road trip

My first road trip :D woot woot! A couple cousins and a friend of mine went to Halkidiki for the weekend. The first night we checked out the night scene along the beachfront.  So many cafes, restaurants, and bars along the beach...we decided to eat at this little seafood restaurant that was right on the sand.  mmmmmmm :) so good.  The next day we went for a swim at Flogita beach.  The water was amazing...turquoise, clear and sooooo warm.  We were itchin' for adventure lol  Rooooooad Triiiiip!!!  Definitely the best way to go, if you only have a small amount time and a lot to see. Halkidiki is a large peninsula in the central part of Macedonia, Northern Greece.  It's made up of three legs, the first one is called Kassandra, the second one Sithonia, and the third one is Mount Athos. We started at the top of Kassandra and went all along the edge of Sithonia, it was about 10 hours of driving and sightseeing...and super fun.  On the top right hand corner of the picture collage is a view of the mountains of Mount Athos.  An interesting little fact, Mount Athos is actually a monastic community inaccessible by people, and especially women. Only men are allowed to enter this community, and that's only after they get special permission. Seems a bit intense but whatever :D More than 20 monasteries are spread in this peninsula and the community was formed in the Byzantine times.
xoxo chiika

katerini beach at night

Hey my lil' swedish berries :D This weekend a friend and I stayed a couple of nights at Hotel Chronis in Katerini, Greece. The owner was so cute, in a older man sort of way :D He was so nice and helpful and the hotel was so clean.  They served breakfast in the morning.  Toast and jam, hard boiled eggs, different kinds of salads, fruits, sausages, homefries, coffee, and juice.  Always nice to start your day off with a good breakfast.  Then it was off to the beach.  Katerini beach is definitely a family beach, people come from all over the world to enjoy the clean safe waters. 

What about the night life???!!!!  The best part of being in Katerini is that they close off the main street along the beachfront, where all the stores and restaurants are, around 7pm.  Everyone, and I mean everyone is out walking, eating, shopping at night....it's the best time to be out because you don't have the scorching sun slowing you down.  Vendors are set up selling fresh corn on the cob...mmmmmm yummy, warm roasted nuts, and caricature artists are always waiting to draw your portrait.  Night time is the best time.  It's also the perfect time to pick up any souvenirs because you'll find statue shaped ouzo bottles, cool shell bracelets, and olive oil soaps.

xoxoChiika

Pozar/Loutra

Pozar

Hey my lil' spring rolls! another adventure!
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa POZAR!!!! Truly a gift from God! The road from Veria to Pozar is so beautiful...winding roads, with fields of peach trees, and chestnut trees to the right and to the left of you...and ahead are majestic mountains that separate Greece from the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. When we entered the park grounds, there were little tents set up, selling traditional homemade goodies...like jams and marmalades, honey, and different fruit desserts. Crowds of people flock to these waters for the therapeutic properties. I was just amazed when I went into the water...the springs were absolutely freezing...but as you went further in they gradually became warmer, and some areas were actually hot!...The water is coming from the same source, but it's the thermal plates underground that make some areas warm and hot. Just wonderful to be immersed in nature...even got up close and personal with a couple billy goats :D

xoxoChiika
 BACKGROUND INFO
The Loutra Pozar (Loutraki) is located in the Almopia province, 13 km. northwest of Aridaia, in the prefecture of Pella. It is spread on the foothills of Mount Kaimaktsalan. The site is built on the banks of Thermopotamos that crosses the region. The spa, hot water with constant temperature of 37 C, gushes from the mountain for over thousands of years, creating a stunning landscape of mountain and forest. Visitors arrive at the Spa from all arround Greece either to receive the beneficial properties of the hot water (treatment - relaxing), or to escape to the beautiful mountains, caves, or both. The facilities of the complex are organized in a small spa-resort with hotels, swimming pools, changing rooms, restaurants, bars, offering every possible service to the bather.

Spas
The hot springs of Loutra Loutrakiou or Loutra Pozar, are springing at an altitude of 360 -390 m.
They are created by rain water that penetrates the soil very deep, where it is heated, rises higher and in its course is enriched with minerals and other ingredients.

The healing properties of the water are recommended for diseases of the circulatory and respiratory system, rheumatism, gynecological and skin diseases.
The canyon stretches from the Greek borders till the Loutra. In a uniquely beautiful area, rich in wildlife and unspoiled vegetation and many waterfalls. Paved paths, benches and streets, running parallel to the Thermopotamo with the hot water but the also the river with the cold, pure water. Specially formed wooden bridges help the visitor to follow the mountain trails and reach the caves.

Veroia/Veria

In Veroia today you can see The Altar of the Apostle Paul, a modern monument the Vereans erected to remind them of Paul's visit to their city nearly 2,000 years ago.

Magnificent craftsmenship! Large slabs of marble frame the hand tiled images...small tiles, less than an inch squared, that were put together to create the murals, and the text.

