Whenever I come back from a holiday in Greece, I am convinced that there is not one single part of this fantastic country that is not filled with unspeakable beauty. Greece is endowed with thousands of golden beaches, snow-capped mountains, caves and gorges, lakes reflecting in their waters all the splendour of the Greek landscape; not to mention 6000 islands which are scattered gems in the Aegean and Ionian Seas. Macedonia, however, is by far a place of outstanding natural beauty. It's also my husband's homeland – this is why it has a very special place in my heart.
Macedonia is a Greek region situated in northern Greece, gifted with endless greenery, fertile plains, roaring waterfalls, imposing mountains, and some of the country's most stunning beaches in the area of Halkidiki. I'll never have enough of Macedonia, however often I visit this blessed land.
DAY 1 – FRIDAY, 7 AUGUST
We flew Aegean Airlines, which safely landed us at Macedonia Airport in Thessaloniki – the capital city of Macedonia. Thanassis, my brother-in-law, was there, waiting for us, and drove us to Serres – my husband's hometown. The journey by car takes about an hour, so by 1:00 pm we had already checked in at Elpida Hotel. We loved our room – a junior suite in two levels overlooking the pool. Soon afterwards, we had lunch followed by a short siesta at the hotel. In the evening, we had dinner at "Kataraktis" Restaurant in the area of Ai Yiannis. I was delighted to meet again my sister-in-law Evangelia as well as Yianoula – Evangelia's sister and her husband Babis. We had a fabulous evening and a great dinner. Unfortunately, I was so impressed by the landscape and the food that I completely forgot to take photos of all six of us!
Ai Yiannis Waterfalls
Katarraktis Restaurant - Ai Yiannis
Ai Yiannis
DAY 2 – SATURDAY, 8 AUGUST
We spent the whole day with our niece Zoe and her two adorable little girls. We met in the town centre and had "bougatsa" at one of the many cafés. "Bougatsa" is a kind of Greek pastry consisting of either semolina custard or cheese between layers of phyllo. Serres is renowned for its "bougatsa" throughout Greece. Serres is a modern, bustling town of more than 80,000 inhabitants – the second largest town in Macedonia after the capital city Thessaloniki.
Bougatsa
In the evening, we had a great night out at Koulas, which lasted till the early morning hours. The ancient and Byzantine acropolis of Koulas lies on an evergreen hill north of the town of Serres. It was named "Bes Koules" by the Turks during the Turkish occupation of the town (1383 – 1846). Hence the name Koulas.
DAY 3 – SUNDAY, 9 AUGUST
With 2,539 inhabitants, the village of Neo Souli lies at an altitude of 160 metres, at about 7km east of the town of Serres. It is a lovely, picturesque village which belongs to what the people of Serres call "dardanochoria." Neo Souli also boasts its local taverns, with tables on the street. Needless to say that the food was delicious! I wish we could stay longer in Serres. It's a magical town.
Neo Souli
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