After spending a day back home in Vicenza, from visiting my brother in Milan, I then drove back to Bergamo airport where I took a flight to Thessaloniki in Greece. Ania and I had in fact planned a 10-day vacation visiting the city and other parts of Northern Greece. My flight arrived around midday, while Ania's flight from Berlin would arrive in the night, so I decided to take the time and visit some museums which might not interest her much. As I exited the airport I then looked for the bus to the city center, and after paying for the ticket got on and travel into the city. The journey took quite long as there was plenty of traffic getting into the city center. As I finally reached the destination, I got off the bus and started my visit to the city. I first passed by the complex of the Bey Hammam, located along the city's main street, Egnatia Street, this large Turkish bathhouse was built in 1444 by sultan Murad II, and is considered as the first Ottoman bath in Thessaloniki and the most important one still standing throughout Greece. The city of Thessaloniki has had a long and interesting history. Originally founded in 315 BC by King Cassander of Macedon, it then came under the control of the Roman Republic first and later Roman Empire until its demise. With the formation of the Byzantine Empire, it became its second-largest city, after Constantinople. It was at this time, between the transition of the Roman Empire and Byzantine one that the city saw its best and most flourishing moment. Most of its spectacular buildings, including many early Christian churches, date in fact to that time. The monuments surviving from that period have been inscribed in the Unesco World Heritage Site in 1988 as the Paleochristian and Byzantine Monuments of Thessaloniki. After the Ottoman advance through Anatolia, the city fell after a siege in 1387 and remained in their hands until 1403. Then after a brief period back into Byzantine hands, the city was ceded to the Venetians in 1423 with the hope that it could be protected from the Ottomans who were besieging the city. The Venetians held on to it until 1430 when it eventually capitulated to Sultan Murad II. The city remained in Ottoman hands for several centuries and had to wait several years after the Greek War of Independence that was able to form the modern Greek state, before joining it as well. Only after the Balkan Wars that ended in 1913, together with other parts of Greece, was the city able to join the country. One interesting demographic note of the time was that its population was rather mixed with 22% Turks, 14% Greeks, 8% Bulgarians, and 47% Jews, making it one of the few cities in Europe with a majority Jewish population. I saw the Bey Hammam was closed so, as it was around lunchtime, I decided to look for a place to eat. I ended up eating a restaurant called rOOTS serving vegan and vegetarian food, where I had a tasty yet expensive falafel dish. After lunch, I then continued my walk and nearby visited the Monastery of St Theodora. It looked quite modern and in fact, I learned that, as most of the city in the area, it was destroyed during the great fire of 1917 and had to be rebuilt in 1935. This fire destroyed two-thirds of the city, leaving only the upper town intact while destroying most of the part of the city facing the sea. It was at that time then that the local government decided to redesign the whole area instead of rebuilding from the rubble. Despite the great loss of the architecture, it helped enable the city to design a larger and more elegant city center which also allowed further development of the city. As I walked through this newly built area, I passed through the large and central Aristotelous Square, designed by the French architect Ernest Hébrard in 1918. It is flanked by buildings built between the Great Fire and the 1950s and opens out in a scenic way towards the sea. I walked on and then decided to visit the church of Hagia Sophia, one of the oldest in town and part of the Unesco list. Built during the 8th century and modeled on the famous Hagia Sophia in Constantinople, it was turned into a mosque after the city was captured by the Ottomans in 1430 and returned to its function as a church only in 1912 with the liberation of the city. Its Greek cross basilica plan features a really nice interior, with columns dating to the ancient Roman and Byzantine times and the central domed cupola featuring an interesting 9th-century mosaic representing the Ascension and the figures of all Twelve Apostles, Mary, and two angels. Nearby I then passed by the 14th-century Byzantine church of the Saviour which I found closed. I continued onwards and reached another church, that