That's Thessaloniki

After two nights in Sofía, Bulgaria, we took a bus to Thessaloniki in Greece. The bus tour was led by a Bulgarian woman, who we affectionately named Svetlana. Svetlana didn’t speak much English and wore jeans a few sizes too small, and when she bent over she displayed her black, lacy G-string. Svetlana seemed quite angry – well, that’s the impression she gave us. Maybe she was just having a bad day (or maybe her G-string was too tight and her cork platforms too high).

The five and half hour trip took us through some beautiful country scenery of Bulgaria. The scenery quickly changed as we entered Thessaloniki, which was full of graffiti and had a much dirtier appearance. It’s a shame to see that the city isn’t maintained and that even some of the ancient monuments are vandalised or overrun by stray cats.

We stayed in the centre of the city and on our doorstep was the palace complex of the Roman Emperor Galerius, and just up the road was the entrance to the complex marked by the Arch of Galerius and the Roman Rotunda. A few minutes further down the road from the arch and rotunda, you stumble upon the Roman Forum. Ricky was like a kid in a candy store, while Jason was bored by the "old rocks", as he called them.

The second day in Thessaloniki was Jason's birthday, and we celebrated it by wandering the streets, eating a baklava-like dessert filled with custard and a Greek-style donut. More steps were needed to burn off the excess calories. Dinner was spent at an Indian Restaurant that you needed the exact coordinates to find but it was well worth it.

Next stop: Athens.Read more