P.S. She is 5 years old :P
Monday, December 21, 2009
Digression - the present for my god-daughter
She wanted a wedding dress for Christmas. So I took out my sewing machine, sacrificed my pyjama and a curtain. Tadaaam :) It comes with a veil!
P.S. She is 5 years old :P
P.S. She is 5 years old :P
Monday, December 14, 2009
My insights on Thessaloniki for www.sharingtravelexperiences.com
This is a post at www.sharingtravelexperiences.com by Andy Hayes.
Our final location independent stop of 2009 is in Greece – Thessaloniki, to be precise. It’s the second largest city in Greece and a real charmer when it comes to attractions, sightseeing, and urban living.
I had a chance to catch up with Agata Zalewska, our location independent expert on Thessaloniki and had plenty of thoughts and tips on things to see and do in Thessaloniki.
What’s life really like in Thessaloniki?
Imagine Thessaloniki as a stylish, young, beautiful woman. She chooses to stay far from the money and business world and is busy with city cultural life and events. Behind the sunglasses you would see her sparkling eyes when she is chatting with her girlfriends over coffee after high-street shopping. You can see her late at night in fancy bars, often in company of celebrities. In friendship and love despite her established life position she is still easy to talk to and open to new acquaintances.
Must-See Sights
Normally we’d choose a top five, but Agata could only narrow it down to six. Six insider secrets to Thessaloniki:
1) Beach boulevard (from the White Tower till Concert Hall – Megaro Mousikis). Just walk/jog along the bay, breath the air and see the city from different angles. On a clear day you will see the mount Olympus on the other side of the bay. The one-way distance is 5 km.
2) Bit Pazar street (close to Agiou Dimitriou church) – a small patio hidden between buildings, where several restaurants and cafes put out their tables (gets busy after 9 pm). No way to find it unless you know about it!
3) Flavors of the city to try at least once. ‘Frappe’ – the pride of Greece. It’s coffee with ice that you can sip for hours (with milk/no milk, sweet/medium/no sugar). And also try bougatsa with cream – it’s a sweet, warm pastry filled with cream and sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar. Wherever you see ‘Bougatsa’ on any snack parlor – go! My favorite place for bougatsa: Chryso (corner of Navarinou and Pavlou Mela). Also on the Agiou Dimitriou Street there are many bougatsa parlors open 24 hours.
P.S. Don’t worry about finding a cafe – Thessaloniki has 1 cafe per 140 inhabitants!!
4) Walk along the Vasillis Olgas street to Dimotiki Pinakothiki (Municipal Gallerry). On your way you can admire fantastic, old, urban villas. Some of them have been converted into small museums and galleries, so if you decide to enter you can also see the interiors.
5) Climb the castle – Genti Koule – before the sunset or at night and enjoy a breathtaking panorama of the city.
6) Want to breathe some fresh air? Walk/jog/ride a mountain bike in the Seikh Sou forest (it is a hill overseeing the city, above the highway). Amazing views of the city and the bay, wide walking paths and just nature around. And if you need just a piece of lawn to stretch try Parko Anthokomis (next to Byzantine Museum).
Daytrips from Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki is a great base for one-day getaways to Northern Greece and Chalkidiki. Agata’s top picks:
1) Chalkidiki beaches – for swimming and sun. My favorite – Kavourotripes beach at the Sithonia peninsula.
2) Edessa – a charming town with amazing waterfalls. Take a train for a picturesque journey through lakes, fields, small towns and mountains.
3) A sea cruise to see the inaccessible from land Monasteries of the Holy Mount of Athos.
4) Mount Olympus for hiking.
5) Vergina and the impressive treasures and tombs of the Great Aleksander family in Pella
6) Kerkinis Lake for bird watching, breathtaking landscapes, hiking and picnic.
7) Alikastri caves for an underground guided walk to admire miraculous nature creations.
8) Chortiatis – a mountain close to Thessaloniki great for hiking or cycling.
Source: http://www.sharingtravelexperiences.com/location-independent-in-thessaloniki/#more-4923
Greek again
Today in a shop I heard some hip-hop and as it happened to me before I understood the lyrics but something was wrong. It took mi a while to figure out they were singing in Greek. First time EVER in Poland I hear Greek music.
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
24 flights in 12 months
Indeed! Hard to believe that I hate flying. And here is the outcome:1) Flying is not THAT unpleasant :P
2) I get sooooo irritated by other passengers:
4) Some stuff is not worth carrying - like basic cosmetics that you can buy in any supermarket but they weigh a lot.
5) Minimum luggage items: 1 suitcase, 1 handbag, 1 purse. Less stuff to carry, less chance to forget something somewhere.
6) I stick to the 2-hours-before check-in. I am not nervous that I will miss the flight.
7) Investment in an expensive, hard suitcase with good wheels was not a waste of money.
8) My suitcase is in a very bright colour and I also marked it with a hand-drawn sign. I never doubt if it's my suitcase or not. 90% of suitcases on the belts are black. And many of the black ones have a red ribbon - so that the owner knows which is his :P
9) If I travel for business I take ALL stuff that I cannot live without the next day as hand luggage: business clothes, shoes and make up. If I have a meeting in the morning and my suitcase is lost, I don't care that much.
2) I get sooooo irritated by other passengers:
- I hate when people jump out of their seats and start taking their luggage from the overhead compartments although the crew keeps on saying 'stay seated with your seatbelts fastned till the plane stops completely'.
- I also hate that everyone rushes to get out first... So what that you will get out first you dumb people, you will have to wait for everyone to get on the buss or for your suitcases anyway.
- I hate when people switch on their mobiles to say 'I just landed' the moment the plane touches the ground and is still on the landing lane. Wait 2 minutes!
4) Some stuff is not worth carrying - like basic cosmetics that you can buy in any supermarket but they weigh a lot.
5) Minimum luggage items: 1 suitcase, 1 handbag, 1 purse. Less stuff to carry, less chance to forget something somewhere.
6) I stick to the 2-hours-before check-in. I am not nervous that I will miss the flight.
7) Investment in an expensive, hard suitcase with good wheels was not a waste of money.
8) My suitcase is in a very bright colour and I also marked it with a hand-drawn sign. I never doubt if it's my suitcase or not. 90% of suitcases on the belts are black. And many of the black ones have a red ribbon - so that the owner knows which is his :P
9) If I travel for business I take ALL stuff that I cannot live without the next day as hand luggage: business clothes, shoes and make up. If I have a meeting in the morning and my suitcase is lost, I don't care that much.
Sunday, December 6, 2009
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