Varousi – Good, Old Trikala

Neighborhoods named "Varousi" (or "Varosi") can be found in many cities across Greece and the Balkans. They typically signify the old Christian quarters that developed mainly during the Ottoman period, usually around a castle or fortress. Of course, the old town of Trikala has an even older past, as revealed by the dozens of churches and, most intriguingly, the ancient secrets hidden beneath them.

However, the golden age of Varousi is placed between the 17^th and 19^th centuries, when most of the mansions admired by visitors today were built. These two-story, tiled-roof houses with overhanging balconies and wooden verandas, with stone masonry on the ground floor and timber-framed "tsatma" structures on the upper level, offer a free journey through time.

Wander aimlessly—don’t look for anything specific, don’t even glance toward the large Clock Tower of the fortress. Simply let yourself be immersed in the magical atmosphere of Trikala’s old town. Above all, don’t try to find the “two narrow alleys” mentioned in the song, where the great Trikala-born Vassilis Tsitsanis “places” the murder of Sakaflias. The legendary rebel and “Rudolph Valentino” of the town most likely met his end in the "narrow cell" he was thrown into for his provocative—whatever that may have meant—behavior.