of Saint Panteleimon. Also dating to the 14th century and also a Unesco site, this was unfortunately closed as well but I still admired its beautiful structure, a cross-in-square typical of the late Byzantine era, from the outside. Not far ahead I then reached another of the city's main monuments, the Arch of Galerius. Built in 299 AD, it was dedicated to celebrate the victory of the tetrarch, Emperor Galerius, over the Sassanid Persians at the Battle of Satala. The original structure featured three arches, however, only two full arches and part of the third survive to this day. Its marble decorations depicting Galerius' campaign are still visible in parts of the central arch while the rest is mostly the brick substrate. Up the road, and once connected to the Arch as part of the large complex wished by Galerius, is the 4th century Rotunda. Built in 306 AD as the mausoleum of the Emperor, it was later a church, and then a mosque, before returning to its function as a church and nowadays as an archeological site and museum. The ticket entry was 6 euros and allowed me to enter the grounds around it and the interior of the rotunda itself. The building still featured the minaret, from the time it was turned into a mosque in 1590, which was spared destruction when it once again became a church in 1912. The interior was beautiful and featured large traces of mosaics which survived the test of time until our day. The mosaics are considered the oldest wall mosaics in the Christian East and depicting various themes and figures. The ones in the niches are purely ornamental, with fish, birds, and intersecting circles, while those in the central dome depict 15 preserved martyr figures in wide robes and fragmentarily preserved apostles and angels. The central circle, where the figure of triumphant Christ would have been, is unfortunately not preserved. After the visit, once again out in the streets, I then passed by and visited the church of Panagia Dexia, modern-looking it was in fact built in 1956 over a preexisting one. The interior was really nice though, polished, colorful, and full of light. From the church, I then headed south towards the waterfront and passed by a large open-air archeological site, right next to Navarinou Square. Those ruins were the remains of what was once the palace of Galerius which was at the time also directly connected with the arch and the rotunda I had just visited. After reaching the waterfront I continued on the nice pedestrian walk built along the seaside and passed by what is probably the most iconic monument in the city: the White Tower. This monument was reconstructed sometime after the Ottoman conquest of the city in 1430 and replaced an older Byzantine fortification known to be on that location since the 12th century. It functioned as a notorious prison for most of its time and site of mass executions during Ottoman rule. After Thessaloniki became part of Greece it became the symbol of the city, was polished and whitewashed, and became known as the White Tower. Not too far from the tower I then decided to visit the Archaeological Museum. It exhibited objects and findings from the city and the rest of Macedonia. I liked the section dedicated to Macedonian gold objects ranging from the 6th century to the 2nd century BC. Particularly interesting was also a large vase known as the Derveni Krater, weighing 40kg made of bronze and tin and made to look like gold and used to mix wine and water. Right next to the archaeological museum I then proceeded to visit the Museum of Byzantine Culture. The exhibitions were very interesting with each room depicting a specific topic and time period. There were early Christian sculptures, mosaics, icons and paintings from the middle ages and modern period, and reliquary objects. I really enjoyed both museums and took my time to visit them carefully. Then it was time to head back to the city and look for a place to have dinner. I ended up choosing a place called Nostos Tavern where I had a tasty dish called saganaki, with tomato sauce and feta, and another with pita bread and keftedes, a type of meatballs. After eating it was time to head to the airport to pick up the rental car and then Ania. For the car we had chosen a rental company called Chalkidiki Cars, which seemed to have really great prices; for 9 days we only paid 90 euros. After picking up the car I then reached the nearby airport and picked up Ania right after she landed. Then we were off to our hotel, located in the small beach town of Nea Kallikrateia. After reaching the accommodation, Hotel Atlantis, we checked in and then crashed on the bed, particularly I who was tired after the long day visiting.
