Friday 26 May 2023

Halkidiki - Busy Doing Nothing


Kalispera! As I mentioned in my previous post, several of the reviews I'd read during my pre-trip research was that there was absolutely nothing to see or do. There is a folk museum in Polychrono but it was closed when we were there, there's also some ancient Greek ruins, unearthed during some recent construction work which are currently screened off. There's Halkidiki's historical main city, Thessaloniki, but the buses, still running on the Winter, pre-tourist season schedules, were sporadic and the express service, reducing the two and a half hour journey to just 60 minutes, didn't start until next month.We debated hiring a car but, rather than splash the cash, we decided to explore the immediate area on foot instead.


On our first day we decided to hike to Mavrobara in the prefecture of Central Macedonia just over three miles from Polychrono. Designated as an area of natural beauty, it stands 300m above sea level and the lake at its peak is home to two endangered species of water turtle, Emys Orbicularis & Mauremys Caspica.


On the way we passed a defunct olive oil press...


And a couple of tiny Orthodox churches.








As we discovered on previous visits, Greece's spring flowers are absolutely glorious.





The lake blew our minds, we had no idea turtles could be so noisy. I've owned a tortoise for almost 50 years and he's seldom emitted more than the occasional hiss!








After spending all of Wednesday on the beach, on Thursday we walked to Hanioti, the next town along the coast. On the way we bumped into Ross and Helen, our Ammos neighbours. They've been visiting Polychrono for 30 years - they love it so much, they've booked to come back in three weeks time! Together we ambled along, admiring the residents houses & their immaculately kept gardens and feasted on kumquats we plucked from the trees overhanging the road (in Greece people are welcome to help themselves to produce as long as they only take enough to feed themselves). After a frappe in the town square we went our separate ways, Jon & I walked along the seafront and window-shopped the high-end boutiques before walking back to Polychrono for a late lunch which, after clocking up a total of 7.5 miles we were starving.


We loved this novel way of turning unrecyclable plastic bottle tops into art.



Although it was warm throughout our stay we had a few light showers and several overcast days explaining why Halkidiki is very green.



There's a lot of money in the area and there's some huge houses - not all built in the best possible taste. We rather liked this post-modern villa, it's got the look of a Bond villain's lair.




The world's best olives come from Halkidiki and if you eat as many as we do you'll already know that.






The following day we walked in the opposite direction, taking the beach road from Polychrono to the village of Kryopigi. 















After a restorative frappe we wandered around the old village square, chatting to some locals (and their cats) before descending to the beach, walking back along the sand and stopping for a swim along the way (the water here is a couple of degrees than Polychrono). After lunch in one of Polychrono's seafront tavernas we slept off our ten mile walk on the talcum powder sand, punctuated with a refreshing swim in the Aegean.






As always we fantasised over which house we'd live in. Forget those swanky modern villas, give me a crumbling three hundred year old village stone house with shutters and a grape vine.





We rather liked the look of this derelict cottage, too but ruled it out as the gates were too narrow for Gilbert. 











We spent all of Saturday lazing on the beach in the glorious broiling sunshine but on Sunday we awoke to drizzle and a distinct nip in the air so, armed with a brolly (which, along with our jackets, we were able to pack away before too long) we walked back to Hanioti and had cappuccinos in a bustling cafe in the town square, packed with Greek families all dressed up and out for a Sunday stroll. We continued on our way eventually arriving at Pefkochori (Greek for Pine Village). 




After clocking up eight miles we rewarded ourselves with a large beer on Pefkochori seafront before some sightseeing and souvenir shopping. Lunch was - as always - Greek salad, a basket of freshly baked bread and a glass of the most delicious local vino (and we don't usually like white wine). We wandered along the jetty and decided that, rather than walk the ten miles back, we'd reward ourselves with a taxi home, a very reasonable €10.







The first time we've had a Greek salad with boiled eggs.







And there you have it. The museum might have been closed and the capital a bit of a chore to get to out of season without a car but there's absolutely loads to do in and around Polychrono as long as you have comfy footwear and a natural curiosity plus all that walking meant we could feast like Greek Heroes for a week and return to the UK weighing less than when we left it! 

Stay tuned for my final instalment.

44 comments:

  1. Hi Vix, just a little note about the used bottle tops - they are collecting them for a charity, we used to collect them in Poland too. I'm not quite sure how they have been repurposed or recycled but we had the same containers on our streets :-)

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    1. Hi Daisy! Thanks so much for that snippet of information. I loved how they'd turned them into an art form. xxx

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    2. I have seen heart shaped and leaf shaped containers in my home town, they look so pretty when filled with caps :-)

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    3. They're a brilliant idea. We should have them in the UK! x

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  2. I am living vicariously through you! I'm enjoying all the beautiful scenery. The colors are so vibrant. I love the skirt you have on with the orange top. It reminds me of a shirt I had as a teenager in the early 70's. I'm actually wearing it in my 1972 passport picture.

