Coldest January ever !

January 2017 will stay in the history of Thessaloniki as the coldest month in the last 50 years ! Yes that is true, we had continuous temperature below 0 for a whole week ! I do not have a memory of this happening ever again, and the snowfall in the city last week was phenomenal !

For those of you who think Thessaloniki is always sunny and warm, keep this image in mind if you are visiting in the winter.

unnamed-5The morning of January 11, found the city centre totally unprepared, deserted, but beautifully dressed in white. Enjoy !

The Caravan Bed & Breakfast

During last month’s Open House I had the joy to visit the beautiful new addition to Thessaloniki’s accommodation options – Caravan B8B.

I had heard about it during last year’s Open House, but did not have time to visit it, so this year it went on my list, and I was not disappointed ! First of all, the owners offered on of the best tours in Open House. It was broken down in parts and was equally fun and informative.

 

unnamed-4

The renovated neoclassical building located in 1 Rempelou street was built in 1929 and originally it was used as a small “seragio”. The seragios was inns that hosted travelers. It was subsequently used as a residence for is owners. In 1998 with the decision of the Ministry of Macedonia-Thrace the building was designated as a listed property. Later in 2001 it was leased and restored by the National Bank. When the National Bank left the building a team of young people joined forces to lease the building and make their dream a reality.

The caravan is a trip over time. A mix of contemporary and old elements. Furniture from George’s friends, Harry’s grandmother,Alexander’s aunt,  were repaired and placed in the space.

Everything has its own history. But the people is the most important element. The Caravan is a travellers inn, a modern bed and breakfast in the heart of the city centre. A Caravan with a hat that wants to be open to the residents of the city and is trying to blend travellers with locals, visitors with neighbours, friends with strangers.

Online Bookings

Where : Rebelou 1 (very close to Egnatia & I.Dragoumi )

Kapani market

the-kapani-vlali-marketKapani market is one of the most traditional markets of Thessaloniki, since the Ottoman occupation. It is a pedestrian area located between the streets of Egnatia, Aristotelous, Ermou and Venizelou. Some of the streets are covered and some are open. It is still very lively today as it has been all these years.

The great variety of products, such as meat, fish, spices, travel equipment, kitchen utensils, clothing, shoes, ecclesiastical and touristic items and more, as well as the low prices and the location in the city’s centre, make Kapani a very popular destination all day long.

It is an essential visit if you are interested in the city’s gastronomic history and evolution since it transfers you to a different era.

Do not forget to stop for a traditional greek coffee in Hozeva while you are there.

 

Kourbeti

As we prepare to say goodbye to summer, we try to enjoy the last summer nights as much as possible.

A friend was visiting from London for the weekend and we wanted to eat somewhere old style + trendy ! What a combination is this, you are probably wondering, does it even exist ?

Yes it does exist, in Kourbeti, a cool new tavern in Ladadika. It opened exactly one year ago, I know because I was there, and we had a lot of fun! The food is typical greek with a twist. I particularly love their fried potatoes and smashed cheese (chtypiti), but everything else I tried was also delicious!

The environment is very relaxed and super friendly. If you go at night I suggest you go before 9 otherwise it might be difficult to find a table as it is quite small !

Where : Vaiou & Lycourgou

Warehouse 7

war

As Summer is coming to an end we look at September as a good time for setting new goals. Some fitness goals maybe ? If yes then it is time for me to introduce you to my gym, Warehouse 7.

It is located inside the port, in an old warehouse, a huge old industrial space. Personally I love the location since it is very close to my office and also the big space and variety of programs offered. During the spring / summer months we often have sessions outdoors.

Check out the amazing Yoga video from last June on the following link.

Outdoor #Yoga, μια διαφορετική εμπειρία άσκησης από το #WH7.

Chilai

chAugust in the city, is only good if you have already taken at least a short break to the beach. It is also good if you discover places that make you forget you are in the city.

