Welcome to Caucasus to the Crown — a travel series documenting my journey through 16 countries across Europe, from the mountains of Armenia to the streets of London.
In this video I take the train north from Athens to Thessaloniki, Greece’s second largest city and an important hub of culture and history. After arriving, I head straight to the waterfront to catch the sunset, with distant views towards the legendary Mount Olympus rising across the horizon. The next day, I explore Thessaloniki by bike, riding up into the hills above the city where the old walls still stand as reminders of its long and storied past. From there I make my way to the acropolis of Thessaloniki, taking in views over the sprawling city below. Along the way I stop to enjoy a classic Greek mixed gyros, before heading into a shopping mall to see a different side of the city, and then cycling back along the lively waterfront. I also take time to wander through some of Thessaloniki’s many parks, enjoying the quieter corners of the city. As the day winds down, I make my way to the bus station where I prepare to continue my journey on to Serbia in the next episode.
[Music] [Music] She’s not a great friend. It’s a surface level situation. I know I’ll be there. But sometimes I just want to take a beer on a beach with someone who hardly bothers to know me. I’ve got to trust that I’ll be okay cuz no one can do it for me. I’m parked in your driveway. Pretend. [Music] [Music] So, we’ve made it to Thessaloniki. I don’t know what that says. I don’t think it says Thessaloniki. But anyway, we’re in Thessaloniki. So, I’m still deciding whether I’m going to walk or ride cuz my pack’s heavy. But yeah, so we’re going to head to our accommodation and go out, check things out. did the train ride road was pretty good. Went past Mount Olympus and stuff. It was a pretty dry though, especially in the south up here. We got a bit more wet. There was some wetlands and stuff. Yeah, I’ll see you guys soon. [Music] Support me. Oh, I sometimes I feel so got to get rich. My life depends on it. I’ve got to trust that it’ll be okay. There’s no one for me in your driveway. [Music] So, I’ve had a shower, cleaned up a bit, and now the plan is to go find some dinner. So, We’re out on the streets of Shaniki this evening and we’re going to go find some food. [Music] Thought I knew you in a past life. You told me that I’d be all right. But I’m still picking at a scare instead of healing. This sea must not be salty at all. I cannot smell it. It must be because we’re so far into the Mediterranean. There’s actually not that much salt here. I don’t know. I just usually when I get this close to the sea, you can smell it and I was waiting for it and it never came. That’s beautiful over there. So that mountain out there is actually Mount Olympus and we took the train past that. So we’ve gone right around that edge there. How’s Mount Olympus that way towards Athens? Yeah, it’s nice to be by the sea. I didn’t get to go to the beach in Athens. It was a bit far. Yeah. Still going to look for some food and explore the waterfront. Knew you in a past life. You told me that I’d be all right. But I’m still picking at a scar instead of healing. Heat. Heat. [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] They got one of those things where it’s like roadways for kids bikes. These things are awesome. They should definitely have them in more places. It’s got all the road signs and stuff. The no entry, one way, two-way. There should definitely be more of them than around. They’re awesome. That’s funny is the kids on his phone and the mom’s remote control the car to drive it. The kids just like lost in the phone, not pay attention at all. And the mom wants to go for a walk, so she has to drive. Let’s back up. This place is like a mini little art gallery park. [Music] Hey. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] Heat. [Music] [Music] Heat. [Music] So, we got ourselves a mountain bike and the plan is we’re going to try and ride up to the hills behind the city. So yeah, that’s my plan anyway. Let’s see how it goes. There’s a lot of people just not wearing any helmets, so I assume I don’t need one. Hopefully. Don’t want to get in trouble. [Applause] [Applause] [Applause] I definitely did not go the right way. Okay. How do I fix this? Oh, [Music] I’m clearly not meant to be riding on the motorway. The track I was looking at said turn right onto the road. Anyway, now we’re up here, I guess. So, what actually went wrong is it doesn’t say which way you’re meant to go. And I was actually meant to go the other way, I think. And that off ramp there, I was meant to ride across from the off ramp over, but of course, I was just going the way of the one way, which doesn’t cross the motorway, so I ended up on the motorway. But yeah, so we got a good view of the south half of the Laniki here and Mount Olympus in the background. So I’m going to chill here a bit and then I might ride down ride to the Acropolis and then sort of just explore the city cuz I have the bike for the day and they close at like 9. So, I got heaps of time. Yeah, black play make a blue beat up high off everything you said. I’ll chase the morning. Put the devil in my eyes where it’s not so bad. I can’t be made a white white limino. [Music] Got your hands all over my body. You’re acting like you