 447 BC. It was designed by the architects Kallikrates and Iktinos, primarily to houe the 12m (40 ft) high statue of Athena Parthenons (Maiden), sculpted by Pheidias. Taking nine years to complete, the temple was dedicated to the goddess in 438 BC. Over the centuries, it has been used as a church, a mosque and an arsenal, and has suffered severe damage. Built as an expression of the glory of ancient Athens, it remains the city emblem to date.

Vergina-Ancient Greek sights close to Thessaloniki

Northern Greece offers varied pleasures. The bustle of modern Thessaloniki can be combined with a beach holiday in Chalkidiki, or with an exploration of some of the ancient Macedonian sites. Today, I am going to introduce everybody about Vergina located in the prefecture of Imathia.

Outside the village of Vergina, during excavatios in 1977, archaelogist Professor Manolis Andronikos found an entrance to a tomb. The bones inside included a skull with one eye socket damaged, evidence that the tomb belonged to King Philip II of Macedon, who received such a wound in the siege of Methoni. The bones were discovered in a stunning gold funerary box, embellished with the symbol of the Macedonian Sun (see the centre image). The discovery confirmed that this area was the site of Aigai, the first capital of Macedon. The finds from this tomb, as well as several other Royal Tombs nearby, included many more gold objects as well as other items. They are now on display here and are considered the most important Greece since Schliemann's discoveries at Mycenae.

A short walk further along the road from Philip's tomb are some earlier discoveries, known as the Macedonian Tombs. The dark interior hides splendid solid marble doors, as well as beautiful marble throne.

If anybody has spare time, this spot is a must-go attraction.

Thats for today. I will post more information sometime next week.

Thessaloniki: Part 2-Sightseeing

Hi again and sorry for the late update of the blog

In this post I will suggest a few sights that you could visit in Thessaloniki. I realized in this blog that is quite difficult to be a travel guide for a city that I lived most of my life! For me most of the sights are so common now that I considere them as just meeting points. In addition I feel quite sad because I realize that the local authorities of Thessaloniki have done very little to promote the city.

The city’s landmark is the White Tower (photo), which also houses a Byzantine museum. This is a 15th century circular tower built by the Ottomans to form part of the shore defense system, which was dismantled during the 19th century. The Ottomans used it as a jail and execution site which is why it was know as the "tower of blood" or "red tower". When Thessaloniki was liberated by the Greek army the tower was whitewashed as a symbolic gesture of cleansing, and acquired its present name. The museum of the white tower contains findings which present the history and art of Byzantine Thessaloniki covering the period between 300 and 1430 A.D.

The archeological museum of Thessaloniki exibits finds from all over Northern Greece and in particular: Prehistoric finds from all over Macedonia and Thrace, and finds belonging to the Geometric Age from the Vergina burial ground. Archaic and Classical Age sculptures from ancient Thermi and from other parts of Macedonia. There is also a collection of finds from excavations on the site of ancient Olynthos. A series of Roman sculptures which is one of the richest collections of the 1st to the 5th century A.D. A collection of sarcophagi and glass Roman vases as well as some mosaic floors, discovered during excavations at Thessaloniki. Noteworthy are the finds from 4th century BC tombs and Derveni ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Derveni_krater ).

The museum of Byzantine culture ( http://www.mbp.gr/html/en/index.htm ). It's probably the most important museum of Thessaloniki. It houses 2900 artifacts very cleverly presented. I would suggested because the byzantine period is very higly linked to the history of Thessaloniki.

The Arch of Galerius and the Tomb of Galerius are neighboring monument tha are located in Egnatia Street in the centre of the city. The Tomb of Galerius is better known as Rotonda. The arch was built in 298 A.D. and dedicated in 303 A.D. to celebrate the victory of the tetrarch Galerius over the Sassanids Persians. The Rotonda is a circular building erected in 306 A.D. as the Pantheon of Mausoleum of Galerius. Over the years it had various uses (church, museum). Its mosaics are unique for the era.
Due to the importance of the Thessaloniki in the byzantine period it is full of byzantine churches. The most important ones are Hagia (Saint) Sophia and Hagios (Saint) Dimitrios. Hagia Sophia was built in the 8th century and was inspired by the 6th century Hagia Sophia of Costantinople. Hagios Dimitrios is the patron saint of Thessaloniki. Like Saint Sophia the church of Saint Dimitrios was heavily restored, actually almost rebuild after the fire of 1917 which destroyed a large part of the city. Consequantly, even though Saint Dimitrios church has a unique place in the mind of the people of Thessaloniki, most of its artwork are restorations. However the history of Saint Dimitrios is quite interesting ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Demetrius_of_Thessaloniki) and is the favorite saint of most Thessalonians!

I will stop this post now (very late and I am working tomorrow) but will continue it tomorrow! Still quite many sights to cover!