Off to the side there is a little garden with benches, a fountain that's always running cool spring water, and pomegranate trees to provide some shade from the sun.

xoxoChiika

Bible Background

***it-1 p. 291 Beroea ***

A populous city of the province of Macedonia visited by the apostle Paul during his second missionary journey. (Ac 17:10-14) Modernly called Veroia, it was located in a fertile area at the base of Mount Bermios about 65 km (40 mi) WSW of Thessalonica. It thus lay some 40 km (25 mi) inland from the Aegean Sea.

It was probably about 50 C.E. when Paul and Silas arrived at Beroea after a nighttime departure from Thessalonica made necessary by mob violence. Beroea had a Jewish community and a synagogue in which the two missionaries preached. The readiness of the Beroeans to give ear to their message, and their diligence in examining the Scriptures in search of confirmation of the things learned, earned them the commendation found at Acts 17:11. A number of converts resulted from among these “noble-minded” persons, both Jews and Greeks. Paul’s work was cut short, however, by the arrival of fanatical Jews from Thessalonica bent on causing further mob activity. He sailed for Athens, leaving Silas and Timothy behind to care for the new group of believers in Beroea.—Ac 17:12-15.

Paul doubtless passed through or near Beroea on his third missionary journey, which brought him again into Macedonia. Among his companions at that time was Sopater, a Christian from Beroea.—Ac 20:1-4.

beach hoppin'

Touzla

map of Kavala

 Hey my lil' snicker doodles :D

Another summer adventure...beach hoppin' :D Touzla and Nea Peramos!  It took about an hour to get there from Thessaloniki by bus first was Touzla, amazing atmosphere, great night life, in general you'll see everyone that lives in Greece out at night...because the days are so hot, they have siesta in the afternoon, kind of like refueling for energy so you can continue your day and stay up til 1 or 2 am ;)
The beach was amazing...no shells but tons and tons of pebbles and little rocks that were so smooth.
Next day ... off to Nea Peramos...my favourite beach, ever!!!!! The water was like crystal... clear, and as the sun shone, it looked as if there were little diamonds in the water. This beach was like something i've never seen before, the sea was surrounded by mountains...and i don't just mean sea on the one side and mountains on the other...mountains all the way around the water, wherever you turned, absolutely gorgeous...water the colour of turquoise (which would later become inspiration for my bedroom, but i'll leave that for another time lol), large schools of fish swimming under you, white sand, tiny little shells, beach bars as far as the eye could see, djs playin the latest greek hits.
Up and down the beaches you'll find Albanians selling donuts, Asians selling little bobble items, and men from Africa selling hand made bracelets.  My friends and I were able to track one man down and he made us bracelets with our choice of colors. 
One thing is for sure, you don't see many nationalities in Greece...nowhere near the diversity of Canada.

xoxoChiika



Nea Peramos

aristotelous square

Aristotelous Square

walking along the street leading to the Square

One of my favourite parts of Thessaloniki? Definitely! I love the old school architecture mixed with the modern feel of the cafes.  Marble and stone fill the walkways, making every step interesting.  This is a hot spot in Thessaloniki, at night time the sea front which is right across from the Square fills up quickly with all the locals at the cafes and bars.  Fashion is at its highest and the music gives a groove to your step as you're trying to find the most happening place to sit, have a drink and watch as the streams of people walk by. xoxoChiika

streets of thessaloniki

some cool art work ~ streets of Thessaloniki

Walking along the streets of Thessaloniki, I stumbled upon this graffiti along the side of a building.
To me graffiti is art work, I feel that it ads color and beauty to streets where there is nothing else going on.
I don't like when I see hate words or slander sprawled across buildings but this I definitely can appreciate.
xoxoChiika

in the sky

In the sky! A few months ago I made the decision to move to Greece.  I'm not really the planning type, I'm more like all over the place.  So when I made the decision, I was super stoked!  But I have to say when August 16th rolled around it was the hardest thing I have ever done.  Saying goodbye to my brother and my friends was heart breaking and I think I cried for most of the flight.  Thank goodness I had a friend come with me, otherwise I would have felt completely lost.  Anyway these are some pics I took while on the flight...I don't think it's allowed but I took them and no one said anything so therefore, what's done is done :D  I love flying!  Sometimes I wish I was a bird, I don't think I would stay in one place for longer than a week.

xoxoChiika

get nailed!

I'm in love! :D Nails are the new accessory.  They have the power to complete any outfit, you can be edgy, sophisticated, fun...whatever makes you happy, really anything goes.  I picked up these Salon Effects nail stickers by Sally Hansen in "girl flower" the other day and couldn't wait to apply them, it's so easy and they look so good.  They claim to last up to 10 days and I think I got 2 weeks of use out of them before they started chipping. Cheap alternative to a professional manicure.

 xoxoChiika

For more nail looks, from previous posts, click "get nailed", down below in the labels!