January 28, 2015
Day 13-14 - Rest Days
A lot of people really like Thessaloniki, but I don't see what they see. To be fair, the weather is probably contributing a lot to the drab, dreary atmosphere, but this city looks defeated.
It's all apartment buildings with no character, a bit reminiscent of Soviet style, but I'd attribute this to the fire that destroyed most of the city. There are ruins everywhere but they mostly add to the sense of decay. Broken benches, graffiti on everything--I don't think I've ever seen so much. And the people are the opposite of vibrant. It's not how they dress; though they look like times are bad, that's not a problem. It's how they themselves look; the tired look on their faces, the way they shuffle around. I'm sure I fit right in with trying not to use my recovering legs on the many steep hills. Except for students, I haven't seen many young adults here. I guess there's no work.
I'm sure everything would seem nicer on a sunny day, so just remember that my impression of this place is one among many, and most people like Thessaloniki. I also haven't had time to really explore, what with the bike maintenance and all the naps and being cheap.
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