Has it really been a whole week? It took one entirely sleepless night, but I think I'm finally over jet lag. I have a lot to post about, but I just wanted to mention one thing. I found the most marvelous place to eat last week, and have gone back several times for lunch and dinner to go. It's just down the street, and this is what I got for my first lunch there:

Two kalamakia (sticks), a slice of lemon, tomatoes, onions, and brain. The kalamaki on the bottom is obviously chicken, but what's that one on the top? That's right, it's haloumi/χαλούμι!!! THE SQUEAKY CHEESE, IT IS ON A STICK. Haloumi is one of the things that I always miss most about Greece - you can get it at Whole Foods, but it's stupidly expensive. And I actually don't see it in too many places in Greece. But right here, two blocks from my flat, there's a souvlaki shop that has it for a mere 1,90 euro per stick. Heaven is salty, squeaky cheese on a stick.

ΚΑΛΟ ΚΑΛΟΚΑΙΡΙ

When I first arrived in Thessaloniki, I saw signs similar to this one hanging in many of the shops. It announces that certain shops and restaurants are closed until a certain date, usually 20/8 - 22/8, thanks to "ΚΑΛΟ ΚΑΛΟΚΑΙΡΙ" - a good summer vacation! No doubt this is also inspired by the recent holiday, the Κοίμησις Θεοτόκου (Dormition of the Virgin), which was celebrated on 15 August. Many Greeks have taken the week (or two) off from work to travel to their homes or perhaps even the beaches in the Chalkidiki (which is what I myself did last Saturday), a welcome respite from the hecticness of city life.

The quiet during my first week here was quite appreciated, especially since I was so jet lagged, but I'm enjoying seeing the shops and restaurants re-opening for business, and the city coming to life once more. It's a little tough to handle late at night and early in the morning, since I live on the Aghias Sofias square, but I'm adjusting.

ΚΑΛΟ ΚΑΛΟΚΑΙΡΙ, everyone! Enjoy it while it lasts. You know that come winter, we'll be craving those 40° C + days. Or maybe not.

Jet lagged

You would think that after 8 years of graduate school, and with next to no real sleep schedule, I would have no problem with jet lag.

You would be wrong.

Tuesday: arrived
Wednesday: slept all day
Thursday: slept all day
Thursday night: slept 1 hour total
Friday: slept all afternoon post-placement exam
Friday night: slept 1 hour total
Saturday: all day at the beach; didn't sleep at all
Saturday night: caved and took a flexeril at 8:30 p.m.

Coupled with the fact that it is unbearably hot living without A/C, and this makes for a pretty miserable Jacquelyn.

Tips? Suggestions? Sympathies? I know it could be worse. And I know I should give it a week. But patience never was my best virtue.

ETA: I took a flexeril last night, and got a full night's sleep. Life feels so much better this morning!

Arrival

I made it to Greece on Tuesday afternoon, in one piece. The four flights that it took for me to get here were mostly uneventful. So uneventful that I didn't really sleep on the flight from Philadelphia to Munich. This didn't seem like a big deal until I got on the flight from Munich to Thessaloniki and realized how tired I was. The woman beside me, however, decided to speak to me for the entire flight. In Greek. Only. From what I could gather, she and her husband were on holiday in Germany, they only spoke a little German, she has 5 grandchildren, her mother lives in New York, she cooks, and they live in Trikala near Meteora. We spent the entire flight looking at my various Greek documents/papers/books as I explained to her that I would be living in Thess. for a whole month, then in Athens for three months, and I am an archaeologist. So so much for sleep, but I think I probably learned more Greek in those two hours than I have in the past 5 years.

View from the plane on my Philadelphia to Munich flight, as the sun was coming up.

I won't go into the boring details about the adventure it was getting from the Thessaloniki airport to my flat...the $100+ that it cost me to make two phone calls from the airport to my landlord, etc. (currently in dispute with my credit card). My digs are okay - I have a great view, though the room itself leaves a lot to be desired. More on that later.

The Church of the Aghia Sofia, seen from the balcony of my room. Not bad!

In the evening, I took a walk down by the water and bought some groceries from a small store up the street. On Wednesday, I slept the entire day. On Thursday, today, I also slept most of the day, but ventured out to buy some more food and explore a bit more. I found a Vodafone shop, where I bought a new SIM card, and found several markets, ice cream shops, and places to eat. Tomorrow I have the Orientation for my Greek class, including the placement exam, which will take most of the morning.

The Λευκός Πύργος (White Tower) of Thessaloniki, part of the Ottoman fortifications

 

By the way, I'm really liking Instagram so far! Gives a nice little edge to my photos, though I'm still carrying around my DSLR.

I'm off to Greece.

That is all.