Thursday, 26 May 2022

Arrived at Thessaloniki airport 19:00, uneventful and strait forward flight. Picked up car hire and drove into the city of Thessaloniki. Checked into Hotel Orestias Kastoria for three nights. Shared delicious dinner at Restaurant Kanoya (21:00) with Robin and Faith by the Roman Forum. Returned to hotel (23:30), shower and bed – tired but well satisfied.

Friday, 27 May 2022
Early rise at 6:00, coffee and out to explore the city. The city of Thessaloniki is a splendid place rather relaxed in many respects for the second city of Greece. The historic city centre has many sites to explore.  With a glorious blue sky and temperatures from 30 to 32°C, the three of us made a start at the Roman forum which Paul and Silas would certainly have known in its first century form.  Current excavations and consolidation meant that much of the site, including the Odeon and Stoa, were not open to the public however.

Galerius, on succeeding Diocletian as Augustus of the eastern Empire in 305 A.D., made Thessalonica his Imperial capital and built many buildings to reflect this. The Rotunda is the best preserved of these, now the Church of St. George. Then on to the Arch of Galerius. Galerius was notorious for his persecution of Christians.

After a good lunch, we continued by visiting the remains of the Palace of Galerius and adjacent Octagon, then finally to the so-called ‘White Tower’ (16th century) on the seafront.

My Godson Edward and his wife Anna arrived at Thessaloniki Airport at 22:05, but had a ‘prang’ in their hire car driving into town and arrived at our hotel some four hours later! Mercifully no one was hurt.

Saturday, 28 May2022
Ed and Anna returned to the airport to pick up a replacement hire car and then joined the three of us for lunch and a visit to the Thessaloniki Archaeological Museum. The museum is extensive, modern, and houses a large collection of Roman artefacts.

Previously, the three of us had walked the length of the eastern city wall to reach the north-east “Chain” tower from which magnificent views of the city below are available. The climb up hill to the tower was hard going in the heat with little shade, but well worth it. The five of us enjoyed a most convivial dinner, then back to our hotel (The Orestias Kastoria) which we can thoroughly recommend.

Sunday, 29 May 2022
Up at 8:00 to church bells, followed by the sound of the Orthodox morning office being sung. Checked out of the hotel to drive (in our two cars) to Kavala (ancient Neapolis), via Amphipolis.
Amphipolis is a delightful little town somewhat off the main traffic route today, but an important stopping off point on the Via Egnatia in St. Paul’s day. We pilgrims visited the famous Lion of Amphipolis monument (which the Saint almost certainly would have seen) before crossing the River Strymon into the town itself where the remains of its ancient Acropolis contains the ruins of four basilicas – which testify to its importance as a place of pilgrimage during early Christian times. The ancient river bridge and the Kasta Tomb were not open to the public during our visit.

A 62km drive east along the A2 road brought us to Kavala (ancient Neapolis).

 

On Thursday, 26 May 2022, Cheeky Chaplain sets off on the next leg of his pilgrimage ‘In the footsteps of St. Paul’, this time to Macedonia.
He hopes to visit Thessaloniki and Philippi (where his namesake was beaten and incarcerated and where, just outside the city, he baptised Lydia and her household).

Do take a look at the Neapolis, Philippi, Amphipolis and Thessalonica web-site pages and please add your comments (and prayers) to this blog.