The morning after, we woke up early and had our breakfast in the hotel, which, due to the covid restrictions, consisted of food packed in a plastic tray. Then we got in the car and drove to the first destination of the day, Kalogria Beach. We had decided to drive around one of the three fingers of Chalkidiki, the peninsula which is located just south of Thessaloniki and resembles a hand with three fingers jutting out in the sea. The westernmost of the fingers is Kassandra, the central Sithonia, and the easternmost is Mount Athos, a special polity within Greece known for its monasteries and where only men are allowed. We chose to drive along Sithonia, the middle finger, known for its beautiful beached and natural landscape. The sun was shining and it was rather warm, however, as it was still early in the day, the water was still cold and I thought to wait a bit before having a swim. We walked a bit along the completely empty beach with beautiful crystal clear waters and then got back in the car to drive onwards. The panorama along the way was stunning, everywhere green pine forests reaching the water edge and in the distance the blue and green hue of the sea. We then reached another beach, Toroni Beach, where we decided to have our first swim of the trip. The sun was warm and the water a little cold, but as it was right after summer, still warm from the past months and not as cold as expected. We spent some time there enjoying the sun and sea, again with no one in sight. Again back in the car, we drove on, reaching the tip of the peninsula and stopping along the way to enjoy the view and take pictures of the beautiful panorama. We later stopped at Kalamitsi Beach where we found a spot on the sand to eat the lunch we had just bought in a supermarket along the way. After eating we decided to walk and explore the beautiful beach. There was just a couple sitting laying on the opposite end, so we walked to its eastern part, climbing then up the nearby promontory. From here we then had a great view of the whole bay and noticed there was yet another smaller beach a little further. The water there was even more crystal clear if that was even possible, and the blue and green hues of it glistened in the sunlight. We noticed though that there were two people on it and completely naked, figuring out it was meant as a nudist beach. We nonetheless headed there and had a swim in its incredible waters. After spending some time there we then decided to head on and visit another beach. We drove northwards along the coast and reached a rather wild coast where it seemed they had planned to build a huge urban construction during the 1980s. Luckily, they only managed to build some streets, bridges, electricity cables, sewage, etc but no constructions which could ruin the peacefulness and panorama of the place. Here we followed a road, trying not to deviate and get lost in those half-built streets leading nowhere, and then reached the Tigania Beach. Here we found a lovely small stretch of sand with no one in sight and a beach shack usually used as a beach bar which during our visit was closed. We spent well over an hour there enjoying the remoteness, peace, quiet,t and the beautiful colors of the sea, and the late afternoon sun. After getting back in the car and driving on for the last time that day we reached the town of Sarti where we would spend the night. We had booked a nice room in a place called Vasiliki House, where the owner, a kind young lady, showed us in after our arrival. After a nice stroll around town and walking along the large town beach we decided to look for a place to have dinner. We ended up choosing a restaurant called Old School Kindergarten, which seemed to be quite full and featuring a typical traditional greek decor. The town was in fact rather empty and many shops and restaurants closed, probably due to the fact that it was the end of the season and because of covid. This place was though open and already full, with most clients being Germans. We had a nice dinner, I had pasta with tomato sauce and shrimp, while Ania had grilled vegetables. Once we were done we headed back to our accommodation to get a goodnight's sleep.
The following day we woke up at our own pace and after breakfast in the room, packed our stuff and got on the car to start our day. We drove northwards along the coast and reached the first beach of the day, Kavourotrypes Beach. We parked the car below the pine trees and then made our way down to the waterfront. The beach was completely empty apart from three people on sunbeds. The water was as always, of amazing color, and really inviting. We left the sandy part and walking along the rocky coast admiring the different views and colors and we progressed. At one point we reached what we considered a perfect spot and sat down among the rocks to enjoy the sun and sea. As there was no one in sight I decided to have a swim naked; as I was entering the water though some clouds decided to appear out of nowhere from the low mountains of the interior and cover the sun. I decided to wait a while as the water was rather cold and a light breeze had started picking up, so I wished to have the warmth of the sun help me keep warm and dry once out of the water. After spending some time there we decided to head on and drive west along the coast. On the way, we decided to look for a place to have lunch, but most restaurants and even supermarkets were closed. Finally, we ended up stopping at a place called Mantala Greek Taverna where we had a really tasty lunch. Then driving on we reached shortly after Talgo Beach. The gate to reach it was closed as it was part of a bar/restaurant. However, we found a trail going through some bushes to the side and were able to reach the beach either way. The place was empty and we had the stretch of thin sand all to ourselves. We found a nice little spot and enjoyed the view of that beautiful small bay with its calm and colorful waters. After enjoying our time there for a couple of hours we decided to continue on with our journey. We drove along the coastal road and left the peninsula of Sithonia, driving northwards towards our destination for the day. Along the way, we stopped for an incredible view of Mount Athos in the distance. Then, after a quick break at another beach along the way, Kakoudia Beach, we finally reached our accommodation in the small beach town of Nea Vrasna. Here we had booked a room in a place called Neon Luxury Beach Suites, and after meeting the owner were shown to our room which was on the ground floor right next to the beach. The owner was very friendly and offered us a juice; he also spoke Italian quite well as he had worked a few years there. After showering and changing in warmer clothes we then decided to look for a place to eat. The restaurants around the area did not look so inviting and most were already closed so we decided to take the car and drive to the nearby town of Stavros, which we had passed by on our way here, and see some of the restaurants which had seemed nicer and more lively. We ended up eating a restaurant called Leuteres where I had a nice grilled salmon and fried anchovies while Ania had bruschetta and grilled veggies with fries.
