Ann Speirs' Motorhome Travel Trips: 14th week Thessoloniki, Halkidii, Katerina Kamping

Monday, 1st August 2011 So I took my time, still feeling very tired and went down to Zampetas to meet up with Makis and get the details of the mechanic's workshop so I could sort out the exhaust and oil filter. Makis gave me the GPS, but he said the fitter wanted to do something more to my fridge, didn't know what but could I hang around until he'd done it. As I knew yet again it would be a long wait I decided to try and get yet more tar from the bodywork on my van. While I was at it, I decided to look under the van for the noise I had heard since I'd gone up that awful road! I hadn't noticed it before when I got underneath, but there was an aluminium covering behind the engine and it had got bent upwards and was banging on the exhaust. So just bending it back cured the problem! I also took a look at the oil filter, would you believe it, it was loose, so I just tightened it up with my fingers, seemed to do the trick. Makis told me that George was back home and would contact me sometime later. I hadn't heard from him at all since Friday, that was because he didn't have roaming in Turkey. He'd picked up my message whilst on the Greek island.

The Castle Thessoloniki

When the fitter finally got to me to finish the fridge, it was to put some sort of barrier between the back of the fridge and the bodywork, just to keep the heat where it should be, going out the back, and also keep out a lot of dust that had accumulated in the cupboard. On the forecourt that morning I spied an English van, a Greek man living in St John's Wood, London with a young boy, named Theo, married to an English lady who he was about to pick up from the Airport. He also said he didn't have an MOT on his motorhome and that he had left the van in storage in Greece and returned to England for 6 months. His fridge would you believe wasn't working either. The hot weather and about 6 years of age seemed to be the problem! This time it was a Dometic. He suddenly decided he wasn't getting enough attention and shot off to the airport, never to return. Most of the vans had fridge problems, Markis was fitting dual fans to the rear of the fridge to help get rid of the heat. I did this to a fridge in Australia I remember. None of them liked gas fridges!

Restored Ottaman houses in the old quarter

When I left, Makis was not around. I got home to the beach, I texted both George and Makis to thank them for their help in making my life a lot easier. Really it was the first time, I had let go and left the details of negotiations to men! Trust at last! Immediately, I had a reply from Makis, and a little while later an interesting text from George proposing that he take me out around Thessoloniki the next day to sort out all the other little problems. He would come to me, we would leave my van at the beach and go hunting for the various items I wanted as well as showing me around the city. Fiat would charge €20 + VAT to decide what was wrong with my cab fan. A big shop like B & Q called Practica didn't have a 12v fan, but did have a rather lovely foot stool. I purchased that. What followed seemed to be one of the most enchanting day of my life. George arrived laden with lots of pastries, which when he saw the beach, he didn't, like me fancy sitting there! George took me around the old town, saw the city walls looked across the city to the White Tower; around the Ayios Demitrios Church and Crypt; for lovely, cold, coffee in Aristotle Square. We talked and talked, yes, not me doing it all. We walked along the prom to the Byzantine White Tower. History about it being a Red Tower because it had been used as a prison and where there had been a lot of blood spilt. Another Ottoman Sultan wanted to change its image and had the tower renamed and repainted White. From here we picked up the car and explored all the free parking spaces I could use, where the bus stops were so I could explore the other attractions here in Thessoloniki. We then went to another waterside restaurant for a seafood dinner. I let George choose.

A government building

13 15 19 26 33 37 38 39 41
It was a banquet, fried coated cucumber, fried squid rings, sardines married together! Octopus in oil dressing and finally a delicious salad with sesame seeds, accompanied by bread, water and Ouzo. Just a snack said George. In between talking, laughing, getting tipsy, we ate, it really was delicious. Water melon and some sort of Greek chocolate biscuit was left on the table. The melon was delicious. George wanted to go off and get a sweet somewhere else, I really wasn't used to this sort of treatment, he wouldn't let me pay anything. I could get used to this. However, got back in the car, feeling somewhat incapable, hope George didn't get pulled over, but he was used to drinking and eating at the same time, taking probably 2.5 hours for the late lunch. When we parked, walked over the road to this exquisite shop full of pastries, which I couldn't really eat, I decided on one scoop of Tiramouso ice cream please. When it came, it was two scoops, phew it was

Ayios Demitrios Church

delicious. We had a very good conversation about religion and the teaching of the Greek Orthodox Church, George explaining things in a very different way to my Church of England/Congregational upbringing. Don't usually talk about religion but it was lovely to hear George's views and his obvious total belief in his Church's teachings. He was talking about a man called (someone) Kenneth and I expect the book to be produced at some future meeting. Time was about 10pm, he'd had a call from his mother, so it was time to go home. Well, what a full day. Quick goodnight to keep the mossies out of my van, off he went, then a text to say my stool was still in the back of his car, we had both forgotten about it. I thought sleep would come easily, no, not again, mind going over the whole day, the excitement, laughter, small hairy oranges! Apricots. Tears! of laughter. 4am again before I got off to sleep, awoke about 7.30 to a very cloudy sky, but a lot cooler. I needed to get my van to Fiat, find a washing machine, get some water and park in Solaniki, the local shortened name.

