Paleofarsalos
Greece
“On 5 September 2023, Storm Daniel triggered large-scale flooding in Thessaly. […] The line from Palaiofarsalos to Kalambaka was damaged, with extensive work required to repair the track and resume services. As a result, services between Palaiofarsalos and Kalambaka remain suspended across Thessaly’s coast until repairs are complete, with a rail-replacement bus currently in operation.”
Παλαιοφάρσαλος, a forgotten town among farmland, an improvised railway hub in the middle of nowhere, which we would never have even glanced at if it weren’t for this public transport hiccup. The station is new, yet unfinished and slightly eerie. Romani families shout and persistently ask us for cigarettes, old Greek men play cards, and the track lies quiet.
Around 8:30 p.m., My friend’s train arrives. She is headed to Athens and will continue solo from this point. Ours is scheduled around 9 p.m.
Thessaloniki is finally drawing nearer by the minute.
The Balkan Crawl
Stop 14 of 34
- Arrived from Kalambaka · by road · about 90 km
- Left for Thessaloniki · by train · about 210 km