In the morning, after breakfast at the accommodation, we got in the car and drove eastwards along the coast. Along the way, we stopped to admire a beautiful monument of a lion set right next to the main road. Apparently, it was a 4th century BC tomb sculpture set up in honor of Laomedon of Mytilene, an important general of Alexander the Great. It is known as the Lion of Amphipolis and measures 8m to the top, with 4m just for the lion sculpture and 4m for the base. After seeing the monument we got back in the car and drove on to the reach several kilometers later the archaeological site of Philippi, a Unesco world heritage site. Here we noticed though that Ania's wallet was missing and she remembered leaving it inside the drawer of the room we had slept in the previous night. We quickly called the owner and he confirmed finding it there; we asked him then if it would be fine to come to pick it up later and he agreed. Feeling relieved we decided to visit the archeological site first, as we were already there and nearly 100km away, and pick up the wallet on our way back. The ancient city of Philippi was founded, as the name suggests, by King Philip II of Macedon; actually, it was founded by colonists from Thasos a few years before but conquered by the Macedon King and renamed in his name. The city had a long and eventful history: it became an important Roman city after it fell in their hands during the Third Macedonian War of 168 BC. The Romans reshaped it into a "small Rome", adding public buildings including a Forum to Hellenistic ones. Following the visit of the Apostle Paul in 49–50 CE, his second missionary journey, the city became an early center of the Christian faith. It continued to be an important center well into the Byzantine Era before then falling, like many other cities of the area, under the Slavic invasions. By the time the whole area fell into Ottoman hands during the 14th century, the city was already abandoned and in ruins. The entrance to the archaeological site was 6 euros each, and we started by visiting the nice ancient greek theatre first. From there, we walked along the main road, passing by the ruins of an early Christian basilica and a site that was labeled as St Paul's prison. Actually, St Paul’s prison was actually a cistern for storing water during the 1st century, but it was later transformed into a small church whose walls were covered in paintings of Paul’s arrest, his liberation, and the baptism of the family of his jailor. The roman forum and agora below on the other side were currently off-limit as there were some workers who were fixing the road and pathways around it. We also happily noticed how we were the only visitors there. A little onwards we then reached and visited the small annexed archaeological museum. It featured a lot of nice objects, capital heads, sculptures, and mosaics found around the area. From the museum we headed back down through the rest of the site, passing by another ruined Basilica, the so-called Basilica B, this is the largest and best-preserved with some of the outer foundations and arches still standing. Onwards we passed a nice area with yet another basilica and several private residences around that featured some beautiful mosaics. We had then visited the whole site and it was time to get into the car and drive back to the previous night's accommodation to pick up Ania's wallet. After reaching it we picked up the wallet and kindly thanked the owner, then left to drive on to our next destination. We stopped on the way to pick up some groceries to have for lunch and then continued our drive. That day would turn out to be the longest day in the car during our holiday, in fact, we ended up driving more than 300km. We drove past Thessaloniki and onwards through the large and flatlands of the Aliakmona Delta. Finally, we reached our intended destination, the small town of Vergina. The town is famous for being the site of Aigai, the original capital of the Macedonians, and for being the burial-place of the Macedonian kings even after the move of the capital to Pella by Archelaus I. As we parked the car, I accidentally hit the front bumper on the sidewalk and stupidly quickly reversed hoping. Unfortunately, that just made it worse and I noticed the bumper was then partly hanging on each side, I tried pushing it back, but from then on throughout the holiday every time I hit a bump, it would could out again and would need to be pushed back. Nevertheless, we eventually decided to head to visit the tombs and after heading there reached the entrance. The entrance ticket was 6 euros each, usually being 12 euros but because the archaeological site was closed and only the tombs were open to visitors, they had decided to reduce the price. The site is a Unesco world heritage site, and the cool thing was that similarly to their Etruscan counterparts in Italy, these tombs were built underground below a large mound. As we entered the mound, which has been turned into a beautiful and modern museum, we explored the exhibits detailing all the wonderful objects and treasures found unspoiled in the surrounding tombs. Many of the tombs had been in fact plundered in antiquity and throughout the centuries, while others had remained largely untouched and intact. One of these untouched ones was in fact the tomb of Philip II, the King of Macedon and father of Alexander the Great. We were able to admire the main doorway, down deep below ground level, and close by the exhibits with the objects found inside. There were golden jewelry, weapons, armor, shields, silverware, and furniture: all fitting for a royal burial. We also saw the entrance of one of the other tombs, probably belonging to Alexander IV of Macedon, son of Alexander the Great and Roxana, and the objects found within. After visiting the museum it was time to head to our accommodation for the night, as we still had some way to drive. We got in the car and then drove northwards till we reached the city of Edessa, where we would stay in the Olympia Hotel for the night. After checking in, we decided to look for a place to eat. We walked through the lively city center and ended up choosing a small place called Gefsidromio where we had a tasty dinner. Then, satisfied, we headed back to our accommodation for a good night's sleep.
