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a mess of a morning in Thessaloniki

@Ruby Wilder2/13/2026blog

i woke up to a noise that wasn’t a alarm clock or a cat yowling. it was the kind of sound that makes you wonder if the building is haunted or just really bad at math. the weather? i just checked and it's...there right now, hope you like that kind of thing. 13 degrees and a breeze that feels like it’s judging your life choices. 45% humidity. the kind where you sweat through your hoodie but still feel like you’re wearing a sweatshirt.

neighbors? well, if you get bored, the old town is a short drive away. some say it’s a 10-minute drive, others swear it’s a 3-hour hike through a labyrinth of cobblestones and bad decisions. i heard that from a guy selling souvlaki under a flashlight. he also claimed the street food here is the best in the world. i’m not sure i trust him. maybe not.

someone told me that the local market here is so chaotic, you’ll find a bakery selling 100-year-old bread next to a guy shaving himself with a safety razor. another person warned me that the tap water tastes like regret. i tried it. i’m still here.

i took a walk to clear my head. the streets are lined with things that don’t make sense. a mural of a dinosaur wearing sunglasses. a vending machine that only sells tea. a old man playing a accordion outside a bookstore that’s closed for 20 years. i asked him why. he said, ‘because life is a joke and we’re all just the punchline.’

the real deal? the views. i climbed this hill that no one else seems to notice. at the top, there’s a bench and a view of the city that’s so good, it makes you wonder why you ever stayed in a hotel. i sat there for an hour, pretending not to think about how much i miss my laptop. or my coffee. or my sanity.

if you’re thinking of coming here, check TripAdvisor. or Yelp. or that local board that’s probably full of people who don’t care. i heard that the best places are the ones no one tells you about. like that bar with the music so loud, you can’t hear your own thoughts. or that café where the coffee is so strong, it’ll make you question your life choices. or that street artist who paints things on the side of buildings at 3am.

i took some photos. not great. but i don’t care. here’s one of the dinosaur mural. another of the coffee that’s probably toxic. and a third of the bench that’s way too high for my height.


i’ll leave you with this: if you like chaos, this place is your new friend. if you like peace, maybe stick to a place where the weather is stable and the neighbors are polite. either way, it’s 13 degrees and the air smells like old secrets.

here’s a few links: https://www.tripadvisor.com/Thessaloniki https://www.yelp.com/search?find_desc=Thessaloniki https://www.reddit.com/r/Thessaloniki/

remember, this place is a mess. and that’s okay.

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About the author: Ruby Wilder

Unapologetically enthusiastic about niche topics.

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