Random Pictures from Macedonia

Here are a few more pictures from my vast collection-



I can't honestly say that I had a truely "favorite thing" about our trip, but on the short list would be the outdoor tavernas and cafes. There were so many and I did love them. Now, back at home, it is frustrating to not have ANY!!

I loved the sections of wall around the city. I found it so interesting that each time the city was over run, the victors came in, destroyed the existing structures and rebuilt using the rubble. As you studied the wall you found lots of pieces from previous walls incorporated in what remains of the Byzantine wall of the 14th century.

Don't you wonder what stories this little structure could tell?

Two Guys Walking...look at the side walk. Like the lamp posts the sidewalk designs changed throughout the city.

This is an archeological site of a 3rd century palace! It was supposed to be a new government building complex. Imagine how difficult it would be to do any construction in a city this old. Everytime they try to build something new they uncover something old and the department of antiquities is called in. Because of this the new subway construction may never be finished.

Keith, this one is for you. I loved how the new and old were constantly juxtipositioned. Many, many buildings had roof top solar heated water tanks...maybe something to go with your new water conditioner?

Adam, driving around out in the middle of nowhere, we came upon a scenic view pull off where 2 firemen were passing the hours waiting for something to catch on fire. Cool truck, huh?

Sarah, this is a sign for the one and only Vet we saw in Thessaloniki! There must surely be more than that, but we didn't find any. While we were there Eleftheria's sister was sitting for her exams to graduate as a vet. (She made it!)

LeAnna - everytime I took a picture of a flower, I thought of the beautiful flower pictures that you take. Maybe you will give me some lessons! I was at first surprised that their flowers were the same as ours, but somewhere along the line realized that, no, it was more likely that our flowers were the same as theirs.

As we wandered throughtout the city we would come across these open lots where artifacts appeared to just be stored. Sometimes they seemed to go with something close by, but other times it just seemed like someplace to put "stuff". I never got over being amazed.

Really cool, really old angel, but I don't remember where???? Maybe the vault at St. Demetrius.

View from a monastary. Cute dog there, then we saw another one just like him and then somewhere else down the way, we saw a third one - a variation on the first 2. They were all very bussinesslike.

And one last monastary photo (this blog, anyway). Ian and I were wandering this lovely garden in one of the city church courtyards when a man working in the garden asked if he could take our picture. This little garden was like a sanctuary in the city.
Hope you enjoyed the little tour. Used to be you were atleast a little careful how many pictures you took, knowing that you had to pay to have them developed...now in the digital age the concern is when to stop! 1000? 2000? When is enough enough already. Love you all, Mom

Red Truck & Such

Couldn't keep a couple of shots from Greece from trickling in. The motorcycle was in Greece also. Nice ride.

I thought you boys (& girls) might enjoy riding one of these!

Mid-Summer Curb Appeal

New Toy!

I thought I would take a small break from Greece and post a few shots from the homefront.

LAMP POSTS OF MACEDONIA

So, this is probably a funny second post, but I like them. Everywhere we went - big towns, little towns, and everything in between - there were these awesome lamp posts. In Thessaloniki, it seemed like the posts changed with every neighborhood. I could have taken hundreds of pictures of them.

This was one of my favorites, it was in this little village we drove through. Ian was very good about humoring my need to get the pictures.

Although, this is a neat one also - apartment buildings in the background.

I think this is along the sea board in Kavala. In the part of Greece where we were, it seemed that we were on the sea or in the mountains. Both Kavala and Thessaloniki were were right there on the sea but then the cities climbed right up into the mountains. We drove some really cool mountain roads!

Most of the lamp posts had Christmas decorations on them and it seemed kind of funny, but then you thought about how big the city was and taking them down would not be at all practical!

Modern design or just ugly? Don't know, but it is different...note the Christmas bells. In the background you can see an example of the "tagging" that was everywhere in the city. Mostly done by the football teams, it was really the only example of vandalism we saw. It was too bad though because it was on everything.

Another "modern design"...I sort of like this one, but it looks out of place by the classic Greek Orthodox Church.

Fancy, upscale neighborhood - fancy lamp posts

See the ironwork on the balcony behind this lamp post? I saw more different ironwork here than I've seen everywere else I've been combined and doubled! Endless variations - it was beautiful.

Like Costa Rica, everything seemed to have a fence of some kind around it - public buildings, antiquities, stores, gardens, churches. Lots of the fences were the iron work, many with locked gates, but then there was some like this also.

Last one - I love this one and there were lots of variations - I think someone else like this one too. Nothing like a clasic design. Stay tuned more to come...not lamp posts, other stuff:-)

JUST FAUNA, NO FLORA

I was going to title this "Flora and "Fauna" of Northern Greece, but decided that I better deal with the flora and fauna in separate posts when I saw how much I had. There would be more, but you are lucky, I couldn't figure out how to get to the rest of them. I should be pretty good at this by the time I wade through all the pictures we took! Enjoy:-)

These doves were apparently pets of a taverna. There were lots of them and when the taverna owner (?) walked out they just swooped in out of nowhere for this feeding. Only doves - no other birds attended the feast.

One of the first monestaries we visited had a flock of peacocks. I think Ian may have had the best picture, but I had to include one also.

Oh, yeah...what is a trip to the ocean with out seagull pictures? This guy was on the awning of the tour ship we were on. The kids on the ship entertained themselves in the usual way, by feeding them. There are many, many things that know no borders!

Homo sapien tirdus..."How many pictures do you think she's gonna take?" "Who knows! It was bad enough when we used film- now it is worse..."

Oh my word...the dogs! No, he's not dead, just sleeping. There were dogs everywhere. They were so cool. They didn't bother anyone - didn't pay any attention to people at all, no begging, nothing. They crossed at the cross walks when the lights changed, no kidding! You just had to step over them when they decided to nap.

yep, napping dogs everywhere!

Homo sapien graduatus...Ian's 6th graders become 7th graders!

Agean sea slug...really...in Ian's hand! A kid caught a little octopus in the same area.

We saw lots of these little lizards and this one stood still long enough for a picture.

We drove some of the back roads on Mt. Olympus and found this magnificent herd of goats - there were so many!

Homo sapian beachus-This is a view of the city beach in Kavala, a smaller city that we visited for a weekend. Just think how nice to walk downtown and swim in the sea!

Catus familiarus everywhereus! If there were 50 dogs in the neighborhood there were 150 cats! The good news? No rats, no mice and like the dogs, they don't bother anyone.

Cat on an old chair.

We didn't see very many kittens for all the cats there were, but here is a cute little group here.

Home sapian familyus - shopping, shopping, and more shopping. Never in my life have I seen so much shopping!

This was really cool - scattered around the countryside were these beehives. Sometimes there would be someone there tending them, just pulled off the roadside.

A couple of way cool grasshoppers! Lucky for you I can't figure out how to get the other ones (or the cool black and red bug) on here. Have to save those for another time.

AND FINALLY!! This beauty is perched on the water lily pond in a park by the sea wall. We walked here often - it is delightful!

So there you have it - some of the "wildlife" from our travels. Stay tuned...there's so much more! Love you all, Mom