We rented another car (this time a Ford Focus, the last gen European model - this model was never sold in the states - another stick) and went looking for the hotel. We rented a GPS with the car.
In Italy we found our way with printed Google maps. A friend had loaned me a GPS with maps of Italy on it, but we never got it out of Arizona - not that we tried that hard. In Italy, at least you can read the words as the letters were in the Roman alphabet - so we were able to find our way. Greece is a little more challenging to understand the road signs.
The hotel in Thessaloniki was not expensive but really nice. A place like this would be hundreds more in the states. And the service was wonderful. At dinner they gave us wine and dessert (a wonderful chocolate soufflé) no charge - we only paid 8 euros for dinner, splitting a meal. So hey, all is well in Greece. From our room's balcony we had a great view of the bay and the city. We wondered if the apostle Paul saw these very hills.
Today we started the day at breakfast in Thessaloniki. From there we drove west 200 miles to Meteora. (Along the way crossing a mountain range and happening upon a herd of goats, their dog and their herder. How cool was that.) We came into Meteora from the back. Meteora means middle of the sky, or mid air. It is six remaining monasteries that were built up on rocks - the monks started living there in 9th century - and by the 1300s they started building way up on the cliffs. The monasteries were easy to survive in when political upheaval arose. They are quite stunning.
We then drove another 200 miles south to Delphi (pronounced del fee), crossing several more quite beautiful mountain ranges. Greece is 80% mountains. We stopped along the way to chat with folks as we went. They were all very friendly and kind, and would teach us a little Greek.
The Delphi ruin is the site of Apollo's oracle Pythia or the center of the earth to Zeus, take your pick. If I were to pick a site as the center of the earth, I would not go so far up the side of a mountain. It is quite a large ruin, including a theater and a stadium and a lot of climbing to get to each. Really, you're going to climb up here and then perform or have races? And we wonder why this place didn't survive? :-) It was very cool.
We came back into the very-nearby, modern town of Delphi (a small mountain-side place) to check in to our hotel and have dinner. Once again the hotel owners are so accommodating and welcoming. We found this in Italy and as well here in Greece.
We went across the street to have dinner - crepes while overlooking the gulf of Corinth from almost 2000 feet up. A very fun day overall.
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