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    1. Hello Carol! I'm glad you're enjoying the trip. The skirt is actually super wide trousers, not something I'd normally wear but I spotted them in a charity shop and loved the colours. I love that you were wearing your 1970s twin skirt on your old passport photo. I wish passport photos were full length, I'd love to revisit the outfits I wore when I sat for mine! xxx

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  3. Fuuny how one person's "there's nothing to do here" is another's perfect vacation spot

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    1. I never understand this constant need for entertainment, surely being in a different country is enough? xxx

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  4. I love that you just explored the area on foot (with one taxi! well-deserved) - I'm sure you took in much more of the local flavour than people who need destinations with "things to do". I am so thankful to you for the little videos (who knew turtles made all that noise??) and the wonderful pictures - I'll never visit this place, but I feel like I know it, thanks to you, Vix!

    Wishing you and Jon and William Wilberforce a very happy weekend! Thank you also for the comment blitz! Much appreciated. :)

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    1. Thanks Sheila! I'm glad you enjoyed your virtual tour. Those turtles blew my mind, I was sure there were frogs hidden away somewhere doing all that gabbling!
      Have a wonderful weekend. xxx

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  5. Look like plenty to see.
    Coffee is on, and stay safe.

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  6. That turtle vid creeps me out!! I think by 'nothing to do here', they prob meant nowhere to get a full English! Quite sad that some peoples' imaginations extend no further than their stomachs. I love the look of that Greek salad with eggs though!Have a good Bank Holiday weekend.xxx

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    1. The noise was utter madness! I had no idea turtles made noises either.
      I could eat Greek salad every day (and usually do in Greece), I love that each taverna has their own variation. One of the joys of travelling is to try the local cuisine. Some people only go for sunshine and cheap fags, they don't know what they're missing.
      Have a fantastic long weekend. Hope you've got some sunshine. xxxx

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    2. Sunshine on Leith today! That's where I'm headed anyway!x

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  7. That annoys me when people say there is nothing to do here. It’s like when the Chinese invade Tokyo demanding bloody Chinese food and spitting on the pavement and being disrespectful to the locals. We had one tourist who decided the other week it would fun to climb the giant gundam in diver city that moves. No respect for local culture that’s the problem nowadays.
    At least you and Jon enjoy and chat to the locals and act like the locals good on you I say. I can’t stand English breakfast!! Love and hugs Allie jane

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    1. Hello Allie! I don't get why people have to be constantly entertained,we're happy just to wander around and see different things. I cringe when people go on the Greek travel forums moaning about not being able to get an English breakfast - I occasionally have a small vegetarian breakfast in Wetherspoons after we've been swimming but that's in Britain, when I'm abroad I want to eat what the locals have. I definitely don't want to read The Sun or watch Sky Sports wherever I am in the world! xxx

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    2. It’s funny I don’t really watch tv now it’s too depressing, I watch you tube it’s far more entertaining and enjoyable. The only thing I do miss is really fresh sushi that is it. But I live like a local sit in the local coffee shops drinking excellent coffee. That’s all I want and no morning sickness lol

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  8. That's my kind of holiday, I would have chosen the crumbling stone house too - I just love dilapidated buildings! Like you, we want to get out on foot as soon as possible and explore and meet the locals - I can't understand people who book a hotel and don't even venture out, your flatform sandals look comfy and practical. Betty

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    1. I love a dilapidated building, those new builds on tourist complexes with glass balconies and "fashionable grey" front doors look so depressing and soulless.
      We love chatting to people, our Greek doesn't extend to more than a few words but we always manages to understand each other. We used to shake our heads in disbelief at the Brits who sat around the pool all day ordering chips with everything from the downstairs snack bar, it seems like such a wasted opportunity.
      Those Clarks flatforms were a sale buy back in the depths of that -14°C cold snap, I knew they'd come in useful! xxx

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  9. I love the Bottle cap idea! So pretty! Your outfits are very pretty too!
    I had no idea turtles could be so noisy either! Are you sure they weren't the frogs in there? They just sound very similar to a pond of frogs I heard in France once!
    I love the idea of just hiking around in nature for my holiday! We did a lot of that in Majorca at Easter and in Spring, it's great to do! Yum, Greek Salad and bread! Yes please!
    Love the cats too.
    Nice to have you back! I missed you!x

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    1. Thanks, Kezzie! We loved the bottle cap idea, too.
      I was convinced there was some other creature in the lake making that racket but apparently it's turtle mating season and they're just trying to impress the ladies! We'd never heard the like!
      I love just walking and seeing what happens, stopping for refreshments, taking photos, chatting to a cat (or a human) or going for a swim. We even ask builders if we can look around developments - we're nosey like that!
      Have you broken up from school? I hope this glorious weather continues! xxx

