April 11, 2000

First journal entry in a totally new place. Kind of exciting. Yesterday morning we headed to the bus to start our nice and long trip. Our teacher had scared us saying what a small bus it was but there was nothing wrong with this thing. We got on and slept more or less. We made on bath stop at some place heel Levedis which was really nice. They had muffins which I have never seen in Greece before. Then we made a stop to see a monument which I feel bad because I have no idea what the name is. Thermopylae accoring to the sheet. We and to cross the expressway which was funny because Dr. Phil was freaking out. There were hot springs on the other side. It was kind of a stream with really hot water. We drove a little more and stopped at Tempi for lunch. We had to go under a really smelly underpass then there were some ghetto shops and then we had to cross this long bring where only ten people were allowed at a time. We actually had a different lunch today. It was spinach pie, a boiled egg, bread, cheese, carrots and apple and a croissant. It was a good think we do not loose them when the thing flew open on the express way. When we got back on the bus, I totally passed out until we reached Thessaloniki. They took us to the hotel to pee and unload and then we drove to the top of the city. There are some long walls up there. We went to the churches of Hosios David and Saint Demetios and then we were free for the day. We came back to the hotel and relaxed for a while. We got ready to go out without really having any idea as to where. Helen called her cousins and it turned out that they lived really close and they told Helen to go over. So we decide to go with just to find out what to do. We could not find the apartment at first because the street only had one side. Then we found one of them on the street looking for us. They said there were going to one of those restaurants with the sexually named foods so we decided to go with. First we went to their apartment. They were really nice. We took a bus to the restaurant which I though was weird because it was walking distance. The restaurant was called Melathron and there are three of the same ones. We went to the one that played music. There were a bunch of drunk people from our school there too. The menu was impossible to understand. There were no descriptions and the names meant nothing. The food was very different too. Very saucy and rick. I got a chicken kebab that had bacon around it. Joanna had a Fez - pita with chicken breast and ham on top with a cream sauce and cheese. Minnie and a Dak - a flakey crust with chicken and tomato sauce and cheese and stuff. Hers was delicious. Patty had this pork thing that was served in a clay pot. Then we got a really cheesy baked potato. Then for dessert they brought a chocolate crepe. It was damn good but too much for so late. Then we took at cab home with was so stupid because we were right there. When we got home, we went straight to sleep. We got up this morning too early. We went to breakfast which once again improved. We sat there forever waiting for people to come. We were so damn late to leave. First we went to the Byzantine Museum, then Agia Sofia, then Agio Demetrio. There were very pretty but once you have been in one Byzantine church, you have been to them all. Agio Demetrio had this really cold downstairs thing though. Then it was way past time for lunch but she wanted to make it to some church by 3. We purposely went slow at lunch to miss it. We went to a place called Kamara and it was the best food they have taken us too. I had spaghetti with meat sauce but the good stuff was the zucchini, tzatziki and calamari. We kept on walking and where bored out of our minds. So me and Joanna ditched the group and went shopping. Now we are at the hotel relaxing again. I really like Thessaloniki. It is totally a city but just does not have that disgusting Athens atmosphere. It is just like a nice European city. It is hard to explain.