You know the saying, "it's all Greek to me"? To me, it was flash backs to calculus and physics, every span of words looking like a math formula. Greek is a phonetic language, however we weren't sounding anything out.
Our m.o. coming to greece has always been the food first. Because we only had 8 days in the country, we decided to pick one spot and stay put. What appears to be a simple move from place to place, planning with a child's enthusiasm and idealism, teleporting nor the hyperloop have been attained yet (although the latter is making headway).
Even traveling by airplane is not fast. We left the eko garten in Croatia at 7am and didn't walk through the door of our thessaloniki apartment until after 10 pm. A word to the wise, if you are planning a 10 day trip to europe and you're thinking, 'oh, I'll just buy cheap plane tickets and go to these 5 places, no problem' You are in for a lot of time in airports, taxis, busses, unpacking, packing and dragging your luggage up and down stairs, without much time to do what you came for. Every move, we have decided, costs you 1-2 days.
Anyway, we picked thessaloniki because it is acclaimed for its food, we got good airfare in and out, and it's just fun to say!
We booked a spacious joint (airbnb), just off the water front and about 15 minute walk to the city center. Our dining recommendations came from our host (a hip 30 something bachelor who was organizing protests with heavy tractors on the side), a couple of blogs and a list compliled by a cooking school that we would visit later in the week.
The first day we had brunch at a little family run joint tucked in an ally just off of a market. We sat outside under a heat lamp (smoking inside). The owner/chef was a cheery old man who whisked us back to the kitchen to show us his fish. Clare chose a whole fish caught that morning that they grilled and I chose these little fish tails that he pan fried. Not sure the name of either. A Greek salad and some white wine rounded it out. Holy olives, feta and onion! And toasted bread with fresh olive oil!
The meal was completed with greek coffee, herbal tea from the mountains and some home made traditional sweets.
We then wandered through one of the large open markets. Fresh fruit, produce, olives, nuts, feta, fish, meat and their vendors all creating a dizzying visual, audio and olfactory mosaic. Resisting the urge to buy a little of everything, we wandered through and got our bearings, promising a future visit.
Thessaloniki waterfront is lined with a wide promenade bustling with people and dotted with sculptures. Large ships coming and going from the busy industrial port. We would wander this path a couple of times every day. Always something new to see.
That evening we came back out and ate at a nice-ish place translated to 'pomegranate and honey'. We split a home made ravioli and a mushroom risotto, again with crisp and soft toasted bread. For dessert we got two creations doused in chocolate fudge. One resembled vanilla ice cream, the other small eclairs. (We have grown accustomed to having dessert with every meal of the day, usually eaten while planning our new diet and exercise regime to start immediately upon our return home)
The following morning we had a somewhat "American" breakfast at a place called Estrella. Green smoothies, soft boiled eggs and omelets with toast followed by a cream filled croasant smothered in chocolate and berries.
We then returned to the market on a mission for snacks and breakfast supplies. We left with pomegranates, oranges, kiwis, dried cranberries, walnuts, honey and a tub of yogurt (all to be swirled together for breakfasts). And wrinkley black olives and firm green ones (watch out for pits!) and a big hunk of feta and a round loaf of fresh bread. Did I mention coffee, tea and beer, too?
So excited by our purchases, we went home and relaxed on the big couches to dig in. I drank beer with olives (montana martini) and spent the late afternoon writing about our time in croatia.
We had dinner at a local place named Local, recommended by our host. Shrimp and thin sliced pork with peppers. Souffle and creme broulee. After dinner drink at one of the many bars with elaborate outdoor heating setups.
The next day we enjoyed our yogurt with fruit and nuts before heading to the archeological museum. When in greece, go see old marble columns and ancient busts of gods and royalty.
With a roaring appetite we popped into a gyro shop. You know, meat cooked on a vertical spit served in a pita. In greece, the standard prep consists of pork from the spit and french fries all doused in ketchup and mustard and rolled tightly in a pita, eaten by hand (yes the fries are in the pita, too). No yogurt sauce, no greens, no veges.
For lunch dessert we went to a, by all appearances, cigar shop that our host told us about. Upstars in the lounge, decorated in antiques and library motif, they serve an extensive wine list and gourmet food along with the cigars. Thankfully there was only one other couple in there at the time, and the guy was only smoking intermittently. He was too busy with his mistress.
The dessert was an encrusted carmel type thing garnished with balsamic, cherry tomatoes, tart berries all in a work of art. It wasn't decadent, but it was so good and paired nicely with the red wine of unknown (to me) provenance.
