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.
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- Thessaloniki Roman Forum (Agora) was built between 42BC – 138AD. Cryptoporicus, shops and road in foreground – Odeon in background.
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- This circular bath structure was domed and functioned as a sauna with water added to the central charcoal fire.
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- The two storey Roman Cryotoporticus and shops – an important component of the Forum
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.
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- Robin and Faith enter the Rotunda of Galerius, now the Church of St. George.
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- The superb interior of the Rotunda of Galerius
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.
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- Detail of the Arch of Galerius showing the emperor making a sacrificial offering.
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- The Octagon (305 AD) – part of the Palace of Galerius, where the emperor held audience and received ambassadors.
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- The sixteenth century White Tower offers extensive views of the city of Thessaloniki
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.
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- Cheeky Chaplain and his Godson Edward about to enter the Archaeological Museum of Thessaloniki
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- A milestone of the Via Egnatia, constructed between 146 B.C. and 120 B.C. – Archaeological Museum of Thessaloniki
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- Statue of the Emperor Augustus (the supreme self-publicist) – Thessaloniki Archaeological Museum
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.
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- Our five pilgrims; Cheeky Chaplain, Edward, Faith, Robin and Anna, enjoy dinner in Thessaloniki
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.
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- The Lion of Amphipolis is a fourth century BC funerary monument, commemorating admiral Laomedon (a companion of Alexander the Great), and would almost certainly have been seen by St. Paul.
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- The ancient bridge at Amphipolis had a length of 275m and C-dating of its many wooden piles indicates that it was in use from 760 BC to the late eighteenth century – so very likely to been crossed by St. Paul and Silas.
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- The acropolis at Amphipolis was an important Roman administrative centre in St. Paul’s day. He and Silas would have had comfortable lodgings here on their way to Thessalonica.
A 62km drive east along the A2 road brought us to Kavala (ancient Neapolis).