Our FlixBus reached the Greek border at 16:30. We crossed quickly over the Turkish side, but entry into Greece dragged on, and it was nearly 18:00 before we were on our way again. Almost immediately the countryside changed from huge open fields to vineyards and olive groves. About 15 km from the border is Alexandroupolis, a prosperous-looking town of four-storey apartment blocks. This is as close to Turkey as you can get, with the Evros River separating the two countries.
It was dark by the time we passed through Xanthi. We arrived at our destination, Kavala, just after 21:00. From the KTEL coach station it was just a short yomp past the cobbled streets of the port to Old Town Inn, an imposing restored building.
We love Greece so much that it felt like coming home
We checked in and, very hungry, headed for the Bosporus taverna across the road. The food wasn’t fabulous but it did the trick. We were too tired to explore further, so relaxed with an ouzo on our terrace before turning in.
Thursday 17 September
Kavala, known in Roman times as Neapolis (one of many), is where Saint Paul the Apostle first set foot in Europe, in c.49 CE. You can read the story in H.V. Morton’s dated but beautifully written In the Steps of St Paul (1936). The first Christian church in Europe was established at Philippi (as in the famous battle), just a few kilometres away.
The Church of Saint Nicholas on the little square opposite our hotel is worth a visit. It was erected in the mid-16th century as a mosque by Ibrahim Pasha, the Vizier and brother-in-law of Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent.
Kavala is a lovely town
We took the free noddy train up to the Byzantine-Turkish kastro for views over the town and the Macedonian mountains beyond, and across the sea to Samothrace and Thasos; then walked down to the town via the house of Muhammad Ali Pasha, Albanian founder of the dynasty that once ruled Egypt. An aqueduct cuts across the town.
We collected our luggage and dashed off to the KTEL station to catch the 12:30 bus to the port of Keramoti, arriving perfectly for the 13:45 car ferry to Thasos (passenger fare: 6 euros).
Thasos is a small, round island
It is the most northerly of the Greek islands. It is not a place for the party animal, which suits me. We would be there for four nights.
***
At the main port and capital of Limenas (aka Thasos Town) we hired a white Panda – it’s always a white Panda – from Potos Car Rentals. We always go for a local company, as we’ve got better service and a better price every time. I drove for half an hour or so south-east, round Mount Ipsarion, to Corali Studios in the resort of Chrysi Ammoudia. We had a spacious en suite room with a kitchen and a terrace – ideal when you need to do a load of washing. The expected sea view turned out to be a view of the main road, but otherwise it was fine and good value.
Having eaten almost nothing all day, we walked towards the beach and picked out Palude for an early dinner. It turned out to be an excellent decision. We started with a range of savoury mousses, then I had beef stifado with pasta whilst Anne went for moussaka. Portions were huge.
Then an evening swim
It was the first time we had been in the water, apart from the odd shower (ha ha), since those two dips in Lake Luzern right at the beginning. What is a summer holiday without a swim in the sea?
Friday 18 September
We drove up to the mountain town of Panagia and managed to find somewhere to park. There are lots of tourist shops; however they do sell genuine local products such as nuts, herbs and olive oil. The main square is dominated by the 19th-century church of the Holy Virgin. The priest asked if I spoke English. “I have something to show you,” he said.
In a glass case was Richard the Lionheart’s banner!
How did it get there? The priest said it had been taken from Constantinople by the Genoese, then rescued from a shipwreck. It seemed unlikely, but no less plausible than “The Prophet’s Cardigan”on display in Topkapi Palace.
After coffee and a cheese and spinach pie, we returned to Chrysi Ammoudia for a walk and a swim.
Saturday 19 September
I awoke with something of an ouzo hangover, but on the positive side my long-term cough (Covid?) and Bulgarian insect bites were a lot better. We relaxed on our terrace, finally spending some time reading while listening to the building works across the road.
