Alexandropoloi

The apartment is nice, but there is no cooker as advertised. There is a fridge, kettle and a sandwich toaster that looks like its never been cleaned. The rest of the apartment is spotless so its a bit odd. Its like the toaster has been hastily put there. The owner says she is leaving now and will be back in the morning. I am still too dazed from our exit from Turkey to mention the lack of cooker.

Straight away I am on the internet researching Turkish temporary residents permits. There is lots of information but I can't find forms or how to apply. I ring the visa office three times and get three different answers. I am told I have to go to the consulate in London in person. (But I am in Greece). I am told to ring them but the number goes through to a recorded message saying visit the website. Aaarrrrhhhh!

Norman empties our bags and sorts out what needs washing and what is ok. It seems the zipped frame compartment took most of the water so we got off lightly. 

Eventually we head out into the rain to find some food. Funnily enough being in Greece all the menus are in Greek! :-) This isn't a tourist area as such. However, there is a busy port and some hotels which I imagine must be for overnighters from the ferries. We find a restaurant with a waiter who speaks a little English. He explains, there is beef, pork or chicken. It is either on a skewer or as a portion. I have had enough chicken on a skewer to last a lifetime so order the portion. This turns out to be chicken that has been cooked on a skewer then taken off and put on a piece of bread on a plate with a pile of chips. I am not actually hungry, but eat it anyway. People that know me will know that `not hungry` and `Sue` are not usually used in the same sentence. I am so stressed. We look around for a minimarket or shop to buy supplies. Eventually buy water and a very dusty bottle of wine from a corner shop and head for home. The cork disintegrates as Norman pulls it out, so he ends up sieving it through a tissue. Desperate times.

Sleepless night. Can't believe what has happened. Don't know what to do. At some point in the night I have an idea. I need help from a Turkish speaker, and I know just the man. Hasan from Villa Manzara (Selimiye). I know he is currently in Chicago, but I email him, explain our plight and beg for help. Within a few hours I get a reply. What a dear dear friend Hasan is. He has written to the Turkish Ambassador in Athens on our behalf. He has explained what happened, our love of Turkey and all things Turkish, our travels and the blog, and our friendship. I should explain, that Hasan is semiretired. He is a member of the Turkish ministry and is in Chicago consulate working as coordinator of Turkish/Greek environmental cooperation. He is super brainy man, and I am totally in awe of him. Nuran, his wife, is lovely, clever and sweet too. We had such a good time with them in Selimiye. He also said that the law says we cannot be punished twice, we have paid the fine and that should be it. The five year rule applies to people who have been deported, which we haven't. And we can use Villa Manzara as our Turkish address on the forms. I am crying as I read his e mail. Bless him, bless him, bless him. I have renewed hope. (Thank goodness I rescued Lucky from the swimming pool, I must have gained a brownie point! Read Selimiye for clarification.) :-)

So, a new day dawns. I ask the apartment owner about the cooking facilities. `Yes, kettle and toaster` `No! Oven and cooking rings and utensils, as advertised on the website!`' Reluctantly she rustles up the very cooker pictured on the website and one saucepan. (I don't think she likes me. I don't think I care!) Off we go to explore. We find a launderette and do the washing - exciting this travelling business). Then wander off to see the sights. There is a lighthouse on the seafront. Thats about it. Apparently there is a museum but we have overindulged on the museums lately. We turn to the high street. There are coffee shops everywhere! How much coffee can a person drink? Personally about one a week for me, much prefer tea. So we sit and do a spot of people watching.

I thought Greece was supposed to be in extreme measures. I thought the Greeks were supposed to be suffering a severe tightening of the belt. In Alexandropoloi I would say what complete rot! Maybe elsewhere, but not here. Its like sitting in Oxford street but without the rough sleepers. Even the street dogs are classy. Fancy shops with exquisite goods.  People are parading in fine clothes, carrying exotic cardboard carrier bags with string or ribbon handles..Not a whiff of Primark here. And the cars! Audi, BMW, Mercedes all very new. Even the scooters and motorbikes aren't scruffy. And the prices! Blimey, they are high. But people are buying, so they must have the money. We are probably only 40k from the border. I cannot believe how different the cuture is. If you go 40k into Turkey on the otherside, people are buying food and living happy simple lives within their means. Over here they are eating out and spending on hair extensions and nail salons. In the coffee bars people are eyeing each up and you can see the critique on their faces. I don't like it much! Vanity is not a virtue I applaud. Women are mincing around wearing spray-on trousers and impossibly high heals, on the arms of Armani clad men. Even the dogs are designer. Little Yorkies with ribbons on their heads carried in D&G shoulder bags. Haven't these dogs got legs? 

Later we spend an extortionate amount on money on a G&T and a whisky. Note to self; order the gin separately from the tonic next time. I think it was a scant amount of gin in lots of tonic. Norman whisky measure couldn't be hidden, he takes it neat with no ice.

So, Thessaloniki next stop. Easier to get into Bulgaria from there. Must say I won't miss Alexandropoloi. Not my scene at all.

Why is it that often we find a gem of a place, restaurant, bar, cafe on our last day somewhere? Its happened here! The rain has stopped and it seems like a nice day. We wander down to the seafront to take a photo of the lighthouse and the port. There is even a little warmth in the sun glinting off the sea. We head along the seafront westward away from the port. There is a bit of scruffy beach with a couple of dogs on it. There are a lot of closed businesses, whether permanently or because of the season I dont know. Its all a bit run down with the usual graffiti and rubbish. Then we notice a few cafes and tavernas that are doing a roaring trade. The deal is, If you can spot someone drinking a beer we can go in and have one too. Eagle eye Norman spots one straightaway, in we go. Its about 2oclock and people are eating lunch. We explain we just want a drink and are shown to a table straight away. After a beer, the sight and smell of delicious food is too much. We order two more beers, some squid and anchovies. Oh my word! The squid is melt in the mouth tender and the anchovies are crisp little punches of flavour. Washed down with a glass of Fix beer it is delicious. We are amazed at how much people eat. Plate after plate of delicacies arrive at tables already laden with food. It all looks fabulous, if only we were here one more day! But we have to pack so head for home. Of course its Greece and, its Sunday so there are few shops open, so no chance of buying a bottle of wine to soften the packing process. Its a bit early to go home so we head to the nearest amount of noise. Its a bar called Number 6. Great music,, no jazz. We order a bottle of rose to share and settle in to people watch. There are a lot of moustaches around. Very handsome young men sporting lush facial hair. One looks just like Freddy Mercury. Then 3 men about age 50 come to the next table, smile and start talking in Turkish to us! Why do they think Norman is Turkish? Anyway, we explain our English-ness but tell them about our travels. They are from beautiful Istanbul, so we are quizzed on what we have seen so far and told what we need to see next. Interesting people.

Home to.pack!

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