Thessaloniki: A Greek Journal

🌈As Greece's second city, Thessaloniki remains curiously overlooked by travelers drawn to the Aegean's postcard-perfect islands. Its very name seems foreign to most visitors. 🌈At dawn, I took a bus to the hilltop fortress ruins. With a heritage map in hand, I spent the day meandering downhill to the iconic White Tower.🌼 Highlights included: ✅The Hosios David Church, hiding what may be Christianity's oldest surviving mosaics ✅Roman Forum of Thessaloniki ✅The unavoidable Rotunda, standing sentinel since the 4th century - its brick dome a pagan-turned-Christian marvel ✨As sunset painted the Thermaic Gulf, I settled on a seaside bench. Macedonia, Byzantium, Ottoman - all the layers of history dissolved into twilight together. ✨Don't Miss:Modiano Market at sunrise for the day's catch and spice-scented alleys. Bougatsa pastry with Greek coffee in Ladadika's tavernas. 🌼Night views from Trigoniou Tower where city lights marry starlight #GreeceTravel #OttomanLegacy #Thessaloniki #OffTheBeatenPath