From Macedonia through Greece to Bulgaria

Monday 24.04.

Somehow we have to continue, much as we'd like to stay and spend a few more days here with the dogs and Tugce. It's time to say goodbye, for now, to our hairy friends on four legs and our newly gained friend. It's visibly difficult for us to tear ourselves away from here. Eventually, we manage to start and less than 30 minutes later, we find ourselves at a gas station that helps us replenish our empty gas cylinders. Thanks, Macedonia, now we can make coffee again without worrying about running out. From there, we pass by Bitola, towards the border with Greece. The border crossing takes less than 5 minutes. Everything goes smoothly without any questions or checks.

Yasas! Here we are arriving on Greek soil and we are allowed to set our watches one hour ahead. Bam, it already feels like the day is over. We drive past Thessaloniki to reach our parking spot for today. We want to spend the night in a small village by the lake. In the late afternoon, we arrive here, not much going on except for a few older men chatting about the latest gossip. With Hundi, we take a longer walk along the lake. Along the way, we encounter a few not-so-friendly dogs that we can only get rid of with effort, without anything worse happening.

In the late evening, two more motorhomes join us.

Tuesday 25.04.

Mathennsi wants a new haircut on his head and face. His wish is my command :-) An hour later, the masterpiece is done, and for a makeshift pair of scissors, the result is really not bad. As long as Mathennsi doesn't put on his glasses when he looks at himself in the mirror, he should be satisfied too :-) We only get going after the morning beauty program and continue driving. After about an hour of driving, we see a sign on the side of the road that says `Thermal Bath`. Well, that's right up our alley. So we turn around and head there. Unfortunately, the facilities have been abandoned for several years and no one has used the thermal aspects for a long time. But we're still interested, so we climb the fence and take a closer look at the area. It used to be really busy here. We also find the thermal spring, the water bubbles out but it's so hot that we can't take a bath without ending up as a lobster. So we continue on to Kavala without a hot tub. At the harbor, we find a nice spot right by the water. We roam the streets of Kavala. It's a nice city where you can really feel the Greek way of life. We spend a very peaceful night.

Wednesday 26.04.

The coffee stand at the parking spot of the night is still closed at 9:30 am. Too bad, we were looking forward to Greek coffee and morning sun. So it's instant Lidl coffee and morning sun. While planning our day, we want to drive to Portos Lagos, a bird sanctuary. Finally, we can put our ornithological knowledge to the test. Right behind the harbor, in a small grove, we find the perfect spot for us. During our tour of the village, Layla immediately makes friends with the 50 other dogs in the village and we have company again. At the harbor, we treat ourselves to two coffee freddos and then march back to the camper van. The weather is not the best today anyway, it starts to rain and doesn't want to stop anymore.

Thursday 27.04.

Mosquito alert! But seriously. We flee from this mega beautiful place. We still have some of those small stinging monsters in the camper van for the next few hours. Next stop is a monastery in the lagoon that is still in operation. What a peaceful, beautiful place. It's a nice place to stay. However, Hundi is waiting for us in the camper van. We continue through the lagoon and many birds to Fanari. It's really dead here. For now! In summer, hell will break loose here, that's how you can imagine it due to the local conditions. We park at the end of the harbor. We're joined by two more motorhomes from Germany. We walk along the beach, explore the deserted village a bit, and go back to the camper van. Here, our daily challenge awaits us. Who will win the next round of Rummikub? Read and do some crafts for a bit, have a snack, stare out the window, and soon it's dark.

Friday 28.04.

Big round table discussion about what's next over coffee and cookies. In the plenum, it is decided, we're going to Thassos. So off to the ferry. The next ferry leaves at 2:15 pm, still enough time to do some shopping and refuel. Shortly before 2:00 pm, we arrive at the ferry, and then….. We're greeted by more than busy employees. Ani is supposed to get off and buy tickets, Mathennsi quickly boards the ferry. Uh, what's happening here. It gets really interesting at the ticket counter, with people speaking languages that Ani neither speaks nor understands. Many other people are also standing at the mini ticket window, each wanting something. In the end, the ferry sets off and Ani is still not in sight. Here she comes, she made it, everyone is on board.

After 30 minutes, we arrive on Thassos. The docking and disembarking process is just as hectic as 30 minutes ago. No matter, we won't let it bother us. After speeding off the ferry, we don't even drive a kilometer before finding the perfect parking spot for tonight. We head into town and directly up to the city's mountain. A very successful excursion with lots of nature and not a single person far and wide. In the evening, we enjoy some romance at the harbor during sunset.