The morning after, on our way through town, we stopped at a local bakery to get some stuff for breakfast. Then continuing on we reached what is Edessa's main attraction: the waterfall. Once we got there though I did not expect what I saw; the waterfall was completely dry. Ok that it was early October, I didn't expect it to be in full power like during the springtime, but to see it completely dry was a bit of a shock. After the initial disappointment, as we had decided to sleep there just to be able to see it in the morning, we at least admired the beautiful panorama seen from there. Edessa is in fact built on a hilltop overlooking the extensive plains that stretch far in the distance towards Thessaloniki. The city has an old history as well, having been founded by Caranus, an ancestor of Alexander the Great, as the first capital of Macedon. It then grew in importance particularly under the Romans as it was located on the strategic Via Egnatia. Again during the 20th century, the city saw a resurge when it became an important textile industry center. The power that the nearby waterfall provided made it so that many mills were built on that side of the city. And one of those mills we then proceeded to visit right after. What is known as the Old Hemp Factory is a large building situated not far from the waterfall and now mostly abandoned. It operated as a factory until 1967, and then it was abandoned. In 1997 it was then turned into a Recreation and Education Center continuing to operate until 2014 when it was finally closed. we decided to visit its interior which as it appeared was well open and admired the old machinery which was still there. After that, we then headed back up to the city and decided to walk through what was left of the pretty old town. Featuring a mix of stone and timber Ottoman architecture and old Byzantine churches we thought it was a nice stroll. From there we then headed back to the accommodation where we picked up our car and drove out of the city towards the next destination. We drove through the beautiful open territory, nowadays part of Western Macedonia, with a large sparsely populated plain surrounded by bare mountains. It reminded me a lot of northern Nevada. One thing though which impacted negatively on the landscape were the many open mines and large power plants seen here and there. In fact, 70% of Greece's electricity comes from this small area as, like the nearby Republic of North Macedonia, the ground is full of lignite. Driving then uphill on the eastern side of the large plain we reached the small village of Nymfaio located at 1350m above sea level. This beautiful stone village is traditionally inhabited by a population known as the Aromanians, a romance-speaking people living in the Balkans and specifically in the area between Greece, Albania, and North Macedonia. As we parked the car we then walked through the pretty streets lined by the nice stone buildings featuring a typical light blue roof made of sheet metal. Then a little outside the village, through the forest, we then reached the Arcturos Bear Sanctuary, a Greek ecological organization that focuses its efforts on saving brown bear and grey wolves and their habitats. The part of the sanctuary where the wolves are located, down in the valley, was closed that day but we still managed to visit the one dedicated to the bears. A very friendly worker from the Sanctuary guided us and explained the center's history and purpose. There are about thirteen bears held there, with most of them having been saved from a life in captivity as dancing bears around the Balkans. What we really liked about the place was that the bears had plenty of space to roam about and visitors were only allowed to walk a small path close to just a tiny portion of the fence, so as to see them but not disturb them. We learned a lot, at least I did as Ania knew much already, and enjoyed the informative guiding by the friendly worker. After the visit, we walked back through the village and to our car and decided to stop on the way down to admire the beautiful panorama from such a high altitude. Then we were off and driving back down through the large plain and into the more mountainous territory. Later that afternoon we finally reached the town of Metsovo, nestled between high mountains, the Pindus mountains, and our stay for the night. Like the previous village, Nymfaio, Metsovo is also a traditional Aromanian town and the largest one in Greece. It features a beautiful historic old town with a typical stone and timber architecture like that found in other Ottoman-styled towns of the Balkans. After reaching our accommodation, the Apollon hotel, we parked the car in their narrow underground garage and then after leaving our bags in the nice room, decided to explore the town on foot. We walked past the nice main square in the middle of the town and then through the pretty narrow streets winding their way up the side of the mountain. After purposefully getting lost through the town's meanders, we headed back down to the main square and decided it was time to look for a place to have dinner. We chose a restaurant called Galaxias which featured a lovely interior with traditional decor. Here we had a tasty dinner, with local products that tasted really good. The food here was much different than in Thessaloniki and was much more hearty and fitting to the mountainous landscape. After the nice dinner, it was time to head back to our accommodation to rest.
