Night train

We were so tired that we were sent off to the dream world as soon as we hit the hay. Next morning, we left the luggage at the reception and went out to explore the city of Thessaloniki. Visited a couple of world heritage sites. Felt like the city was busier than Athens, more people, more car, wider roads. So many people having a evening drink by the port as the sun set. We collected our luggage and went to the train station to catch the night train to Istanbul. I'm so glad that I met these Chileans at Kalambaka. They have a plan and that's what I needed to visit as many places in limited time.
Train departed at eight. Few minutes later than the schedule. I went to sleep not too long after the departure. Got up with the voice "passport" from the corridor. It was around two am and we were crossing the border to Turkey. The police took my passport and got off the train. I wasn't sure why but soon he came back with it. I was browsing through my passport but there was no stump. Despite my confused feeling, the train started the journey again. But soon, I'm not sure how long it was after the passport check, the train stopped again. Police knocking on my door just like before and asked me for my passport. He checked it, kept it with him just like before and said "okay, you can get your visa". Not sure what's going on but I got off the train and went into a room which it said Visa, still half asleep. Signed my name on a paper and payed fifteen euro. Then the man at the desk said "okay", and I got back to my bed. I had no idea what was going on. When I asked one of the police officer, he just said "I don't speak English". I knew nothing bad will happen but I wanted to know where my passport is going and when I'm getting it back. Police officer came back after a bit and gave me the passport back. Next time, I had a visa stamp on my passport. Now it was all done. I got back to sleep. I was surprised I slept quite a bit in that shaky, noisy train. Not a comfortable bed but at least I slept.pictures: sunset sea. zoomed in. Thessaloniki

Meteora

I left Athens on the third. About six hours train ride to a town called Kalambaka, which is the town close to Meteora. I met a group of people who were staying at the same hostel in Athens at Kalambaka. Next day, we started our hike around nine. Meteora is an area where monasteries are built on top of rock towers. Our day started with sunshine but there was still snow left from the previous night. I wasn't expecting snow in Greece. Though some parts of the hike was a bit tricky with the snow and ice, we managed to do our good six hours round trip visiting the monasteries. The view was absolutely amazing and the tower rocks made the scenery so unique. The monastery on top of the rocks weren't as old as we expected. At least it didn't look old.
We got back to the town and caught the train at half five. There were six of us in the group but half went back to Athens and the rest, including me, headed toward Thessaloniki, four hours on the train.pictures: above, tower rocks sprinkled with snow. below, closer shot of the monastery which is in the middle of the picture above.

ruins, dogs, strikes, Athens

I left Spain last Sunday, stayed one week longer than I planned. I flew to Athens from Barcelona.
In the village I was staying, the Almond trees were starting to bloom. I left just before the full blossom.
Athens is busier than I expected. Many cars and tourists. And what it surprised me the most was that there are so many dogs. Not skinny old stray dogs, but big fat ones. They sometimes walk close to people to beg but most of the time they are sleeping on the street. Very quiet and calm they are, but I felt a bit of uneasiness when five of them suddenly appeared at the hostel entrance. No harm, they came just to sleep there. Also many police in the city center maybe because of the strike. I heard the metros and buses aren't working. It's not hitting me that hard but it is a big issue for the people who wants to go to the airport. Can't walk to the airport so the only option for them is to take the taxi. So, I may not seeing the best time of Athens but I did go to the Acropolis, where it was also inhabited by dogs. It always amazes me when I see a big dog lying in the middle of a path. I like dogs but I thought Athens isn't a place for those who hate dogs or scared of them. It was strange and funny for me. I'll leave Athens tomorrow and go to a town called Kalambaka. I'm visiting Meteora from there. Buses and trains leaving Athens are running okay(so I heard).
Entered the month of February. Chop chop, get moving.
picture: Parthenon

mr. moonlight

I'm staying at a lovely mountain house in Valencian community. From the village nearby, I can see the city of Benidorm in a distance.
My job here is to clear the forest garden and some other outdoor work. The weather for last few days has been a bit cloudy and misty but otherwise, it's warm and nice. The warmest January ever for me. The house is in a very quiet and peaceful place.
My stay is till next Monday. Not quite sure where to go next but maybe Greece. The time of my travel is approaching the end. Another month and a half. I'm a slow traveler but I guess I'll have to speed up a tiny bit to see as much as I can.
So many places I want to go, but bish bash bosh, and I'll do my best.
picture: full moon

