On a September Tuesday afternoon, ready to start the adventure, I was loading my baggage into a motor coach. The bus was going to take me to Greece, to a coastal area with sandy beaches.

Thessaloniki is a vibrant city and it is Greece's second major industrial, commercial and cultural center as well as a major transportation hub in southeastern Europe. The two state universities of the city host the largest student population in Greece.

Athens, the capital and largest city in Greece, is also one of the oldest cities in the world, its recorded history spanning over at least 3,000 years.

The Meteora is one of the largest and most important complex of monasteries in Greece, second only to Mount Athos. The monasteries are built on spectacular natural sandstone rock pillars.

Pictures from Greece.