Leaving the crystal clear beaches of Halkidiki behind us, we set out to explore the Papulkas homestead in Northern Greece, the town of Florina and the village of Ethniko.
Florina is a short, approximately two hour drive from Thessaloniki, and is located in a mountainous area of Northern Greece.
Florina is the main city of the Northern region and is surrounded by several villages, including Ethniko. It is a short, 13 km trip between the two places.
Florina is a lovely city of just under 20,000 people and has grown over the years. The city is overflowing with people, cars, and fun! There are several surrounding villages located around Florina. Many of our Papulkas family members left the village to move into the city. There is actually an initiative to get people back to the villages as the cities were not built for so many people.
The best part about Florina was catching up with our Papulkas cousins… of course it was always over food! We ate at outdoor patios in the city centre, with one group – and then at the top of the mountain with another. The fun, conversation, and the food, were all spectacular!
We were able find an Air BnB just outside of Florina (about 1 km), in the village of Skopia. It was perfect because we could walk leave the car in the village and walk everywhere.
No trip to the North is complete without going to the village of Ethiniko – the homestead of the Papulkas clan. It was the first time for Oliver, Mikhaila and Zoe to see the village, and it did not disappoint! It was exactly like the stories they had heard over the years. Most of the Papoulkas’ have the left the villages and if not still in Greece, they moved to Canada, Australia and Germany.
The church in the village is absolutely beautiful. From the outside, it looks like a village church, but when you step inside, it’s a place of inspiration.
What was interesting was seeing the actual Papulkas homestead… it looks more like the home in Sleeping Beauty – with the brush growing over it all. Underneath there is a home with stories to tell… we will have to dedicate an entire summer getting it back to a livable space.
So, just like all good Greeks, we let go of the stress, and met with family at the village centre cafe! Nothing better than a frappe and living the good life in Greece. Opa!
Leave a Reply