It is really difficult to express our feelings regarding this second meeting with our Greek friends in Thessaloniki.
We departed from Istanbul on 28/10/1999, Thursday morning at  9.30 as 6 bikes and arrived to border about 3 hours later.
The border was so crowded as many people from Turkey were going to Greece for 29 October 1999 National Holiday especially by the occasion of the developing relations between two countries after the earthquakes in both countries. We met the Turkish Harley Davidson Group at the border as they were waiting the Greek Harley Riders who will visit Istanbul. On the other hand, we also met the Turkish Journalists who has been invited to Greece as a quest of  Kavala Municipality. They highly interest with our tour and took some photos to publish in Turkish news papers and made a small interview to broadcast in Turkish TV channels.  After completing the formalities at the both borders we headed to first city of Greece after border named Alexandropoli. We had a short coffee break at the nice coffee shop at the sea side and faced kind interest of Greek people around there. By a chance, it was also a National Holiday for Greece (28/10/1999).
After the break, we headed to Kavala and on the way met our Goldwinger friend Mario at the entrance of Xanthi city.
Kavala was our first night stop. Before 10 kms of Kavala, our Greek brothers were waiting for us on the road. We faced with the kind and warm welcome of them, we rode together to Kavala and arrived to our Hotel. We had a tour in Kavala city, same night we went a small Greek Tavern and had a lovely dinner together with them.  Another rider couple, who friend of us departed from Turkey lately, joined to us in Kavala.
The dinner was so beautiful and the foods were more than delicious. (Sea foods; kalamari, cipura fish, mussels, meat, ostrich meat, typical Greek appetizers, Greek Salad, wine, Uzo, etc...)
Next morning we departed to Thessaloniki, had a small coffee break on the road at Asprovalta and met again with our friends at the entrance of Thessaloniki. We went our hotel named Macedonia palace and had a short rest. After a long tour in city, we had a lovely dinner in Greek Tavern with the Greek music performed with a traditional Greek instrument named Bouziki. This night was unbelievable, we were about 20-30 bikes and 30-40 bikers with the majority of Goldwings. We ate, drunk and danced till the early hours of the morning and had another city tour, went to old town took a group photo. All the riders and the people around were very kind and warm against to us. Saturday morning, we headed to Halkidiki area of Greece which is about 100 kms  south of  Thessaloniki, we went Cassandra Peninsula and visited around and hosted by another Goldwinger who lives there. After the lunch 4  bikes from our group headed to Xanthi and we remained 3 bikes. On the way back to Thessaloniki, we had another break in small town and spend a couple of hours in a nice bar.
Same night we had a tour by walking at the down town of Thessaloniki and visited the shopping places. Later on we went highly interesting place named Bika for dinner. We tasted delicious Greek food named "Gyros" which is similar version of Turkish food named "Doner".
Bika is highly interesting entertainment center located in a restorated ex- factory buildings. Sunday morning, we departed very early in the morning as we had to drive directly to Istanbul which is about 650 kms. Mother and father of our friend Georgos came to our hotel to say goodbye to us, we had a breakfast together with them and departed to Istanbul. Our Greek brothers Vangelis, George & George, and John escorted to us till Kavala, after Kavala, John kept to escort to us till Border, before the border we had a small break at Alexandropoli again.
After passing the both borders, we arrived to Istanbul about 18.30.

" By this occasion, we would like to thank once again for kind, deep and warm hospitality of our Greek Brothers and Sisters. It was a really lovely event to be together with you in Greece and we always welcome you to Turkey in any time"

Participants
Vangelis, Giorgos, Yannis, Nikos, Efi, Feza, Berrin,  Vasilis, John, Levent, Bengi, Haluk, Sinan, Xristos, Helen, Tanju, Aydan, Giorgos, Koko, Maria, Levent, Ertugrul, Sofia  and many other Greek brothers and sisters,  I am very sorry  since I can not remember all the names now...

Bikes
Honda: Goldwing, Transalp / BMW:  R 1100 GS, K 1200 LT /  Yamaha Royal Star, FJ 1200 / Harley Davidson

written by Feza Haznedar