Saturday, May 26, 2018

2018 Eastern Mediterranean Trip - Day 32, Kalamata

As I make this post, I realize that we've been on the road for over a month. The pattern is always the same on these trips. We start out and it seems like we have forever in front of us. Then suddenly we realize we're over halfway done and the end starts barreling toward us and the return to our base life at home. But we still have more cool stuff in front of us so let's focus on that

Today was a chill day, a day to recuperate and to prepare to move on. Kalamata has been our base for the last five days but we really hadn't had any time to just explore the town itself. It is like so many smaller European towns we have visited. It is much more concentrated physically that a town of similar size would be in the US. The opportunities to walk are far greater. I wouldn't say it is the most interesting town to visit if you were coming to see sights, but it is a great base. We've been fortunate enough to have a superior Airbnb apartment with literally every service we need within blocks of us. Truly it is a very agreeable place to have as a base.

I'd like to start with a brief tour of our apartment
The stairs leading up to it
The great room
One of the hallways leading to the sleeping areas
Some of the outside spaces

One of the three bedrooms
One of the two bathrooms
Tour de Kalamata
Coffee anyone?
If you are a coffee lover, you will have to suck it up
Because in the greater downtown area, you might have to go a block and half (if that) between coffee places. Seriously. I have never, NEVER seen so many coffee places per square foot of retail space as Kalamata. Places to get a sandwich or any food... non-existent. Coffee pastry places? I could blindfold your, turn you around three times and you would find one in 5 minutes.
Our local has the most cosmic chocolate croissants with a filling of Nutella that goes from end to end. Also shown is a doughnut like twist with a honey glaze
I mentioned in Athens how prevalent the balcony/deck is
No different here in Kalamata
Just a sampling





 
Heads and balconys
 
There are these street side convenience stores
Some are open 24 hours
Street scenes





Beware!
Mister Potato Head stalks you
As does a squadron of pink bikes
Church Scenes
Old Church - 11th Century

New Churches




New church interiors
These looked identical in overall format to the great churches we've seen from the middle Byzantine era. That's close around 1500 years of continuous form






So if you are thinking of a place to go and chill and enjoy the Mediterranean lifestyle put Kalamata, Greece on your list...truly a congenial and enjoyable small city

Tomorrow we are off again
To the second largest city in Greece, Thessaloniki
A city with great history but for some reason not on the tourist mainstream radar
 
But before we go
SIGNS OF THE WORLD!

Is Hot Dog Coffee like really, really good coffee?
Or is it some infusion made with sausage?
I need to find out
Who knew there was such a public demand for a place catering to masochists?







2 comments:

alexis said...

this is the kind of place that looks like it is an inferno in the summer. 'Hot drink on hot day for cooling effect' theory to explain all the coffee joints?

Renee Michelle Goertzen said...

Your pictures show the architectural diversity of the balconies, whick is really cool.

It's almost more puzzling to me why there are no lunch places. Surely people need a sandwich with their coffee?