I think Chilai does this, despite being just steps away from the Tsimiski buzz. It opened last May and was a sure hit. It literally transformed the quiet till then street of Agiou Mina, into an island alley.

It is a nice place for a cool coffee during the day but also great choice for long cocktail nights ! It also has a very elegant interior so I am sure it will be a winter hit as well !

Where : Agiou Mina 4

Tattooligans

Although I am not much of a tattoo person myself, I know many of you are and Tattooligans might be one of the reasons you visit Thessaloniki.

“Tattooligans Tattoo Studio” was founded in 1999. Its initial name was “Magic Needles” which remained until 2004, when it was finally changed to “Tattooligans”.
In the last 5 years, the “Tattooligans” have been traveling around the world and participating in the biggest and most important Tattoo conventions and contests. They have won over 80 international awards, among the most ” powerful ” and recognized artists of the Tattooing world scene.

gmEach artist of “Tattooligans” draws specific designs, and each one of them “hits” only those designs that belong to his specific kind.
These are the Design Categories of each artist:
George Mavridis: Realistic
Agios: Realistic, Japanese, Fonts, Cover up
Bogatinis: Fonts, Tribals, Maori
Nast2: New Traditional, New School, Realistic
Dovas: New Traditional, Old School & New School
Peros: Fonts, New School

The owner, George Mavridis has become widely known to non-tattoo fanatics as well thanks to the adventurous tv show “World Party”. The local community really loves him for his authentic character and his love for animals, especially his (also famous) dog, Molly.

The studio recently moved to this new address on the hip Valaoritou area, where you can also go to just have a drink or coffee at the cafe in the ground floor.

The info on the studio + artists was taken from their Facebook page.

Where : Siggrou 9

Akadimia

ακWhy oh why did I not discover this sooner ?  You know how sometimes you just ignore things or places just in front of your nose ? This is what happened with me and Akadimia restaurant.

It is located in one of the most beautiful streets of the city – Agiou Mina. In the spring and summer the bitter orange trees smell everywhere around. I knew that at the back side of the restaurant was a small yard and was planning to visit at some point. Well the time was right when a friend was visiting and we wanted to go somewhere special that none of us had been before.

Akadimia is a fantastic experience overall, with exquisite food and very friendly but impeccable service. I highly recommend it for a relaxed and high quality dinner.

Where : Agiou Mina 3

Nautical Club of Thessaloniki

IMG_3825.JPGOne year ago I decided to go after one of my long time dreams in life. Become a sailor ! I joined Nautical Club of Thessaloniki together with a friend, and took the spring summer sailing course.

I cannot describe what an amazing experience this has been. One day of sailing every weekend and also two 24hour classes towards the end. Learning to sail is not that difficult, but not that easy either.

However, living in a country surrounded by sea, I think sailing should be a school activity. It is really a shame we only enjoy our city from the land, while it is also so beautiful, if not more, as we look at it from the sea.

The club has 3 sessions of classes, spring, summer and fall, and also organises 3 annual trips for members and not. I just joined for the first time the easter trip to the Ionian sea and it was an amazing experience.

I do not know if they offer classes in english, but I guess if a group of non-greek speakers show up they can form a class. Groups are 6-8 people so I encourage you to check their webpage or drop by to check in person. This is a suggestion for long term visitors of the city only.

Where : Themistokli Sofouli 112

 

 

ΙΓΓΛΙΣ ( english )

Yigges, that is correct the greek name of this place means english. This is one of (if not THE) most historical taverns of the city. It first opened in 1914 and moved to its current location in Ano Poli in the 60’s. It has a very long history as you can imagine, as it changed owners and chefs.

It is also a nice place to celebrate spring, since the yard and flowers make this a hidden city gem.

It is popular for the food, wine and fairytale atmosphere. The food is a successful mix of old and new recipes and flavours. The location is simply amazing. If you want to escape the city buzz, you can loose yourself here in a different era. It might be a bit hard to find, so follow your map.  It is also very hard to park, so I suggest you go by foot.

Where : Irodotou 32, Ano Poli