The next stop on our adventure was the port town of Kavala in Northern Greece, roughly midway between Thessaloniki and Turkey.

We left Thessaloniki on the midday bus. The journey was very scenic, passing lakes, wine-growing areas, and olive groves. The bus stopped at several charming beachside villages that we immediately bookmarked for future holidays.

We arrived in Kavala mid-afternoon and began the long climb to our apartment. Kavala is built on a steep mountainside with only one flat road along the waterfront. The hike up with full backpacks in boiling heat — steep roads followed by even steeper staircases — was absolutely grueling. We finally arrived hot and exhausted.

The apartment was a little shabby and not as clean as we would have liked, but it had excellent air conditioning and stayed cool because it faced north. It served us well for the month.

After the first week we got used to the steep streets and stairs. Most mornings we headed to the beach for a swim with the locals, stopping for coffee on the way. On the way back we’d pick up groceries before hiding from the afternoon heat.

One of our favourite discoveries was Psaraki, a wonderful restaurant built out on the pier in the marina. We ate there several times — the food was excellent and the local rosé was outstanding.

When the temperature dropped slightly one day (to a “cool” 33°C), we walked up to the old town, the fortress, and the impressive Roman aqueduct. We stopped at a tiny café with stunning views over the harbour and later had lunch at our favourite restaurant.

Kavala gave us time to finally work on several personal projects we had been putting off. It was a calm, low-key town with mostly local tourists and very few English speakers — exactly the way we like to travel.