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  10. Ooh I love the vibe there and really enjoyed joining you on your walks. The flower meadows are enchanting and I can't get over the noise of those turtles! We stayed near Turtle Beach in Turkey years ago and I don't recall hearing a peep out of them either!
    Thanks for the VW Bug photo and we're with you - an old crumbly cottage with shutters and a garden would do nicely thank you! xxx

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    1. Greece in springtime is just wonderful, we were amazed by those turtles and talked a couple of the Ammos guests to walk up there and see for themselves and they were as incredulous as we were!
      That V Dub was stunning - he'd also got a mint 1980s Golf parked over the road. The Greeks seem to love their vintage motors.
      That house was perfect, a view of the Aegean from the front and of the pine covered mountains from the back, we just need to persuade the owners to do a house swap! xxx

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  11. That’s what we do when we go on holiday, just get to know the immediate area on foot really well. Your photos are so good Vix and Greece in spring with its wild flowers is magical. I will never forget stepping off the ferry from Piraeus in May 1980 and seeing and smelling the flowers - it was like an awakening and has culminated 40 years later in making my own wildflower meadow. I have an old well-thumbed by me paperback book (present from my mum) published in Greece which has all the spring flowers photographed against black backgrounds and their names in Greek of course. The beetle is wonderful, it reminds me of the species tulip called Peppermint Stick. My grandad, my dad and myself have only ever owned VWs and my dad and grandad always did their own servicing and repairs. My grandad even had a gold beetle and he and my grandma travelled all over Europe, even as far as Greece, in a succession of VW camper vans. I still remember his delight when I turned up at his house in 1988 in my black scirocco (my company car - I used to drive all over Europe visiting ports and terminals in my job as a conference and exhibition person for the shipping and container handling industry - an industry I am still involved in through our publishing business) and we went for a spin along the coast. He loved the electric sunroof and windows! My grandparents and parents were so cool and you and Jon remind me of them! My mum loved a homemade Indian sari silk caftan and gold sandals made to her hand drawn measurements in India. Yesterday I wore to work in the secondhand bookshop a pair of old 30 inch Levi 501s (my daughter has my 28 inch pair), an Indian cotton drawn thread work collarless shirt with shirt tails and my oiled brown leather DMs. I was thrilled when my 29 year old son (he of the online clothes trading business) complimented me on my style! He is still sending off about 30 parcels a week and is becoming expert on the best times to list stuff. Along with a couple of his best mates he is currently cycling and responsibly wild camping under a tarp between Brighton and Folkestone so yesterday morning he was busy photographing outside. Gosh what a long comment, I really hope you don’t mind. You share so much great stuff on your blog Vix and reading makes me want to respond and connect. Thank you! Oh and I nearly forgot my daughter sponsors a turtle refuge in Corsica as these amazing animals are under so much threat from shipping, tourism and the Anthropocene age. Sarah xxx

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    1. Your comments are an absolute joy to read, Sarah. You have a wonderful way with words and I know reading them brings my readers as much pleasure as me.
      I'm not surprised that stepping off that ferry in Piraeus as a young woman made such an impact on you. I love that you created your own wildflower meadow inspired by your memories. I was thrilled to discover our garden had become a mass of cow parsley, ox eye daisies and aquilegia since we'd been away, it was a joy to return to. I'd love a look at that Greek wildflower book, it sounds like an absolute gem.
      That Beetle was gorgeous and I can see what you mean about the resemblance to the Peppermint Stick tulip. Jon's become an accomplished mechanic following his years of vintage VW ownership and dreams of motoring trips across Europe like your grandparents. Those Sciroccos are really desirable now. Jon still berates me for talking him into selling a white 1980s Golf Convertible he "rescued" from the scrap yard.
      I love the description of your outfit, no wonder your son complimented you. All the best clothes have to have a story behind them and have been chosen with love and care rather than thrown into a shopping trolley along with the baked beans. Your Mum sounds wonderfully glamorous. I'm missing my trips to the tailor in India and having kaftans whipped up overnight.
      Your son's business sounds like its going from strength to strength and knowing the right buzzwords and good listing times are key - I find Bank Holidays slow for selling but brilliant for buying. He sounds like he's inherited your sense of adventure with his wild camping.
      I'm off to see if I can find more about the turtle refuge your daughter sponsors, as a tortoise owner for almost half a century I ought to do more to protect his cousins! xxx

