Bitola to Edessa- a wet weather change of plan
10th October Saturday
day seventeen Via Egnatia
Walking around Edessa in an ethereal fog!
Walking around Edessa in an ethereal fog!
Our first day in Greece!
Prices here are quite a bit more expensive than Macedonia, our coffees and pastries - called Mpougatsa (pastry with cheese and ham, delicious) total 8:80€ the cafe has wi fi, so we're able to organise our accommodation at Hagiati Hotel, in the old Ottoman section of town, Varosi. It's a beautiful boutique hotel in an restored Ottoman house . It's a short walk from the cafe through the fog.
Our room is small, but lovely. There are delicious home made sweets in our room, a little like Turkish delight.
A giant plane tree
We continue wandering into the town centre for another coffee and to buy a Greek SIM card.
The Ottoman Varosi area of Edessa
Dinner - it's Saturday on the recommendation of Hagiati we book a table at Ousies.... About 5 minutes walk from the hotel.
It's still raining lightly, and forecast for more rain and storms tomorrow!! I'm so glad we made the decision to come to Edessa and not attempt to walk and camp in the rain!
We've changed our plans due to forecast rain for the next couple of days, and no accommodation in the next few stages of the VE until Edessa. It's not an enjoyable experience to walk all day in the rain, and then not be able to get dry in the evening!
Luckily for us, Pece and his girlfriend are going to Greece for a couple of days and offer to drive us from Bitola to Edessa! So generous and kind! We meet Pece outside hotel Tokin at 6:30am it's rainy and foggy, definitely not good walking weather. We can't see a great deal of the countryside due to rain and fog...
We arrive at Edessa at about 9:30 am it's still raining and foggy... We find a nice little bakery for a coffee and snack.
After settling in to our room, we put on our gortex jackets again, borrow an umbrella and venture out Edessa - a walk in the clouds... The hotel is in a perfect location, a short stroll to most of the sights - the old water wheel and machinery
The amazing thundering waterfall! The Varosi area of Edessa is perched at the edge of a cliff with streams flowing through the town then plunging down spectacularly !
There is a walk behind the falls
The noise of falls is deafening!
There are several waterfalls close together plummeting down.
Patrick decides to rest at the hotel and keep dry, I keep exploring...
A lovely small church perched at the edge of the cliff
Inside the 14th Century Byzantine Church Koimisis- of the Virgin Mary, it was very dark in the church and I wasn't able to use a flash... Sorry about photo quality, it's a lovely church, fabulous timber carving, frescos and carvings on the stone columns.
Inside our lovely hotel Hagaiti! A cosy refuge from the wet rain and fog outside .
It's a lovely taverna, friendly service, great atmosphere, food and prices!
Back to the blissfully warm, cosy hotel! Good night .
Accommodation:
Highly recommend Hagiati! Lovely hotel, great location, helpful family, fabulous breakfast!
Hagiati traditional Hotel, Edessa http://www.hagiati.gr
Near old quarter and waterfalls per night approx $86 AUD (60€ B&B)
hagiati@hagiati.gr
+30 2381051501
Makedonomahon 40, Edessa
Or Varosi
Edessa Varosi four seasons, restored stone
buildings or Varosi - both in old part of Edessa. Edessa
waterfalls. http://www.varosi-hotel.com half way between Bitola and Thessalonika
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