p We all know Greece is much more than just islands, but we'd never seen it. We were always tempted to fly to Crete or something like it.
p This time we combined the Pelion peninsula with Thessaloniki, Mount Olympus, Meteora and Athens. I've split it into a few posts to make it easier, because why enjoy alone?? Including highlights on Instagram.
p I've split all the Greece posts into more relevant posts:
p Maps: a map of all our important places in Athens, Meteora and Olympus. A map of all our important places in Pelion.
p The post summing up our trip to Greece: click here.
p The post with our exact route in Pelion, Greece: click here.
p The post on the COVID testing rules for flying to Greece: click here.
p The post with the most beautiful beaches in Pelion: click here.
q “Each day of our lives we make deposits in the memory banks of our children” Someone smart
p What to do in each place, in short:
p ☑️ Thessaloniki: a pedestrian street, a pier, and the best breakfast in the world in the old town (we were there barely half a day)
p ☑️ Olympus: splash around and pass out (we were there half a day)
p ☑️ Meteora: hanging monasteries (we slept a night there, and in the morning spent 3 hours at the monasteries; plenty)
p ☑️ Athens: we stayed 2 nights
p Thessaloniki
p What to do? We didn't get to do much, because we arrived from Israel in the evening and drove to Olympus the next day at noon, but:
p ☑️ We saw archaeological remains
p ☑️ There's the White Tower
p ☑️ There's the upper town with the walls (Ano Poli), with picturesque alleys, churches, a view, and the tastiest breakfast you'll ever eat :)
p Where to sleep? We stayed at a cute little boutique hotel, The Modernist Thessaloniki. Its location was excellent.
p Which restaurants not to miss? Up in the old town there's a restaurant we found completely by chance, where we had the most perfect breakfast with a stunning view of the whole city. It's called Acostaflavors. The owner, Anastasia, is gorgeous; she told us she opened right before COVID, and she was happy we came and that tourism was coming back.
p Another recommendation: have you ever seen a taxi driver who picks you up from the airport, gives you a bag with a bottle of water for every passenger, tells you how great it is that you came and how happy he is, and puts on a DVD of all the best places in Greece with explanations, and even authentic Greek music? No? Neither had I, until I met Vasilis Arapelis from Transfer4U. Perfect.
p Olympus
p What to do?
p ☑️ Hike to the Orlias Waterfalls
p ☑️ You can eat in the cute town of Litochoro
p At first we got to a small waterfall that didn't look like the photos, but we didn't give up and looked for the right place, and lucky we did. The right waterfall is much more spectacular, the water was pleasant, and we all went in for a splash.
p Where to sleep? We slept in Meteora so we wouldn't have to make a dangerous drive to Pelion at night. Going to sleep and waking up in the morning to the Meteora view is unbelievable.
p Which restaurants not to miss? We didn't eat anywhere like that. It was okay.
p Meteora
p A few facts about Meteora, Greece: ☑️ Meteora means "suspended in the air", hence the name of this special area with its hanging monasteries. ☑️ About 3 hours there is enough: visit 3 hanging monasteries and "breathe in" the place. That way you'll leave wanting more. ☑️ The town of Kalambaka is full of lovely tavernas and cafés. ☑️ About three people die and about twenty are injured every year taking selfies. ☑️ It's recommended to come and watch the sunset in Meteora. I asked Roni to take a photo of Yael and me; he thought his finger should be in the picture too. You had one job... ☑️ Nobody can say how the rock pillars formed. A volcano that erupted? Erosion by sea currents and wind over millions of years? Or maybe meteors that landed from space??
p ☑️ Nobody really knows how they built these hanging monasteries so many years ago either... ☑️ You need to dress modestly to respect the monks.
p Athens
p What to do? We were only there two nights, but a day and a half net, so I'm no great expert.
p But here's what we did:
p ☑️ We wandered around the Plaka area and "got lost", the most fun thing to do. We returned the car.
p ☑️ We met an Israeli tour guide, Riki (so it would be easy and nice for the kids to understand). Riki is a special guide. She gave us a wholehearted 4-hour walking tour of the city and showed us lots of angles you can't read about in books.
p For example, she explained that the changing of the guard in Athens isn't just like anywhere else (England, say); there's a lot of meaning and history behind it.
p The Ottomans ruled the Greeks for 400 years, until 200 years ago, and the Greeks are very glad they're not under that rule today.
p At the changing of the guard, pairs of soldiers stand around a memorial to all the Greeks who fell under Ottoman rule. There are no actual graves there; it's only symbolic.
