Below my balcony, modern Greeks were sitting at small tables on the sidewalk, drinking their early morning coffee, smoking, talking, and reading the newspaper. They were mostly chubby, wearing European clothes, and the traditional fez hats.
There was a fight. Two Greeks jumped up, their eyes flashed with anger, and they exchanged insults. They put their hands on their sides as if looking for weapons. “Bah!” they shouted at each other. They stepped back, breathing heavily The Balkans and the Fight for Macedonia . It looked like they were about to fight to the death. Then, one of them started crying, picked up a stone, and threw it at his enemy in an angry way. His enemy ran away. And that was how a modern Greek fight looked!
Yachting and the Beauty of Salonika
One afternoon, I went on a small boat trip. The breeze was fresh, the sky was clear and blue, and the sea was lively. From the boat, I got a great view of Salonika. The city was white and clean, curving along the bay, with sharp hills, walls, and towers. There were mosques and minarets, which added beauty to the scene. It looked beautiful but also a bit like a stage set from a theater.
Salonika’s European and Eastern Touch
Salonika has its own special mix. Near the quay, where the big hotels and restaurants are, and where people sip sweet drinks and take horse-drawn trams, you can see a European touch. But inside the city, the streets get narrower, the bazaars are dark, smelly, and very much like the East. The more Eastern they are, the stronger the smell Tour Guide Istanbul.
In one part of Salonika, you can have a nice French meal. If you hop on a tram, just five minutes later you’ll be in another world—no chairs or tables, just mats, Turkish food, and the thick smoke from Moslems smoking their pipes.
A Mixed Population
The people in Salonika are a mix. When you get to the wealthier class, clothing doesn’t help you figure out who’s who. Everyone speaks Greek, and most also know Turkish. But you can tell who is who by looking at their features, their eyes, the way they walk, and their general attitude. The Armenian has a shifty look, the Greek walks proudly, and the Jew’s movements are quiet but watchful.
They all live under Turkish rule and wear the same fez hat.
