Greece, since 1981, is member of the European Union and, together with 18 other EU member states a monetary union, the euro zone. It is a member of the United Nations, the OECD, NATO, the OSCE and the Council of Europe. The Human Development Index ranks Greece among the highly developed countries.
The Greeks of modern times call themselves Hellenes, but they had many different names throughout history. However, Homer (8th century BC) did not use the term "Hellene" in his epics. In classical antiquity, the Greeks hardly lay a point to present ithemselfves as a unified nation. The own home instead, be it a polis or a kingdom, was up to a few exceptions far more important. The participants in the Olympic Games were summarized as Hellenes. Perhaps it was this name later, in the first centuries of Christianity, being used as synonymous with paganism. From late antiquity until the end of the Middle Ages (1453), the Greeks even called themselves Rhomaioi (ancient Greek for, Romans').
From archaeological findings of grape seeds in Dikili Tash, a tell near Philippi in the Drama regional district, researchers discovered that grapes were processed from wild grapevines in Greece as early as the late Neolithic period.
Our tours in Thessalonica had not only brought us into contact with the Roman cultural heritage, because the Byzantine era has left many traces too, as we will show in the following article and the attached picture gallery.
What we first noticed as a unique journey of a young couple with at least indeterminate finish, now shows almost like a fad: the camper tour to Iran. We had met with 7 camper-encounters on their way to Iran just during the last month, which leads our idea of uniqueness ad absurdum.
After several days of exploration on Halkidiki and the Mount Olympus we needed to work up the last days on the computer and actualize the website in our "Office-caravan" urgently, a time which always brings new contacts to travelers by itself.
Today, October 28, 2015, we headed into the city centre of Thessaloniki for a special occasion: it is the second most significant national holiday in Greece, known as "Oxi Day."
Even you do not even think of the next Christmas because of the blue sky and the moderate outdoor temperatures here in Greece, it approaches with great strides.
Carnival and Lent - at first glance, one wonders how these two yet so fundamentally different events can actually fit together.
In the morning we had left again to explore Thessalonica, when we first moved from Camper stop Zampetas to the ferry in Perea, then "sail" towards the White Tower.
Again there was an interesting meeting, this time with Suse and Axel from Munich and their motor home Frieda expanded on the basis of a VW T3 - and this once again showed that the camper stop Zampetas has developed to a real cornerstone for travelers on the Balkans.
Bom dia! - Thus, the first contact with Andrea & John started, who were directly parking their camper next to us as guests on the pitch of Zampetas Camper Accessories in Thessaloniki / Perea.
Australia - We met Martina, Sven and Clara for the first time on the premises of the camping outfitter Zampetas in Thessaloniki, because of course the Dodge pick-up vehicle, which had been converted into a motorhome, immediately caught our eye, so powerful was the structure and the vehicle itself.
Thessaloniki - Since its founding, Thessaloniki was located on the Via Egnatia, the main traffic and trade route between Rome and Byzantium, and on the northbound Balkan Road, which continued north past Stobi.
Thessaloniki - After our first explorations in the town, which gave us some unexpected aha experiences, it is time to take stock of our visit to Thessaloniki. We came across the cycle path network in an insightful and unexpected way, to name just one example.
Rotunda - One of the surviving buildings of Roman times in the ancient part of Thessalonica is the Rotunda of Galerius, which is probably the most impressive building in the town. The massive domed Roman brick art, which was established in connection with the Galerius triumphal arch located in the North of modern Egnatia road that leads through the center of the city.
Ladadika - We learned Julia and Davide, a couple from Germany with some family relations to Italy and Spain which wanted to learn same spots in Thessalonica for shopping as well as for sight seeing.
Wooden Bicycles - Wood fibers have physico-mechanical properties that are unique as natural raw materials and other materials.
Magirus Deutz - Once again, there was an interesting and surprising meeting, this time it was a bright red fire truck, which had been converted into a camper.
Several times, when leaving Camperstop Zampetas for Perea, we had been walking along the waterfront in Perea, again and again we were surprised by the play of colors during the sunset.
Once more we had set out on a tour of Thessalonica, had chosen the way along the city wall up to the fortress gates with acquaintances, had gone en route into a small cafe offering fresh, home-baked cakes and were then, after the passage of the Agora and the source sanctuary, walking along Via Egnatia into the city center.
Christmas is celebrated very traditionally in Greece, this we had heard already, and because of that were very surprised by the action of the young girls in the street art project Free Hugs in Alexandroupolis.
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