We have been home from Greece now for a couple of weeks and have had plenty of opportunities to answer questions about Greece; what was it like? Was it clean? How was the economy? Did we feel safe? Were there any problems? And many more. So we thought it might be nice to break down the two major cities that we visited (Athens and Thessaloniki) and give our feelings on them. Hopefully, this will help others to see (and for us to remember) what our little window of time in Greece was like. Please bear in mind, this was just our experience and how we viewed being there with two young children.
Our first day out in Thessaloniki, we were both very surprised at the disrepair of the city. There is graffiti everywhere, streets and sidewalks crumbling and buildings in desperate need of work.
With each historical landmark we located, we were always surprised at how every spare inch of the walls and signs around them were covered in graffiti. Many stores have been closed down and boarded up (eg: the "bustling street full of great cafes to sit and have lunch" that our walking guide suggested we stop at was now a street with only a select one or two places to get pastries at). It was sad to see the great need that was around us.
Against that backdrop though, the people and culture quickly absorbed us into their world. We were welcomed with opened arms from worried citizens. Those that we talked to whom live in Thessaloniki (store employees, owners, hotel staff, Jason's research associates etc.) were eager to ask us how we liked their city, if we felt safe and to apologize that we had come at such a time. The people were incredibly kind and absolutely adored children.
It was so easy to fall in love with the people, the pastel colored buildings,
the orange trees that ran along the sidewalk,
the musical talent...
the interesting choice in street sculptures...
and the bakeries...oh, it was soooo easy to fall in love with the bakeries.
Yes, there was a protest while we were there. No, there were no riots. Yes, we felt safe. Did we enjoy our time - absolutely.
With all that in mind, this is not a city for those who are looking for big tourist attractions. There are certainly things of interest to see and do, but we enjoyed it most by exploring the city without an agenda and talking to the people. Being there certainly took on a whole new element as we spruced up on our Bible history before and during our visit. We were happy to have spent a short time here to see a small glimpse of the city.
Oh, and for those who have been wondering about the "spitting" thing that we have mentioned. The Greek spit for two reasons (at least according to what we have been told). One, is when they are talking about bad news and they spit three times to keep the bad spirits away. The other reason is for when they compliment a baby/child or even adult for their beauty, they will also spit three times. It is pretty traditional.
So, there you have it, our little answers and feelings about the questions!
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