Saturday 29.04.

We continue our journey along the coast towards the west of the island. We drive through completely touristy developed towns, but here and there, you can still find some originality and Greek island everyday life. After a little searching and a few wild maneuvers through various small narrow streets and olive groves, we finally find a cozy place to stay for tonight. An amazing spot right by the sea near a beach bar, which is still closed. Beach, sun, spring sun that feels like summer sun, and a wet, smelly dog covered in sand from head to toe. What more could we want?

Sunday 30.04.

Goodbye beautiful parking spot, you're truly a gem among free camping spots.

Today is hiking day. Backpack packed, shoes tied, and off we go to the mountain. Komoot is our hiking app for these activities and it takes us to Zipfelmützen Berg today. Great hike with great altitude, nice Greeks with olives and ouzo, sweating, enjoying the view, watching a turtle, trying to understand white marble slabs with lyrical texts, arriving exhausted.

Take a short breath, have coffee and cookies for replenishment, continue our journey to the Tripiti Caves. Located on the beach and very idyllic in a bay, we spend the rest of the day here and also spend the night.

Monday 01.05.

Mosquitoes, mosquitoes, mosquitoes. What a night. These little stinging monsters even come through the smallest gap to get to us. So we made a plan and went up the mountain. We're going to Kastro, a small mountain village above Limenaria, where people used to take refuge from the pirates. In the 80s, it was decided to save it from decay and gradually restore everything to preserve it. Today, it's a popular excursion destination and even today, the taverns are full because it's a public holiday. Among them are many cyclists. As we later find out, there were amateur bike races in the last 2 days, once around the island and once diagonally across for the mountain bikers. We hike to a beautiful waterfall and then stop by the young Kosta's place. This place has already made it into several travel guides and he's not quite as young anymore, he has been running his tavern here for 30 years. We have a coffee and Mathennsi also eats something. Better that way, because he lets Kosta treat him to several ouzos. Accordingly, we set up our camp with a fantastic view of the village and mountains at the entrance of the village. Layla watches a few goats wandering around from the camper van and dreams of having her own herd. Then, everyone goes to bed.

Tuesday 02.05.

After breakfast, we drive back down to the sea and make a stop in Limenaria. We park the camper van at the harbor, where the boats are being prettified for the summer season. The thankless tasks are being done by a few Sinti and Roma who live here in their cars and earn some money as day laborers.

But we don't even go into the city, instead, we visit the old sorting facilities of an iron mine located by the beach. This was already mined on Thassos long before Christ and was industrially mined here from 1900 to 1960. Mostly, the Germans had their fingers in the pie, and in the end, the company Krupp, after which the villa on the hill is named. Then we move on and after several attempts to find a parking spot that is inaccessible without 4x4, we decide to head to Camping Pefkari. Since you can easily grill on a campsite, we first make a stop at the supermarket and do some shopping for the event. Besides barbecue stuff, there is also new halva, a healthy sweet treat that you should definitely try in Greece.

We check-in, the owner is very nice and it's not crowded, wonderfully relaxing. So we take out our chairs and set up the grill, there's a giant shish kebab. After that, we need a long walk, explore the area a bit, and then return to the camper van. A good shower, an episode of our series, and then we go to sleep.

Wednesday 03.05.

After a slightly restless night, we wake up a bit groggy. It had been pouring rain all night and we experienced it 1:1. However, the sky is clearing up and looks quite friendly now, which is different from the forecast. So we plan a little tour for today. We drive along the beach to a small peninsula. Along the way, we pass by Potos and discover a nice arts and crafts store that doesn't sell the usual mass-produced items. We have a nice conversation with the owner and Mathennsi buys a shirt. Then we continue towards the peninsula, which is still a few meters away. Walking along the beach and picking up a few treasures along the way, we reach the peninsula shortly afterwards. We walk to the tip and enjoy the cool breeze and the view. On the way back, we stop at a cafe and treat ourselves to baklava and Greek coffee. When we're back at the camper van, we take advantage of the benefits of the campsite. Setting up the grill, eating, and taking a long (shower without a brand, awesome) warm shower.

Thursday 04.05.

