ThessAloniki
EAT Kanoula
EXPLORE Nea Paralia Waterfront Boardwalk
CHRISTINA
Visiting Thessaloniki was an interesting reflection point especially as it layered on more questions that I had started to consider while in Athens. Specifically, we visited an exhibition put on by Yoko Ono and the museum of modern art in the city. Her installation, Imagine Peace, is a part of a greater series of works she has been putting on around the world for years. The work is stunning and gives the viewer a moment in time, a pause, to consider peace in their lives, in our world today and in the body - a monumental activist and artistic expression - and truly something I admire.
What I found extremely poignant was her reference to the Syrian Refugee crisis and it's effect on Greece (where the financial crisis has crippled the economy). What can we learn from a place that is in turmoil and simultaneously hosting 45% of refugees into Europe like in Lesvos?
Also, what came up as I was thinking about this is the ongoing tension and history of Greece with Turkey. You all may have seen the “movie” and know of the old yiayia screaming about the Turks. The truth is, that while we can laugh, that entire generation experienced a lot of trauma under Ottoman occupation that only ended in 1955 and was followed by a civil war. The Greek population also suffered considerably during WWII when Greek Jews were persecuted, along with their Christian countrymen for protecting them by Hitler. WWII history and the suffering of those times is something still shown on Greek TV nearly every night.
The pervasive cultural “anger” has not been healed and is still present. The attachment to the old ways, and to making sure that the language and the culture are kept alive, albeit noble, is related to these traumas. We met a couple from Cyprus who told us of their situation there. An older couple, they are Greeks but the man had lived on the Turkish side and was forcibly sent to the Greek side. There is still an active UN peacekeeping force in Cyprus dividing the country. Though Greece and Turkey both belong to NATO, there is still tension with articles in the news often about the advancement of Turkey into Greece’s airspace and nautical zone.
The Greeks have not forgotten and don’t plan to. But as someone with a background no less in international human rights and conflict resolution, I wonder what can be done? Certainly it is this vitriol, this lack of understanding between cultures, this lack of witnessing and healing of suffering and trauma that keeps cultures locked into the détente between them. Is this naive? I’m sure some of you reading this would think so, but is it not a question for us to ask ourselves, especially those of us of Greek or Turkish heritage? I’m sure the Turks have their side of the story – though I’m not sure what it is.. more questions to think about on long bus rides I guess.
JULIO
To be perfectly honest, Athens took a little of the wind out of my Greek sails. Arriving in Thessaloniki was a breath of fresh Hellenic air. There is public art everywhere, less graffiti, very glamorous folk and the deep blue Thermaic Gulf.
After an entertaining bus ride from the airport where the locals began to turn on the driver due to not stopping, we decided to attend the museum of modern art. Famed pop culture persona and Japanese artist Yoko Ono was having an exhibition there so we took to the streets and found our way to the center of town.
Thessaloniki is the birthplace of Macedonian conqueror Alexander the Great. A giant statue of him mounted on a steed sits in the town square and is now adorned by droves of skateboarders. Another city landmark is the White tower, known once as the Red Tower due to the bloody massacre of Greeks not willing to convert to Islam by the Turks. It has since been white washed to cover the grisly past of the ancient city.
The giant walkway along the gulf never ceases to entertain and is lined with families, cyclists and cafes. The coffee culture is incredibly strong here and walking along the wide walkways along the gulf you see some of Greece’s most glamorous folk seated enjoying the view. People watching appears to be sport here and stares last about three seconds longer then you could get away with in North America.
The Yoko Ono exhibition “Imagine Peace” at the Macedonian Museum of Contemporary Art was awesome. She addressed the refugee crisis with an audience-painted boat, ladders leading to the sky and her famous “cut piece.” This stunning performance piece of the Fluxus School had a real effect on us. She sits in the middle of the room inviting members of the audience to come up and cut a piece of her clothing off of her. It's available to view online and extremely thought provoking. The exhibit spoke to the cosmopolitan and arts nature of Thessaloniki. All in all, an amazing city and a must.
the statue of Alexander the Great - legend of Macedonia
Christina and her Aunt and Uncle
Gluten free in Greece? Give it up. Not a chance of survival.
The White Tower of Thessaloniki