Granada

I moved to Madrid and stayed there for three days and moved to Granada, where I'm at now. I visited a couple of museums and saw many famous works in Madrid. It was raining most of the time but not too heavy. Very interesting city. They have a huge garden in the main station and so many turtles in it's pond. Some swimming and some sitting still like a stone.
Four hours and a bit train ride from Madrid to Granada. My departure was at five so I was looking outside of the train when the sun was setting. Beautiful sunset it was. I think I've heard a term "the sky is burning" before. I'm not sure I get the real meaning but it looked like it was. The sky around the sun was like the surface of oil. So many colours mixed, the colors I don't know the name of or maybe there is no name for those colours, the "colour of surface of oil" colour.
Granada is another unique place. I've never been to Morocco but it is said that Granada has it's culture. Many small shops pouring out onto a narrow streets selling souvenirs. So many kinds of smell too. On one street it is spicy and when I cross a street and then it changes to a smell of incense from the souvenir shops. Another turn into a narrower street where there's no shop and you'll encounter an odor of cat piss and dog droppings. Interesting isn't it. I enjoyed walking and smelling the streets but I also enjoyed visiting Alhambra. Tiny tiny decoration was everywhere in the palace. Neat.
I'm leaving Granada tomorrow and move to a town called Alicante. Then I'm going to work for two weeks in a mountain close to Alicante. HelpX is a very good thing, I would recommend to anyone who is interested to work for short term abroad, or in your own country, of course. Anyway, I'm going to stay in the quiet mountain area and wind up my spring for the last bit of my "odyssey".pictures: above, in Madrid. I don't know what it was but some kind of festival was going on on the sixth. below, inside the Alhambra. the father is pointing at a ceiling which looked like a night sky full of stars.

Happy New Year

So… first of all, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
I went to Mont Saint Micheal after Rennes. And after Mont Saint Micheal, I moved south bit by bit by train. First, I went to Nantes, where I spent my Christmas. And then to Bordeaux, Toulouse. By then the temperature was much warmer than Paris. I wanted to enter Spain but there was no train to Barcelona from Toulouse that day so I went to Narbonne, changing station for Spain. It's very south of France. 2010 was almost closed by then and the hostel was very quiet. I was surprised that it was open this time of the year. And then the next day, December 29th, I entered Spain. The train ride was interesting. Short after departing Narbonne, the train started to slow down. I looked out to check whether something was wrong. But everything was okay. The train was slowing down because it was riding a very thin land. Sea on one hand and lake on the other. Many kinds of birds flying. I saw a big bird flying and the silhouette looked like it was flamingo. Soon I knew I was right. Groups of flamingos were searching for food and more came flying to join them. I was surprised to see wild flamingos like that, from a train. I was even more surprised when I saw the railway on the google map. The land where the line was was so thin and I couldn't understand why they built it there. But I had fun looking out the window. Maybe it was a good decision after all.
I got off the train at Girona. A bit north from Barcelona. Stayed there for one night and then moved to Barcelona, where I spent my last day of 2010 and the first day of the 2011. The warmest winter I've ever spent. I walked around the city today. Went to Park Guell and Sagrada Familia. I also went by the beach on the new year's eve, where there were many fireworks.
I'm leaving Barcelona tomorrow. Thinking to move to Madrid.
2010 went by like a blink of an eye. Or maybe even faster. I hope that I'll be able to blink more than once by the end of 2011, the year of rabbit, the fast one.
Happy New Year
picture: above, mont saint micheal. below, sagrada familia

Rennes

Came to Rennes today. Paris in Christmas season was very busy. Many tourists from various countries. Paris was colder than I thought. Weather wasn't doing good either. Still, I had a good time visiting the famous sites and the museums.
I came to the west to visit Mont Saint Micheal. I have to take a bus from Rennes and it is tough to find a hostel which is open this time of the year. I hope I'll make it to Mont Saint Micheal and it's bay tomorrow.
picture: nighttime champs elysees.