Thessaloniki: Part 1 -History and trivia

Hi there again

In this post I will give some information about Thessaloniki. Most people that visit Greece will not probably visit Thessaloniki. This is not because it's not a beautiful city but because the Greek tourist board has as a standard policy to promote specific parts of Greece i.e Athens and the islands. Thessaloniki is the second largest city of Greece, with a population of around 1 million (the municipality of Thessaloniki has a population of 363,987) and is the capital of the Macedonia district of northern Greece. It was first established in 316B.C. by Kassandros and named after his wife, half sister of Alexander the great. Thessaloniki means victory (niki or nike-yes even this is a Greek word!) in Thessaly (in Central Greece). It was a very important city especially during the Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman periods. Apostle Paul visits Thessaloniki in 50AD and writes 2 letters to the Thessalonians. In Byzantine periods it was the second most important city next to Constantinople and is full with beautiful byzantine art and architecture.
In the 15th century, during the Ottoman period, Thessaloniki became a haven for Jews exiled from Spain, who were a very important part of the city's culture till they were sent to concentration camps by the Nazi occupation. Thessaloniki became a part of modern Greece in 1912 but was burned in 1917 creating a homeless population of 70,000. If you add to this mixture more than 270,000 Greek refugees that came from Turkey a few years later and you have the making of a social revolution that characterizes the city till this day. The rebetiko music (or the Greek blues) that flourished in the city mirrors its colourful past. Originally the music of the underclass it was created in the tekedes, the Turkish style hash dens, and its lyrics reflect the poverty and despair of the refugees. If you find all these interesting there is a great book I suggest named "Salonica: city of ghosts" by Mark Mazower.

Today Thessaloniki is a lively modern city with lots of energy and life (and too much traffic most of the times!). Apart from the traffic, Thessaloniki is very different from Athens both culturally and in life style. The influence from the east is more pronounced and is easily recognised in the food (will have a separate post for this-best food in the world...and then comes Taiwanese food) and the relaxed (not so much any more unfortunately) way of life. With two universities both of them in the heart of the city (one of them, Aristotle University has 60,000 students!) has a university town feel. The city is also the site of the Thessaloniki Film Festival in October-November. The women of Thessaloniki have the reputation of being the most chic in Greece (probably spend too much time looking in front of the mirror). As I remember the nightlife of Thessaloniki is exceptional and it accommodates all the tastes (bars, clubs, many different kinds of music, restaurants etc). Thessaloniki is great for shopping (as Phyllis' sister can confirm...) with many (too many) shops situated in the centre of the city (most of them really posh). If you like to shop clothes, shoes and jewellery you will love Thessaloniki. In a totally non biased opinion I think Thessaloniki is the best city in Greece!

That's all for now. In couple of days I will give you some more practical information about the city, especially for places you should visit.

Hotels in Thessaloniki

Hi there

In this post I will give you some information and suggestions for hotels in Thessaloniki. You have two choices for the locations of the hotel. Either at the city centre or at Panorama (which is where the wedding will take place and it's just 20-30 min drive from the centre). If you stay at the centre you have easy access to the bars, restaurants, shops etc (everything in walking distance) but you need to book a taxi to come to the wedding (it costs around 10-15 euros). Panorama, which is the "posh" suburb of Thessaloniki, has few shops, restaurants and bars ( most people go to the centre if they want to go out), but it will be more convinient for the wedding. Of course all the historical monuments and museums are in the centre of the city(there will be a post very soon about them).

If you want to book a hotel in Panorama I would suggest two hotels: Hotel Nepheli (http://www.nepheli.gr/default.aspx) or hotel Panorama ( http://www.hotelpanorama.gr/eng/ ). Both of them have a good reputation but I think the first is cheaper. Another hotel that is propably very cheap, but don't know how good it is, is hotel Pefka. They don't have a website but they are located in the centre of Panorama. This is a 2 star hotel, whereas the other two are 3-4 stars. I would suggest the first one.

In the the city of Thessaloniki you have more choices. If you want to spend lots of money I have 2 suggestion: Electra Palace ( http://www.electrahotels.gr/electra-thessaloniki// ) or Makedonia Palace ( http://www.lux-hotels.com/makedoniapalace ). Both of them have great views with the first being in the heart of the city (Aristotle square) and facing the sea. Both of them are quite expensive (~200E/night). For more realistic suggestion hotel Luxembourg is a good choice ( http://www.hotelluxembourg.gr/). It is located in the city centre, seconds away from all the good stuff (shoping, bars, restaurants, seafront) and in a reasonable price. Friends have told me that it's a good choice. More choices in the city centre are Zaliki Hotel ( http://zalikihotel.gr/hotel.html ) , abc hotel ( http://www.hotelabc.gr/ ), Plaza art hotel ( http://www.hotelplaza.gr/main_uk.htm), Park hotel ( www.parkhotel.com.gr/index_en.html ), Tourist hotel (http://www.touristhotel.gr/maineng.htm ). These are only some that I can remember. From a quick web search I found the following link which provides information and cheaper booking offers for hotels in thessaloniki:

http://www.booking.com/searchresults.html?city=-829252&error_url=http://www.booking.com/city/gr/thessaloniki.html%3Faid%3D303948;label%3Dthessaloniki-MsloHTus6RURmqfmCvRJ1wS899361981;sid%3Ddb0a28b7eb0875fa2c51925d7e3f0b9e;&aid=303948&label=thessaloniki-MsloHTus6RURmqfmCvRJ1wS899361981&sid=db0a28b7eb0875fa2c51925d7e3f0b9e&checkin_monthday=20&checkin_year_month=2009-8&checkout_monthday=23&checkout_year_month=2009-8

You can have a look at the hotels and check which one you like. However before you pick one just send me (or Phyllis) an email so I can check the location of the hotel. There are no really dangerous areas in Thessaloniki, however some hotels are in really boring areas and a bit far from the main attractions of the city.

I will try to find some more information about hotels and will post more information soon.

That's all for now!

Flights to Greece

Hi again!

I will give you some information for flights to Thessaloniki. From UK there are british airways  and easyjet that fly from Gatwick, however there is an issue for the outbound trip. Both flights are really early in the morning (easyjet 6.55 and BA 08.30) which means you need to fly to Gatwick the night before and spent a night at the airport...(I know that's crap!). easyjet is by far .  However especially from the UK there are charter flights. Sites like http://www.travelrepublic.co.uk/ and http://www.flydeals.co.uk can give you choices for cheaper or more convinient charter flights (around £150-200 return flight). Another choice is to flight through Zurich to Thessaloniki, however I do not know how much this might cost. For sure the cheapest choice is with easyjet through london, but you need to wait for a few hours in the airport (6-7hrs) 

 The alternative is to fly to Athens and either get a connecting flight to Thessaloniki or get the train or the bus to the north (the trip is 45min by air, 5hrs by train or 6-7hrs by bus). For flights to Athens you have more choices. There is BA (expensive but the best service), easyjet (cheap), olympic air and aegean airlines. The last two are greek companies. If you are planning to fly to Athens check aegean airlines. They fly from Stansted and have very good deals with full service. Olympic has flights from Gatwick and Heathrow. They are under new ownership so they might have some good offers (it's our national airline, notorious for delays-however the past years they have improved. On the other hand because they have cancelled their flights to Thessaloniki I will never use them again...bastards!!). KLM and olympic airlines also flies from Amsterdam to Athens. They used to fly to Thessaloniki but cancelled the flight a few years ago (bastards again!!!).  

If you are flying through Athens to Thessaloniki I would suggest to use aegean or olympic, because they are the two main carriers for internal flights. Internal flights if booked seperately from your ticket to Greece might be really expensive (50-150 euros) so try to book everything together. 

The train from Athens to Thessaloniki is quite nice but can be a bit expensive. If you get the intercity it costs from 30 euros to around 50 if you get the really fast one (4hrs). The problem is that you can not book online. If you get the slower train it can be even cheaper. There is an overnight train in which you can book a bed and sleep throught the trip, which is cheap as well (if you don't mind a few farts and the smell of garlic...) If you actually want to use the train please contact me so I can give you more information. The bus is the cheapest way to travel but it's a long trip and can be quite tiring. As with the train please contact me so I can help you book tickets for the bus. 

Aegean and Olympic are quite handy if you are flying from Italy ( and Alitalia of course). I think it is easier to flight from Italy to Thessaloniki than UK. 

That's all for now...I will try to post some more information soon about the city of Thessaloniki and accomodation. 

It's official we are getting married!

Hi everyone! 

Four years ago, in exotic Glasgow, I had the luck to meet a sweet, warm hearted and beautiful Taiwanese girl. She had the best smile in the world. What can I do I fell for her! We enjoyed two very happy years living in the cosmopolitan Townhead area of Glasgow, however the visa monster eventually won and the past year and a half we have 15000 miles to separate us. This torture couldn't last forever so we decided he had enough! it's time to get married! This Christmas trying to be romantic...but failing miserably I popped the question and sweet Yi-Huei (aka Phyllis, Susanna...) said yes!!!!

All is set and the date for the glorious event is 21st of August in my home city (and best city in Greece) Thessaloniki!

For her bad luck however she left the organization of the event to the host...(that's me!).She is already on the verge of a stroke...Notorious for my amazing organisational  skills I created this blog to provide information for our friends from around the world that will honour us by attending our wedding. In due time I will post various information and news relating the event and most importantly information regarding travelling to Thessaloniki, hotels, flights and amazing beaches nearby. Of course if more information or help is needed me and Phyllis are happy to help!

That's all for now. I hope to see as many of you as possible at our wedding.