This is a panorama of Thessaloniki as seen from high up in the old city, a place arrived at only by driving up startlingly narrow, steep, curving streets. Fortunately, our taxi driver is a master at maneuvering his Mercedes.
The city has a huge bay, where a port of any size could be constructed, but politics keeps one nearer to Athens the focal point. Thessaloniki is the second city of Greece, so there seems to be quite a competitive spirit here.
There is a very, very long board walk along the coast, where people walk, bike, and run for exercise, but not in the heat of midday, when it is mostly deserted.
The lights of the boardwalk are quite beautiful. I got a chance to see them because I asked to be awakened at 5 am, forgetting that the sun did not rise that early this far south.
The apartment buildings here are limited to six stories because of the threat of earthquakes and marked by balconies, where people can enjoy the cool of the evening. Given that the heat rises to 100 degrees in summer, late in the evening, even late in the night, people sit outdoors at cafes and restaurants.
This is the Arch of Galerius, one of the Roman emperors. While there are many more Byzantine monuments, there remain a number of Roman ruins and intact structures as well.
This actually belonged in my "Signs" post, but I forgot it. Hokusai's image of the "Great Wave off Kanagawa" appears in all sorts of places around the world, often in association with high tech things. I guess it symbolizes Japaneseness, which is itself a sign of high technology.
Here is the owner of "Grillo," where Frank likes to get his gyros. It seems that is some parts of Greece, including this city, it is common to include french fries inside the gyro. The turn soggy, but are good nonetheless.
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