p The soldiers' skirts have 400 pleats. That's right, one pleat for every year under that rule. The soldiers believe serving in the changing of the guard is a peak for them and a huge honor. In their last month and a half, they become commanders in the ceremony, where the commander's job is to give the soldiers water and make sure kids don't bother them (like my kids, say).
p The soldiers have to be in pairs of the same height: minimum 1.85 m and maximum 2.10 m (so Giannis couldn't serve here. By the way, well done, Giannis!!).
p Each of their shoes weighs 1.5 kg, and they stomp their shoes like only a free person can, kicking the old rule backward, to symbolize that they're free now.
p Our reaction swung between bursting out laughing and being impressed.
p Riki took us to the metro, because there were lots of interesting things there, like skulls and mosaics. She also took us to the meat market, where we bought snacks and halva at this cute place, Terra Fresh. The owner pushed all kinds of other things on us on the house, and we really wanted to go back, but didn't get to.
p Riki the guide spoke in a way perfectly suited to our kids, and enriched us with huge knowledge about Greek culture and its connection to Jewish culture.
p We covered the city on foot, but everything flowed and was fun. It cost us 180 euros for the whole family for 4 hours. Worth it.
p Her details: +30 697 224 8843
p ☑️ You can go to Lake Vouliagmeni. G-o-r-g-e-o-u-s!! With a thermal spa and little fish that massage your feet: location.
p 40 minutes from Athens; you can get there by taxi or bus. A taxi costs about 50 euros each way for five people. Entry costs 15 euros per person. You can't bring food or drinks.
p ☑️ The next morning we went to the Acropolis. We got up at seven, wolfed down baklava 😆 and croissants, and were among the first at the Acropolis. Before it got too hot. There's no shade there, and we wanted to enjoy the place, and make the most of the city in general.
p We bought skip-the-line tickets on Tiqets: about 22 euros per adult and 10 euros per child over 6 without an EU passport. We took a simple map and explained things to the kids. I think we were there an hour, an hour and a half, two hours.
p ☑️ The kids and Roni went back to the hotel, and I wandered a bit on my own along Ermou Street. I saw a street performance that really moved me. The performer is called TASOS, and I was so full of emotion that I went into a shop to get change so I could give them something.
p I carried on walking, did some shopping and treated myself to a 15-euro massage, because for a change I actually felt like enjoying alone (a name for a new blog??). Then I went back to collect my gang, and we went along all the pedestrian streets in the area.
p ☑️ We had pancakes for dessert at Little Kook, the cutest tourist trap there is: location
p ☑️ Roni, Noam and Yael went into a rage room we found on the way, where you smash things and let out your anger at everyone who ever didn't share a snack, didn't give up the middle seat in the car for you, or any other perfectly logical, legitimate, heartbreaking anger.
p Not really recommended, but nice if there's nothing else to do :)
p Ido and I carried on with some quality time in the area.
p ☑️ We ended the evening, how else, at a stylish taverna with live musicians: Old Tavern of Stamatopoulos. A magical atmosphere. Not a cheap restaurant, but cheaper than in Israel and worth every euro. A link to the restaurant's site.
p ☑️ We went back to the hotel to pack, and the next day we had a great breakfast with rare service at Kosmikon: location
p ☑️ We stayed at Art Pantheon Suites. Honestly, we wanted a hotel, but couldn't find one at a good price in this area, so we went for an apartment. The apartment is very well equipped (a dishwasher, a washing machine, Netflix!, dishes, pots, a coffee machine and capsules...), the design is gorgeous and stylish, and the location is perfect, perfect, perfect. Everything is walking distance: the Acropolis, the magical streets, including Ermou Street. Some ceilings are low in parts of the apartment, a problem for tall people, but no big deal. The owners were amazing! Available to us on WhatsApp with recommendations and a smile.
p There's an artist called INO, a famous graffiti artist whose trademark is a blue patch on every painting.
p Here's to many more trips like this: close by, views that open your heart, rest and excellent food!
p I've split all the Greece posts into more relevant posts:
p Maps: a map of all our important places in Athens, Meteora and Olympus. A map of all our important places in Pelion.
p The post summing up our trip to Greece: click here.
p The post with our exact route in Pelion, Greece: click here.
p The post on the COVID testing rules for flying to Greece: click here.
p The post with the most beautiful beaches in Pelion: click here.
p And come visit my new Instagram and my Facebook group, where you can share your own good times too, because why should you enjoy alone?