After a swim we went for an early fish dinner at Sotiris and stayed for the sunset – which never happened since the sun sets over the other side of Mount Ipsarion. We realised that all the eateries were starting to shut down. It was the end of the season. Staff would be heading back to the mainland in a few days. It was just as well we had not come a week later.
Sunday 20 September
In better form today: gone were the hangover, bites and cough. We forced ourselves to partake of a bit of tourism, which involved a short drive south to the Classical and Byzantine site of Aliki.
Aliki boasts a sanctum of Apollo and an ancient quarry
Thasos is largely composed of marble, a source of great wealth in the past.
There are a pair of sandy bays and several hotels near the archaeological site.
The main beach was narrow, packed and seemingly annexed by the owners of a restaurant. But the east beach was much better: there were no crowds and you could change on the beach and put down your towel where you chose. We swam surrounded by tasty-looking fish, had a cold drink, then drove back to base.
We had another delicious meal at Palude: a starter dish of fresh sardine fillets followed by kleftiko. After a long conversation with the friendly head waiter about how (in his opinion) the Greeks had become less friendly since the financial crisis, we walked along to a deserted bar where Manchester City v Sunderland was showing on the telly. We ordered Metaxa, and the “unfriendly” Greek owner, clearly thinking about going home to Athens or Thessaloniki in a day or two, gave us the remainder of the bottle.
It was time for us to go home too
Monday 21 September
We packed our bags early and left Corali Studios at 8:30am – another predictably hot and sunny day was in prospect. With some time to kill at Thasos we attempted to find the ruins of the ancient theatre, but failed after driving around the town a couple of times. We did come across the ancient forum, though we have seen so many over the years that it is getting hard to be enthusiastic. We dropped off the Panda and took the car ferry to Keramoti.
The 10:40 bus from Keramoti to Kavala was just about to set off (fare: 5.60 euros).
Back at Kavala we had enough time for a beer and a gyros (surely the tastiest fast food in the world?) opposite the KTEL station before taking the 13:00 express coach to Thessaloniki.
Somewhere in Kavala I lost my sunglasses
Possibly down a Greek hole-and-two-footprints toilet. But that was all we lost during a month’s travel, so I am not going to cry over it.
***
Thessaloniki, the second largest city of Greece, is a place we know quite well, having spent a few days there in 2019. The KTEL is too far from the city centre to walk so we ordered an Uber (about 8 euros) to Zeus is Loose Hostel, overlooking Aristotelous Square. Despite the daft name it is a great choice for a short stay. It is in a repurposed skyscraper, and there is a terrific rooftop bar on the seventh floor. Breakfast is included.
By the time we had settled in it was approaching 5pm, so there was not much time for sightseeing (the churches were already closed). We re-visited the Rotunda and the arch of Galerius, then strolled along the esplanade as far as the illuminated White Tower before turning round. We had a good al fresco dinner at Frutti di Mare (massive prawns), then walked back to our rooftop bar for negronis.
At which point it started to rain
Tuesday 22 September
But it stopped in the early hours, leaving us with an unusually cool and cloudy day. The airport bus leaves from the edge of Aristotelous Square. After quite a long wait it arrived (buy tickets from a machine on board for 2 euros, then validate). Be advised: it takes 50 minutes.
BA671 to Heathrow departed on time at 12:25. There was a long queue for security with three flights to the UK at more or less the same time, and we only just made the final call to the gate. The flight takes three hours.
Elizabeth Line, change at Farringdon for Thameslink to Herne Hill and we were back – almost exactly four weeks after leaving home. A wonderful trip, the third in as many years. It was straight to the beer garden of The Half Moon, where it was sunny and warmer than when we left Thessaloniki.
18 trains, 15 buses, 11 taxis, 7 trams, 7 boats, 5 metros, 2 noddy trains, 1 funicular, 1 hire car and 1 flight…
After which, the long-awaited curry
Just what you fancy after all that foreign food.
