Greek Coffee or Turkish?

The Journey From Greece To Istanbul Think Greece and the mind instantly conjures up an image of white sandy beaches, whitewashed church steeples and a local people rooted in an ancient culture personified by its dance, music and food. While Zorba the Greek may be the best known Grecian this side of Asia, discover a little more about a largely unexplored region of Greece away from its famous islands or its ancient capital, Athens.

This travel report will take you to the lesser-known town of Alexandroupolis in the North to Istanbul, Turkey.

Alexandroupolis is located at the northernmost tip of Greece just about 40 kilometres away from the Greek border with Turkey. Scheduled to take a state transport bus to Alexandroupolis, about 300 kms north from Thessaloniki, the bus ride was one of the most beautiful I had ever taken. Fishing villages such as Dikella and Makri with the colourful roofs of their little houses are located en route the National Highway E90.

Halfway through the ride, the bus driver stopped to take a break at a wonderfully landscaped highway café overlooking the azure waters of the Aegean Sea. Didn’t someone say something about the journey being the destination? Alexandroupolis has a 35-km long coastline. So most of the local and social activities are centred around the promenade. The flea market on Thursdays is an interesting place to observe the Greek way of life, full of zest and colour.

The modern shopping area is lined with glitzy stores selling the latest in European fashion to photo shop windows showcasing Greek weddings. Explore the bylanes of the markets and you will find the best tavernas where the local people like to hang out post-shopping for their pet pooja. Most tavernas are clean and cheap and offer the basics of Greek cuisine from the traditional salata (made from onions, sun-dried tomatoes, olive oil and feta cheese peppered with basil and oregano) and white bread to fish delicacies as well as the popular raki or a speciality Greek white wine to wash it all down with.

The people of Alexandroupolis rejoice in the fact that theirs is a small city, less frequented by tourists. This leaves them free to populate the many cafes, catching up on the latest and exchanging views and gossip. Some cafes even offer discounts during the summers, which is when the older Grecians come out in droves to participate in the social activities that showcase them at their best, drinking coffee and playing cards. You’d better believe it when people say that the South Europeans enjoy the sunnier side of life. The still-functional 19th century lighthouse in Alexandroupolis is a landmark on the promenade and stands testimony to the history of the city, founded as a landing village for the fishermen from the island of Samothraki, about 17 nautical miles away.

Today Samothraki is a popular tourist spot for locals and foreigners alike but its inhabitants continue to live off fishing. Alexandroupolis’ proximity to the Islamic country of Turkey also reinforces a sense of Hellenic pride amongst the locals. The Grecians still proudly stake their claim to the Greek coffee, which the Turks have patented as theirs. Prepared much the same way, it is a strong and dark decoction served sans milk in demitasse cups with a glass of water alongside to counter the bitterness of the coffee. This coffee debate is among a number of unresolved issues that followed the Greek defeat in the Greco-Turkish War from 1919-1922 over regions occupied by the two countries.

A contemporary and practical solution to this post-war territorial dispute came about when the governments of Turkey and Greece announced a rail connection between Thessaloniki and Istanbul in 2005. The Dostluk-Filia Express was responsible for getting me into Istanbul from Alexandroupolis. The train starts its 12-hour overnight journey from Thessaloniki and passes through Alexandroupolis before terminating in Istanbul the next morning around 8 a.m. The train ride is safe, comfortable and considerably cheaper than air travel. The train personnel may appear somewhat intimidating especially when they bang on your compartment doors around midnight to demand your passports for the entry formalities at the Greek border town of Pythion.

But they are quite respectful of solo women travellers. In fact, one gentleman even shared his dinner with me, looked at my travel photos and kept me company till I got off. Be aware that the train ride may be extended if the entry formalities take longer at the Greek and Turkish border stations. But arriving in Istanbul the next morning more than makes up for the long hours in an AC coach. The sights of Istanbul from the train alone are captivating; youngsters swimming in the Marmara, washed laundry hung out to dry on the balconies of old settlements and as a contrast, the most contemporary architecture of Istanbul.

In short, a living, breathing city up, close and very personal, unlike the view from an aircraft. The sights and sounds of Istanbul will make up an exhaustive report in itself. But you see, it’s not just where you travel but how you do it that makes the difference.