Thessaloniki

Posted on 2008/06/16 17:28:27 (June 2008).

[Monday 16th June 2008]

Today I have travelled as far as Greece, to Thessaloniki to be precise, which I think is the second city in Greece after Athens.

I am here to meet a potential business partner that I have discovered rummaging through scores of pages filled with names, numbers and stuff like that. Surely taking part to an international fair would have been better and would have made my life easier, but that is not the case in the the present company.

The trip has not set off with the best omens, or should I say, with the best preparation, as the fact that I forgot my camera is entirely my fault.

What is not entirely my fault is the fact that I am stuck in a shitty hotel 20 (yes, bloody TWENTY) kilometres away from the city!! I really don't know why my contact advised me to go here, but apart from a nice swimming pool and gym, the hotel is quite shite.

Internet must work with these 1 euro x hour cards, there is not a single bar or restaurant apart from what you get in the hotel to be seen, I have tried to walk a little, but the heat and the total emptiness of the surroundings made me go back immediately.

TV is only in greek and I am really worried at what I am going to be served for dinner, as I must stop here.

The good side is that tomorrow morning I get to go away and move to Athens in the evening. I have few memories of Thessaloniki, coming from when I was a kid, we used to travel all the way from Italy to Greece with our cars or RVs. It wasn't one of the target of the holidays, I think it a more industrial city than anything else.

But my poor choice of hotel does not allow me to re-form this thought that I have of this city, because I am stuck 20 kilometres away from it!!

Oh well, next time I know where not to go, and you would think that I am an experienced traveller by now!! I have finished a passports with visas last December, 4 years before the due expiry date, but still, I fell for this hotel.

Live and learn Lorenzo, live and learn....

Hi Lox, what a pity we didn't get to hook up in Thessaloniki - sorry to hear you ended up in a crappy hotel (of which Thessaloniki seems to have more than its fair share!!). I didn't see your message about when you'd be visiting until it was too late - let me know more in advance if you are visiting again and we can meet up and have a few beers and a tour of the area, ok?

Posted by Bryan at 2008/06/17 10:22:22.

Bryan: That's SURE! Actually I had a chance to see the city with the agents that I am meant to work with (and that I think will be selected in the end), it's a very nice place! I was just unlucky to get a rip-off hotel, but that's ok. Surely next time I am going to have you show me around! Is there a way I can get in touch with you by mail? I don't think I have your address...

Posted by Lox at 2008/06/17 19:05:42.

Lox, I have just sent you my email address to your Gmail account... Hope you are having a better time in Athens!

Posted by Bryan at 2008/06/17 23:24:49.

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