Greek? Yes, I speak American.

Two hours by plane and you find yourself smack in the middle of Athens International Airport, standing in a long line of divide: the European Union card holders on the right, those from the North American continent center and everyone else to the left. Strange how Americans always seem to find themselves somewhere in the middle of everything.

There were maybe 12 people total on the plane not including my four friends and I, three of which we met on the aircraft. Three business professionals who spoke both Arabic, Greek and American, as they called it. In the fashion industry they said and very excited about two minority women traveling from Egypt. Nonetheless they vouched for us when the stewardess’ ignored our request for extra water, because for some reason, they explained, Greek women don’t like minorities, from any country. They also engaged us in full conversation to 85% of the duration of the flight.

Thessaloniki: cultural capital of Europe in 1997.

Back to the airport. After a quick visit to the ATM we found our meandering way to the tram and jumped on the timely express: 8 hours to Thessaloniki in Northern Greece. There I had a friend waiting to collect us (many thanks to Barbie) because when traveling in Europe you are always staying either in a hostel with strangers or an apartment with a friend… of a friend.

Ahh Greece. Lovely mountains and winding streams, smoky clouds, fresh hard cheese and salami sandwiches, tziki, grilled onions and lamb meat, mythology, posh after five cocktail bars, boardwalks, magical islands.



What else is there to want? Did I mention Mount Olympus?

Yeah, well we decided that we would climb a mountain during our visit. Swam in a beautiful cascading flow of natural waterfalls too, well not really, but we did take pictures in front of it.

Traveled across by bus, train and plane all over. Awesome.