Distance cycled: 69.6km from Apple orchard to Thessaloniki
Average speed: 19.7km/h
Moving time: 3h31m
Total distance: 5707km
Border X'ings: 21
Money spent: €15 food €15 accommodation and €15 on booze and food
View 26nov12 in a larger map
Dogs of all sizes, behind fences, under trees, behind mounds of garbage and shrubs, dead in the ditches, everywhere! Howling, barking and chasing me down the road, well not the dead ones. Zombie-dogs??
Greece in an economy crisis, I'm surprised they don't kill and eat these 4 legged territorial bitches like they do in the east. It would make things less frightening for me when im cycling that's for sure. I was chased many times today especially getting into the city and even was nipped by an aggressive one in the streets of Thessaloniki, I should have beaten the thing with my tripod or better still, used my 8inch chef knife...
One thing I saw today from a distance, something so recognizable to me that I did not expect to see, this being so dear to my heart it made me grin all the way until I approached it, entered it and exited it. No, it's not a hooker, it's Lidl. The supermarket that is so cheap, amazing and excites me everytime I see one.. This is a little sad isn't it?
Anyway I got my chocolate fix here today and loaded my bike up with a bunch food for a couple of days, mainly chocolate.
As I had all day to get into the city in search of a hostel I took my time and looked for hardware stores to refill on fuel for my stove, you wouldn't think white spirit would be difficult to come by but apparently here it is, i would have come close to 1/2 a dozen stores before I was directed to one that had some in stock having to take a few kilometer detour to finally find the stuff, as I was prepared to purchase this essential camping fluid the owner of the shop just gave it to me as a friendly gift.
I also met some more French people who cycled from Vietnam but took many flights to get to this location, they gave me some spokes that they had no use for and gave me a bunch of advice about where to stay in Thessaloniki.
Thessaloniki was a lot hillier than I anticipated, having to cycle around the incomprehensible road system that would have confused the hell out of me finding this hostel if it weren't for my GPS.
The Little Big House hostel was lovely, the girl who worked there, Stella is beautiful with a great smile and perfect attitude towards travelers.
I was given a dorm with 8 beds but I was the only one so I sprawled my stuff everywhere using all the plug sockets to charge all my belongings.
I later headed up to the fortress on the top of the hill and viewed the sunset with Maxi, an Argentinian guy who now lives in Germany, he and I got along quite well and hit up the streets drinking and playing some pool in a bar. The whiskey put me over the edge and I was pretty wasted, I think I was asleep by 10:30. Well, still I had a fun night.
So chuffed that there Lidl exists here in Greece, this merits an enlarged photo
HDR Sunset view over Thessaloniki, Greece
Sunset views and historic Greek architecture
More architecture in the evening, well, this is late afternoon.
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