Portraits of Town

Sunday was a slow day. For my morning walk, I ventured to the NW corner of Thessaloniki to snap some shots of the old wall winding through the city. I caught a few glimpses, but quickly lost track of the wall as the streets I was wandering were not on my map. I saw some lovely views of neighborhood life on a Sunday morning: hunched over, white haired ladies leaving church, kids slowly padding alongside their parents and pastry and mini-markets the only shops open. With lunch secured, I headed back to the hotel to eat and pack up.

In my time here I've noticed how most Greek people seem kind and helpful--at least out here in the smaller cities and towns. Anyone who owns or works in a shop cleans it often. Most times when I entered a store someone was cleaning a window or the floor. All in comparison to the rather dusty streets and scent of cigarette smoke wherever you went. Greece is not a country which bans smoking. It seems to be something of a national pastime. As a whole, Greek people are rather expressive. As quickly as they flare up in anger or argument, so to do they return to calm and quiet.

After reading some Jane Austen and grabbing dinner for the train ride, I bought my ticket to Kalampaka and waited a couple more hours over some coffee and futbol. Overall, the ride was comfortable. Somehow the station created and issue as there were about 10-15 people standing in the car where I was and a lady and two men where loudly complaining. As best I can piece their expressions together, I think some of them were 1st class passengers without their prime seats and certainly not even a 2nd class spot to be had. After about 45 minutes waiting a large group of passengers moved out and walked behind my car. I didn't see them again, so I suspect another car was added. The 3 vocal people stayed in my car and stood until seats appeared as others got off the train. The only tense part was towards the end when many people began to exit and I couldn't tell if we had arrived yet or not. A woman across the aisle spoke enough English to let me know that Kalampaka would be after her stop at Karditses. I think I must have been one of about 5 people to leave the train at the last stop. I asked at the train office where the bus station was. He informed me it was closed by this hour (10:15pm), but he showed me how to get to the hotel. Little did I know that 2/3 of the walk would be uphill hauling all my luggage on rough sidewalks/roads. Much to my delight I found the hotel in the far NW corner of town with a desk clerk waiting to check me in and who kindly carried my bag up to the 2nd floor.