![\"Leaving](\"https:\/\/www.fred-hart.uk\/greece2014\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2014\/07\/300720142545-1024x768.jpg\")
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It is 8 years since we last managed to get here; but I am pleased to say that as I write this morning I am sitting on the balcony in exactly the same apartment we had during our first stay in this particular hotel\/our second stay on Thassos. Thassos (\u0398\u03ac\u03c3\u03bf\u03c2) is the most Northerly of all the Greek islands, and it lies just under 230km from Thessaloniki.<\/p>\n
I met Mum, Dad and Corrie in the arrivals hall at Thessaloniki Airport, and once our car rental was sorted the journey from Thessaloniki to Thassos was really quite simple: Take the Thessaloniki Ring Road until the Egnatia Odos (\u0395\u03b3\u03bd\u03b1\u03c4\u03af\u03b1 \u039f\u03b4\u03cc\u03c2), then follow that motorway until you get to the sign labelled KERAMOTI – THASSOS – \u039a\u0395\u03a1\u0391\u039c\u03a9\u03a4\u0397 – \u0398\u0391\u03a3\u039f\u03a3. There are 2 toll booths along the route: It’s \u20ac2,40 each time for a car.<\/p>\n
From the motorway junction, the road goes down to Kavala Airport and on to the ferry at Keramoti – it’s about 10 miles. The crossing to Thassos takes about 45 minutes, with ferries leaving almost constantly throughout the day. It’s \u20ac3 per person and \u20ac16 for a car. They’re drive on-drive off ferries: you don’t need to reverse on as you do for some ferries. From Thassos Town it was just a case of taking the coastal road down to Potos (\u03a0\u03bf\u03c4\u03cc\u03c2); a journey which took us about 45 minutes.<\/p>\n
It is brilliant that even after 8 years, the hotel staff still reconise us. Potos has changed slightly since the last time we were here: the number of English tourists has dropped dramatically, and in their place lots of tourists from Romania, Bulgaria, Turkey and Serbia. No one bring UKIP here! The result is that a lot of the tavernas\/restaurants don’t have their signs in English now – they use Romanian, Bulgarian, Turkish or Serbian.<\/p>\n
In a way, I am almost disappointed that I’m in a touristy area – everywhere else I’ve been, I’ve effectively manage to avoid tourists completely: I’ve managed to find places catering for Greeks and Greek tourists. The village seems very small (much smaller than I remember): but I think that’s just because I’ve been used to life in Athens and Thessaloniki.<\/p>\n
I’m off to the bakery to go and get some breakfast, then I think I need a swim, as I haven’t had a swim since I was on Syros a week ago.<\/p>\n
Bye for now,<\/p>\n
FH.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
It is 8 years since we last managed to get here; but I am pleased to say that as I write this morning I am sitting on the balcony in exactly the same apartment we had during our first stay… Continue Reading