One of the older building left after the last earthquake

Wednesday, 3rd August 2011 Decided to eat one of the pastries George had brought me, Delicious, probably not so good having been put in the fridge for the day, but scrummy never the less. Couldn't really get going, but needs, must. The croissants were something else also. I got up and went to Fiat, waited quite a long time, nearly 1.5 hrs and the mechanic came out and tested the fan. Apparently it was the switch unit, it will cost about €200, has to come from Fiat and they can't get it until late August. George says there are some internet cafés up to the right from the traffic lights. I'll try and see if there are other switches available!

The cafe where we had coffee, surrounding a square where they hold concerts, or other public meetings

Sat and talked to the couple who were buying a caravan form Zampetas; 22,500€ that's expensive, but it was a Hobby; anyway they couldn't get the money out of the bank all in one go. They were both born in Iran, but had spent most of their life in USA. They were professors of Political Science with 2 pensions! They had had a rough deal in Germany. They had ordered a motorhome from a dealer and when it arrived the man got into the cab and tried the clutch with his left leg and because he had problems with the leg he realised he wouldn't be able to drive it. He tried to get back his 10,000€ deposit and they man would only let them have €5,000 I hadn't realised that it was such a final contract as that. At least when I bought this van it was only a £250 deposit which isn't so bad if you have to loose it.

The public square

So while at Zampetas I bought an air conditioning l2v/240v Fan. It is quite a strong fan, certainly better than nothing and cost €31. Hopefully I will be able to put it in the front of the cab too, perhaps I wont be able to get a fan and the GPS on the dashboard! Came and parked at the Emergency Services car park. Just about to settle down for the night and George asked where I was, in order to bring me my stool. So it was just a short journey for him. He seemed a bit stressed, apparently his family were having a dispute about rented property and he didn't seem too happy. Also because the Taxi drivers are on strike, they were having strategy meetings. Apparently, the government wants three times as many taxi drivers. The taxi drivers can't make ends meet as it is, and they aren't happy so he with others went on strike. He is actually thinking of selling his stake in the Taxi car with his partner and move out of the city and go and buy an olive grove and make virgin olive oil. He was explaining it all to me. Whether this is just in his imagination or not, I don't know, but he knows the place he wants to go and it sounds as though he's given it a lot of thought. He asked me how long I was going to be in Saloniki, “Just don't know” replied me, “but I feel I have itchy feet, at the moment.” I did, the harbour water had that twang about it and I wasn't feeling very good.

The White Tower formering the Red Tower

Thursday, 4th August, 2011 Still parked at the Emergency Services Car Park. I finally got off to sleep last night and woke about 6am Thursday morning. Busy, busy here. I think I'll go and sort out the internet this morning first thing, really must get my insurance quote and ask them whether they can send it directly to Greece, but of course I do need the address of Sara and John. Must check my bank statement also whilst I'm there. Write everything down. Wondered whether it would be better to get them to send it to Zampetas, would they understand what I wanted.

In need of renovation, any offers?

Alexander the Great

So I left the van at 8am walked up the road to find an internet café, found the pastry shop we had ice creams in, instead. Felt very strange, couldn't breathe the air, head ached and just felt I had to get away from there. I didn't like the smell in the harbour either! Looked at the map and put in the place George suggested in Halkidiki, Kalamitsi into TT.

The Beach near Camping Katerina, Sikia, beautiful

So off I went and came down the 2nd peninsular of Halkadiki, came to the very place, Kalamitsi. The camp site was really full,was asked to park vehicle in an already too full car park, didn't bother to find out how much, far too crowded for me. Just went just up the road a bit and came to Camping Katerina, Grioavas Beach, Sikia, Halkidiki, PO 63072 GPS N40-03-05 E25-59-28. Got sorted pretty quickly, didn't have much shade because of the solar panel. As soon as I've sorted ferry prices I can get down to brass tacks and sort all my little problems out. It was about 149 kms here, not a bad road, very twisty, bit worried when I saw the previous camp site with so many people there. Just visited the office and they have wifi, which I'll go to later on.

No electricity, no canopy, it worked to keep battery topped up.

My thoughts at the moment are, can't get a fan until the end of August. Don't think I can cope with this heat until then, because I'd have to stay around, trying to sort out money situation. So I think it would be better for me and less stress to drive to Igoumenitsa get a ferry to Venice, cutting the driving mileage in half. 1650 miles to Dunkirk, but passing through a lot of countries and diesel being the price it is, plus the extra 3rd party insurance in Albania, Montenegro, and stress in the heat, I think I'll plumb for the ferry. Go up to Innsbruck, Jachenau to Kate's cousin and then German motorway back the way I came. Can get a long way with decent roads and be home in time for Margot's birthday! So I might be wasting insurance, but the quality of life is what I'm looking for! Don't have to worry about posting insurance etc. Will have to change my ferry ticket but I'll leave that until I get there, to Dunkirk that is. So, I've found the price of the ferry from Igoumenitsa to Venice is €480+ so that's not on, unless I leave it until well into September, when I still need my insurance to drive on the continent. It doesn't cost that much to drive up the Adriatic coast even if I pay extra for visas, entry permits etc.