We walked it off, out on a pier separating the port with the civilian waterfront. Looking back at the city on the hill, the full moon rose above the ridge line of white meditterranean houses and the sky was pink and orange from the setting sun.
Dinner was at an "ouzerie", a restaurant specializing in small appetizer plates that pair well with ouzo, a national liquor. We shared spiced feta puree, yellow lentil puree and fried anchovies. I drank tsiporo instead of ouzo by recomendation. Strong astringent clear booze. You know the drill.
This was my first experience with anchovies...when in Rome. .. Well, now I know the connotations are not unfounded.
Next, with our appetites whet for history, we hit the Byzantine museum followed by a church with catacombs below. It's pretty much what you would expect, really really old stuff made from marble, glass, pottery and gold.
In a fit of dejavu we decided to eat gyros again for lunch. Clare's suggestion and i wasn't protesting. This time we went to a place recommended by the cooking school. Here, the meat was cooked over coals rather than gas. The guys manning the grills were mesmerizing. The preparation was the same as before. So good!
We rounded out the day with dinner at a Creten place. They served us a beautiful green salad, roasted rabbit and chickpeas with spinach.
The next day, Clare wasn't feeling well (tired, cold like stuff), so i hopped on the bike provided with the apartment and went for a spin. I rode southeast along the shore until the promenade ended, then heading in to ride the streets and side walks, ending at a marina the next town over.
That night we ate at a "fine dining" place that ended up being a dud. The service was more annoying than attentive and the other dinners were equally annoying (mother daughter duo, on their phones the whole time, in their leather and fur.). Once they started smoking (we were under the impression it was not allowed), we took our bottle of wine and moved outside. The food was so so, but it wasn't very expensive, so not too bumbed.
Next up was our greek cooking class. We had a private lesson with Despina, a trained chef, and charming gal in her mid forties. The day began with a trip to the market where Despina toured us around and purchased our ingredients for the meal. Wild "mountain" greens, slightly bitter and prickly, to be cooked down for a salad. Zucchinis, hot green peppers, a squid and prawns for an orzotto and feta for a greek pie.
We returned to the kitchen where we snacked on some pastries and tea, then got started. We chopped and prepped all the produce and seafood. Then into the pan.
The results were a spicy and flavorful calamari and prawn orzotto (like risotto, but with orzo), a cooked mountain green salad, a flaky feta pie, and dessert was cardamom and orange zest semolina concoction. We washed it all down with greek wine and mountain tea. A fun experience leaving us with some great recipes and some new techniques.
Needless to say, we had a very light dinner.
The following day was sunny and beautiful. Despite Clare battling a minor cold, we rented a second bike. We retraced the route i took the other day, ending at a little seaside restaurant adjacent to the marina. Much to the surprise and confusion of the waiter, we insisted on sitting outside. It was pretty warm, maybe 60, and we feared another smoking party. We dined on salmon and mussles. The mussels were prepared two ways; cooked in a spicy tomato sauce and the other served in a creamy yogurt sauce.
That evening I holed up at the coffee shop across the street from our place to do some more writing. Maintaining this blog from my smartphone takes a surprising amount of time without a proper keyboard.
For our last dinner we had an unceremonious take out gyro. We found out that night that our flight the following morning had been rescheduled for 10pm, so we were left with a bonus day.
Having eaten all our yogurt etc, we returned to Estrella for breakfast. I had a loaded bagel and Clare had the pancakes doused in chocolate. Yum!
We then headed up the hill to thessaloniki old town to wander the meandering narrow streets. Much of the city was destroyed in a fire in 1917, including all of the lower part along the water, then rebuilt in a grid. Furthermore, in the 50s and 60s, owners were incentivized to demolish old buildings in favor of new apartment buildings and shops that would yield a greater return. Not until more recently did the government ban such demolitions.
Up on the hill we stumbled across a monestary that is a unesco inscribed world heritage center. It had a coup of peacocks. So colorful!
We made our way back down to the waterfront where we stopped for a drink and to watch the boats at one of the many cafes that line the coast.
We returned to the cigar shop for our final meal, this time ordering more than just dessert. We had an artful green salad full of fruit, a risotto and an extravagant cheese plate.
At about 6pm we jumped on the city bus headed to the airport. With our luggage, we crammed into the already full bus, so full we couldn't make it to the kiosk to pay. Out the window the sun set over the water, and the sky glowed one last time.
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