Northern Greece, Albania & Macedonia: Ancient Lands of Alexander the Great Day 3

Day 03 - Thursday, October 12, 2017 - Explore Thessaloniki; Visit Ano Poli; Visit Traditional Markets; Museum of Byzantine Culture; Greek Politics & Economy

After our buffet breakfast we met the group for a Welcome Meeting at 9:00. Anna introduced herself and gave us a Greek language lesson. We had an opportunity to tell a little about ourselves.

We met the 9 people who were on the pre-trip and the 5 others who also joined the group yesterday. There are many teachers in our group and even a couple from Waverly, Iowa, 20 miles from Gennie’s hometown of Nashua.

Anna gave us an overview of our trip showing us a map of our travels for the next 15 days. She also went over the rules and guidelines that we will live by during our time together. Most of the group is a seasoned OAT traveler so everyone knows what to expect.

There were a few minutes to go back to the room and collect our camera, daypacks, and water before meeting Stefanos, our driver and Eleni, our city guide at 10:00. As we drove from the hotel to the waterfront, Eleni gave us some demographic information about the second largest city in Greece.

We drove to the harbor and past the naval shipyard to Alexander's Garden, a beautiful park. The smell of the sea air in the fresh breeze off of the water was very refreshing. The temperature was 62 degrees with a slight haze. The sea was very calm and the sun promised to warm us very soon.

Eleni presented an extensive lecture on Phillip II, Alexander, his son, and the Macedonian Empire, second to none in the ancient world. Thessaloniki has always been a center of social, military, commercial, and religious activities.

With the Great Fire of 1917, most of the city was destroyed and had to be rebuilt. The German occupation devastated the city and in 1943 over 60,000 Jews were deported from the city, sent to concentration or labor camps, and killed. Sadly, there are only 1,200 Jews and two synagogues in Thessaloniki now.

One of our major discoveries of the morning was the Museum of Byzantine Culture. This modern complex houses over 46,000 artifacts from the three Byzantine periods, but only 3,200 are displayed.

Eleni took us on a tour of the exhibits and explained the ancient Greek and Roman pieces, moved into the early Christian, and then we saw the incredible art of the Byzantines.

Sculptures, frescoes, mosaics, and icons along with everyday household items, and jewelry gave one a sense of the luxurious life from the 3rd Century BCE to 1430 CE when it was conquered and destroyed by the Ottoman Turks.

Eleni allowed us a few minutes on our own and then we gathered at 12:15 to walk back to the bus. Stefanos took us to historic the Upper Town or Ano Poli. We hiked to the North Wall and to Trigonio Tower for an overview of the city.

The haze was heavy so there were no great panoramic shots, but we could see the expanse of the harbor and the delineation of the area burned in 1917. Anna bought us a morning treat, a koulouri, a ring of pastry covered with sesame seeds.

We hiked to the Vlatadon Monastery, a UNESCO site. Built as a Jewish synagogue, St. Paul preached to the Thessalonians here in this small chapel in 51 CE. A larger church was built to commemorate this site but even after the Turks conquered the area, it was never turned into a mosque and is still an active monastery.

As we walked through the Upper Town we stopped to talk with a woman whose family was deported from Turkey in the exchange of 1922. After the Turkish War of Independence, Greek Christian families living in Turkey were forced to leave their homes as were Turkish Muslim families living in Greece. We had visited Kayakoy in Turkey, now a ghost town.

We continued to a small Greek Orthodox Church, once the Latomou Monastery where we had time to sit and reflect on a beautiful mosaic from the 5th century of a young Jesus Christ.

Back on the bus at 1:00 we went to the city center and the Kapani Market. Eleni and Anna bought us olives; just delicious and so much better than those we can buy in the States.

Some people went to eat lunch but we strolled back down to the sea and walked back to our hotel. Vic had researched the hotel location before we left Colorado but the only map we had was in his head. We found our way back without any problems and used our free hours to look at our photos and get caught up on the journal.

At 5:30 we were back with the group for a lecture and discussion by Dimitris Kostinos, an economist and political scientist from Thessaloniki. He addressed Greek politics and the modern economy.

Many of us had heard so much on the news about the state of the beleaguered economic arrangements, we were able to learn how Greece got into the debt crisis and what they are doing to straighten out their financial system.

After an hour we walked as a group across the street from our hotel to The Panellinion, a traditional restaurant featuring “Finest Hellenic Cuisine & Delicacies”. We were served family style and tried at least 14 excellent appetizers, side dishes, and entrees.

Anna gave us our schedule for tomorrow and we walked back to our room at 8:15. Our first day returning to Greece was a full one, with more to explore tomorrow.

More about Thessaloniki:

The second largest city in Greece is also call Saloniki. Situated on the Thermaic Gulf of the Aegean Sea, it is the gateway to Northern Greece and our adventures for our upcoming days in the Hellenic Republic.

http://www.greecetravel.com/thessaloniki/

Accommodations: MEDITERRANEAN PALACE HOTEL - - - Meal: B & D