The next day we woke up early and were happy to see the sun shining as we mostly had clouds and rain for the latter part of the day before. We then walked around Metsovo once more, this time with the sun, and then got back in the car to drive onwards. We drove along the Egnatia Odos motorway cutting through the mountains and reached then the city of Ioannina on the western shore of Lake Pamvotis in the eastern plains of Epirus. On the way down from the mountains, we had in fact been able to admire the lake and city down below. After reaching the city center we found a place to park the car and then explore on foot. Despite recent discoveries of Hellenistic era buildings, the city is traditionally known to have been founded by Emperor Justinian. It grew in power and importance during the later Byzantine era, particularly after the Fourth Crusade and the sack of Constantinople in 1204. After its conquest in 1430 and a long period under Ottoman rule, it came back into Greek hands after 1913. After walking through the city center from the car we then reached the well-preserved fortifications of the castle. This used to be the demarcation area during the Ottoman period, particularly enhanced after the failed Greek revolt in the 17th century, between the Jewish and Muslim population residing inside and the Greek one outside. Through the main gate topped by the clock tower, we entered the castle and walked through the pretty streets of the old town. We then reached the northern tip where a small hill, once a fortress, hosted the Aslan Pasha Mosque built in 1618. Nowadays its premises hold the Ethnographic museum, and around it are some other ottoman period buildings such as the Turkish library, a hammam bath, and the ottoman cavalry barracks. From the mosque, we also had a great view of the lake which was right below the walls of the castle and a little further the first peaks of the Pindus mountains. Back down and through the town we then reach the southeastern tip of the castle where the large Its Kale, or inner fortress, is located. Its large area features some of the most important monuments in the city. It is here that Hellenistic era foundations have recently been discovered, leading to think this is where the ancient acropolis used to stand. We passed the ruins of what was once Ali Pasha's palace, and previously a byzantine era fortification, with a few of its buildings still standing such as the gunpowder storage, the kitchens, a building now hosting the Byzantine museum, and the beautiful Fethiye Mosque. Built in 1611 in stone and replacing an older wooden mosque built right after the Ottoman conquest in 1430, it was later refurbished in 1795 by Ali Pasha, who made it the main mosque of his palace. It was built over what was once the old byzantine cathedral and now holds the graves of Ali Pasha and one of his wives. After a stroll around the fortress, it was time to head back to the car. After walking through town and reaching it we then left the city of Ioannina and drove north towards the mountain, stopping on the way to grab some food for lunch. Driving up and through a mountainous region part of the Pindus mountains, known as Zagori, we reached Monodendri one of the 46 villages, probably the largest and most known, that comprise the area. This beautiful area, the Zagochoria, is rooted in tradition, starting with its typical architecture composed of mostly stone houses with shale rooftops. As we passed through Monodendri, located at about 1060m above sea level, we drove on and continued further up the mountain until the street ended. Here we parked the car and continued on foot reaching then the Oxya viewpoint and incredible spot from where we could admire the beauty of the Vikos Gorge. Located in the middle of the Pindus mountains, this incredible gorge has a length of about 32km, depth ranging from 120 to 1350m, and a width ranging from 2500m to only a few meters at its narrowest part, which is specifically where we were. A large sign, next to the path stated how Vikos is listed as the world's "deepest relative to its width" gorge by the Guinness Book of Records. It was truly an incredible sight and we enjoyed it for quite some time, though unfortunately, we were not the only ones there. After that, we got back in the car and drove down towards Monodendri once again where we checked in our accommodation, Konstantinou & Elenis Hotel. The owners a very friendly Greek family showed us to our room and then after showering and leaving our bags, we decided to explore a little of the surroundings on foot. Obviously due to the high altitude and the later season, the air was quite chilly, but we had smartly planned to bring warmer clothes with us specifically for the days spent here. From Monodendri, we then took a