don’t want me. Hey, if you want me, let me know. I am beautiful through my body. It’s enough to make me feel supernatural. [Music] I feel supernal. What a shame. Your spirit never possess me like a demon worship at your bed. I must be on my mind any watchless life. You want me let me know you like my body. You act like you don’t want me. You want me let me know. Heat. Heat. Heat. Yeah. Heat. Heat. Heat. [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] Riding on these cobwebs is Horrible. But it’s a good view of the castle thing here. [Music] These hills aren’t even that big. I’m on foot for a ride. Oh, but there’s a lot of hills here. But yeah, got this. So, I got one of these the chicken gro. My bike’s there and we’re just going to be eating in this in the old town here and we’re going to continue up to the Acropolis. It’s just really hot, so I’m going slow at the moment. I’ve already done a fair few ks. How many have we done? Done 6.7. So, it’s not that much, but something. This is good chicken. So, we made it to the tower. Unfortunately, Tuesday is the one day it’s closed of the week, and I didn’t check that. So yeah, unfortunately we’re not going to be able to go up there today, but yeah, I had to just walk it up a set of stairs there. Seemed a bit easier than riding all these steep streets. What a beautiful view we have from up here. I’m just going to see cuz there’s a staircase up here. We might actually be able to get up on the wall. I’ll quickly check. They blocked it off with spikes and then people put cans on the end. [Music] [Applause] [Applause] So, from what I can find, this wall was actually built by the Ottomans. And yeah, it’s quite big. It’s been going all the way up. There could have been more than one wall, but yeah, unfortunately, one of the main things is also closed cuz it’s on cuz it’s a Tuesday. So, the White Tower and one of the things up by the Acropolis is also closed, so that’s a bit unfortunate, but yeah, we’re really getting up there. It’s going to be fun when we finally get to go down. So this place behind me here, massive castle is called the hip tab. hip tap irrig of the unfortunately it’s Tuesday so it’s closed we can’t go up there which is amazing um but yeah maybe if we have time tomorrow I might try and make it all the way up here to go to that but yeah you can get a beautiful view of the city up here and it’s a beautiful building. [Music] Born a life 9 to5 going to work till you going to hurt. Going to learn to take it like a man. Find a girl, make a wife. Dig a fence, paint it white. What if I had another plan? What if I was made for the stage? What if I was made for the lights? What if I was chosen to write the stories? Wasn’t built to work the line. Or what if I was different? I want to be different. [Music] Man, it’s cold. Crack a dawn. Hear that old rooster crow. Coffeey’s on and it ain’t never going to change. Another night, same fight, same girl, same guy. What if I want to break the mundane? What if I was made for the stage? What if I was made for the lights? What if I was chosen to ride the stories? Wasn’t built to work the line. What if I was [Music] feeling [Music] without them. But I’m breaking down. I’m breaking down. What if I was made for the stage? What if I was made for the lights? What if I was chosen to write the stories? Wasn’t built to work the light. What heat? [Music] So, we’re at the Outlet Mall and I’m going to have a look around here for a See if I want to buy anything. We finally got our first bike lane. took us this this long all day, but there’s a bike lane now. I also bought some boots. So, so now I have a big bag on my back, but they had the tall Tibets that were um so the Tibets in New Zealand are usually 800 for the regular ones and then here they’re whatchamacallit they’re 500. So that’s a pretty pretty good deal. I’m actually starting to smell the salt now. It smells nice. What a nice square. This stuff is really bumpy every second one or so. That’s some beautiful fish and chips. I wonder how it tastes cuz I’ve never had lantern fish before. I did pretty much 8 hours exactly. So, I got €1 off. That was nice. Anyway, we’re going to walk back to the hostel now, clean up, and then it’ll probably be the end of our day. That fish and chips was really good, except it was a bit much for me. I’m still not eating that much here, especially since I’ve like vomited a bit. I still haven’t been eating that much. But yeah, so the fish was a bit weird. I didn’t know what fish it was, so I’ve never had fish from the Atlantic before. But yeah, it was still good nonetheless. I enjoyed it. I just couldn’t finish the last bits of the fish in last bowl. But yeah, it’s a beautiful evening. There a bunch of people out there giving away free Sprite or cuz it’s something with Sprite. It’s a bit random. This place is beautiful at night. Hurry up. So, we’ve just been chilling around this morning, resting up a bit. We got a bus at 5, but I’ve got some pizza for lunch, too. I thought I’d show you. And yeah, we’ve just been walking down this main street. I went out with some of the guys from the hostel last night and we walked down here and it looked like I had some good food and I ended up getting some pizza. But yeah, so we’re just going to walk around the city a bit, explore a little bit more before we have our bus this evening.