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  12. Hi Vix! nothing to do hey?? do people need to be entertained the whole time and not see the wonders under their nose? well Vix and Jon are so good at appreciating the wonders on their doorstop at home and abroad! beautiful pics as ever and the dress matches perfectly with the is it bougainvillea? don't even get me started on the food. We have some beautiful weather going on here and just being out in nature is such a tonic. Thank you for our virtual holiday with youx ps son no 2 bought me a ticket to go with him to Eurovision and before you laugh (dread to think what the cool Lord Jon is saying) it was fantastic! the songs may not all be what you'd normally listen to but the atmosphere in Liverpool was fab and everyone was SO friendly, conversations with strangers and lots of laughter made it. Didn't mind it that the Aussies won their semi either.x Shazxx

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    1. Sorry to chime in but have just read the lovely comment above me from Sarah (you have a great way with words Sarah!) and that is exactly how I felt about your blog Vixx

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    2. Hello Shaz! How exciting about son number two bagging you some Eurovision tickets! The contest isn't my scene but I love Liverpool and watching the impromptu parties in the city on the news I know I'd have had an absolute blast. I loved the lead singer of Australia's entry, human rights lawyer by day, metal head by night and what a fine head of hair he had, too!
      I despair of people having to be entertained! What's wrong with just living? walking, watching and living in the moment. There's some weird folk around.
      We couldn't resist stopping to pose by that gorgeous bougainvillea, it wasn't planned but my dress did match perfectly.
      Sarah's such a wonderful writer, isn't she? Her comments are a pleasure to read, as indeed are yours.
      By the way, have you been watching that BBC drama series Ten Pound Poms? We binge watched it before we went away and really enjoyed it. I thought of your Mum and wondered if it was anything like her experiences. xxx

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  13. Well it looks very Greek to me, Vix and a lovely peaceful, tranquil break before the festivals start. We're just back from Croatia 🇭🇷 (flew from Birmingham with TUI) Avoiding the scales at the moment but did go for the healthy choices so fingers crossed! Is it nice to be back home or could you have stayed longer? We just want to jump back on a plane again! Louise (Midlands) X x

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    1. Hello Louise! I hope you had a wonderful time in Croatia - somewhere I've always fancied visiting but never got round to doing! I wonder if our paths crossed at Birmingham International? I could have stayed for months. Have you booked your next trip yet? A week's just not long enough, is it? xxx

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  14. Walking really is the best way for getting the feel of a place and, judging from your fantastic photos, the area certainly didn't disappoint.
    That tiny orthodox church surrounded by wildflowers is delightful, as is the fauna and flora you met en route. I'm swooning over that Bond lair villa!
    I love that your pink dress matches the blossoms you're posing in front of, and oh my, aren't those wide trousers absolutely fabulous! xxx

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    1. I agree, walking is the best way to get a feel for a place. I love it when people come out of their houses and have a chat. The church caretaker popped out in his Ferrari slippers accompanied by a cat and proceeded to tell us that dogs were loyal but stupid whilst cats were unfaithful and clever and that's why he loved them.
      The Bond villain's house was so glamorous - all the better for having the Aegean in the back garden - lucky (and wealthy) swines!
      I loved wearing those trousers, they were so nice to pull on for a walk - no wonder you've got a few pairs! xxx

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  15. I'm positively drooling at the thought of those olives. I have to buy mine from a market stall that sells the most divine feta cheese and olives

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    1. That market stall sounds like heaven! x

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  16. Oh, be still my beating heart.
    "Nothing to do"?
    Dear Muggles, please stay away, you are right, it is a crap place and you would hate it.
    Dear Vix & Jon, please will you adopt me and let me come on holiday with you?

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    1. I wonder if it's regular visitors to Halkidiki posting those ridiculous comments in an attempt to keeping the place to themselves! xxx

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  17. It looks lovely. How wonderful to have all of that uncrowded space. No tourists milling about getting in your way. It sounds like you had a great time exploring, and managed to look glam throughout. Pretty sure I’d be a hot mess. I was shocked by the turtle noises, so loud. Xx

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    1. Thanks, Louise! Travelling at the very start of the tourist season certainly has its advantages in addition to the bargain prices. Those turtles were so noisy, I couldn't get over the racket! x

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  18. Yes you are so right - because there aren't events or amusements laid on it shouldn't stop you finding your own. What a fabulous place to walk and visit. I loved all the flora and fauna you pictured and was amazed at the noisy turtles - who knew? Loved the houses and what about that brilliant huge decorated pot at the abandoned olive press? Your holiday wardrobe looked fantastic, too.
    xxx

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    1. Thanks, Vronni! I don't get this constant need to be entertained. My mum always said that only boring people got bored. I could have sat and stared at the sea for a week and been happy! xxx

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  19. You and Jon always look so stylish on your travels. I usually look a hot mess! Xx

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  20. You make me want to hop on a plane and visit Greece!

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Lots of love, Vix