Today is the border crossing to Bulgaria. We drive to the Pirin National Park and the road there is very beautiful, we enjoy the changes in the landscape. Shortly before Bansko, we stop and find a nice spot above a small town. Our usual exploration brings us to an old Roman bath with a thermal spring. Among other things, we also find a public laundry, which is still in use today. The hot springs were used back then, like today. We can't imagine washing our clothes by hand anymore. A place with many contradictions, on the one hand, luxury accommodations for skiing guests with a certain amount of money, and on the other hand, a world without Western luxuries like a washing machine.

We also visit the Kurpark with a stately swimming pool. In the evening, we have a small selection of Bulgarian delicacies to snack on.

We fall asleep tired from all the impressions and experiences.

Tuesday 09.05.

Today, we're heading to Plovdiv (Cultural Capital 2019). On the way, there are some bumpy sections, various construction sites, and detours through the residential areas confuse us a bit, but eventually, we make it through and zoom along the country road towards Kasanlak, the center of rose cultivation. Bulgaria is the world's largest producer of rose oil, so there should be quite a few flowers around. And yes, the rose bushes are everywhere to be seen, the only problem is, they're not in bloom yet. As we later find out, they are late due to the cold April, blooming is expected in 2 weeks. Well, we're here now, so let's explore the city. We park at the sports complex again, but this time it's several sizes smaller than in Plovdiv. We have a short session with Layla at the dog park and then head towards the Rose Museum. But even here in the park, not a single blooming rose. We move on to the city center, which exudes a decidedly 90s charm. Ani finds a small arts and crafts store with a nice owner and buys a few things. By now, we're a bit hungry and want to eat. The first restaurant doesn't suit Layla, luckily for us, the street food stand opposite offers everything we need to satisfy our hunger. Bulgaria, the land of grilled meat. A side note, even at the rest areas on the road, there are often stone grills so that truckers don't have to do without their shish kebabs. After that, we head back and make ourselves comfortable in the camper van.

Friday 12.05.

We read that the next town next to Kasanlak has a public swimming pool. Thermal swimming pools with nice natural hot water without chemicals, that's what the internet promises us. Well, off we go to this little idyll. When we arrive, the old lady behind the entrance doesn't want to understand us at all. All attempts to communicate with her fail. Well, never mind then. We shoulder our swimming bags again and head back to the camper van. Hundi is happy that we're back so quickly. Alright, on to plan C. Continue driving towards home and stop at a nice place along the way. Ani is really hungry and Mathennsi drives past every open bakery... But then we find a really delicious recommended pastry shop in a small side street. We splurge and use our last leva for sweets. After that, we get ready for a second attempt at the waterfall tour. Today is the day, and we manage the very adventurous path to the waterfall. Unfortunately, Mathennsi's pants get torn and he also ends up with two holes in his head. Nevertheless, it's a beautiful tour and the way back is a bit more relaxed, allowing us to see the city from a completely new perspective. The paragliders are flying above us the whole time and land right next to our camper van. In the evening, we want to try one of the restaurants in town. But the chosen one is closed for a private event with a wedding party. So we head to the next one and we're very satisfied, leaving the place feeling stuffed. In the evening, it becomes visibly quieter at the lift and gradually calm returns. We're quite tired from the day and have just enough energy left for a mini game round before going to bed.

Saturday 13.05.

First and foremost, it should be mentioned that it's Holgi's birthday today. We call in the morning, sing a song, and hope that the little surprise was successful :-)

The sun appears shortly before noon and we head into town to do some shopping. We stroll past a few small shops and ultimately end up at the vegetable market. Or rather, at a vegetable stand on the market. Here we buy a few small things, and Mathennsi improves his Bulgarian along the way. On the way back, we pass by the monument, museum, and various plaques of Ivan Vazov. He was apparently a very famous Bulgarian poet and philosopher and was born here. At least, that's what they tell us here. We'll just believe it for now. :-)

Back at the camper van, we get ready for the waterfall tour, attempt number 2. Today is finally the day and we conquer the very adventurous path to the waterfall. Unfortunately, Mathennsi's pants get torn and he ends up with two holes in his head. Nevertheless, it's a beautiful tour and the way back is a bit more relaxed, allowing us to see the city from a completely new perspective. Above us, paragliders are flying the whole time and land right next to our camper van. In the evening, we want to try one of the restaurants in town. But the chosen one is closed for a private event with a wedding party. So we head to the next one and we're very satisfied, leaving the place feeling stuffed. In the evening, it becomes visibly quieter at the lift and gradually calm returns. We're quite tired from the day and have just enough energy left for a mini game round before going to bed.