trail that led us to the Agia Paraskevi Monastery, a nice 15th-century building built on the edge of the cliff facing the Vikos Gorge. We admire the traces of the frescoes inside and the beautiful view from a small terrace and then headed back to Monodendri. Here we followed a path leading through the forest and down a small valley which in about half-hour brought us to the nearby village of Vitsa, another of those Zagori villages. One interesting piece of historical info was that the villages of the area, after the Ottoman conquest in 1430, managed to maintain autonomy and together formed an autonomous entity. The absence of direct Ottoman rule allowed the inhabitants to develop a good standard of living, receive privileges, and continued professing their Christian faith. We walked around the small center and then through a trail in the forest that brought us to a nice viewpoint to the south of the village. In the distance, a beautiful landscape made up of forest-covered hills and bare mountains, with an incredible sunlight approaching sunset. We turned around and headed back into Vitsa where we decided to eat at a place called En Chora Vezitsa, which serves as both a hotel and restaurant, and served really tasty food. After dinner, we headed back along the main road instead of down the valley path as it was already dark, and in this remote mountainous region, it was completely pitch black.
In the morning we woke up early hoping to hike for most of the day, however, soon found out it was already raining and would do so for the most part of the day. So instead of hiking from Monodendri as intended, we just took the car and drove downhill and then back up on the other side of the valley to reach some of the other Zagori villages. On the way, we stopped to visit the Kokkoros Bridge, built in 1750, and one of the many beautiful stone bridges built around the area. They once served to cross the several rivers that converge from the mountains above into the larger Aoos river that incidentally formed the Vikos Gorge. These bridges were the only form of movement and communication in the area until the 1960s when the road was built finally connecting the remote villages to the rest of Greece. Due to their size and age, they could only be used by pedestrians and horses, and donkeys, thus emphasizing Zagori's remoteness. After taking several pictures of the single-arched humpback bridge, we drove on and stopped at another bridge, Plakidas. This one featured three arches and was built in 1814 but did not look as well preserved as the previous one. Right above the bridge we reached the village of Kipoi and decided to turn around here and drive up to a start of a trail we had hoped to walk. We drove up the mountain and after finding a parking spot, left the car and continued on foot. Here we walked up a series of steps carved in the mountain, known as the Vradeto Steps. Until 1973, when the road around the mountain was built, the steps were the only way to reach the town of Vradeto above. The hike was tough and very steep, but luckily it did not rain until we reached the top. On our way through the small village of Vradeto, it started pouring, and as we were hungry, we decided to find somewhere to eat. Luckily one of the two only places available in town was open and we headed inside. The place was rather like a private home with a couple of tables and an old lady who, speaking no English, proposed used some dishes she could make. We had a greek salad, some fried veggies, and fries, and despite tasting quite good were a bit surprised at the price which to us seemed a little high, particularly as there was no listed menu so the lady could have just invented any price she would have liked. After lunch, the rain had stopped, and so we followed a trail that eventually led us to the Beloi viewpoint, another nice spot overlooking the Vikos Gorge. From there we could see the viewpoint where we had been the day before, on the other side of the gorge, and this time we were all alone with the scenery. After admiring the panorama, we decided to head back, but unfortunately, on the way, I suddenly felt a sharp pain in my lower back and felt my legs go numb. I had to sit down for a bit and then slowly got up, still feeling the sharp pain at every step. Somehow, I managed though to walk the whole way back, limping slightly but eventually managing to reach the place where we had parked the car. With a bit of struggle, I then drove us back to Monodendri and immediately went to lay in bed after a hot shower which I hoped would help. It only helped in the short term, and I really had trouble laying on the bed as it was too soft now that I had the pain in the back. After a few hours, we decided to find somewhere as close as possible to have dinner, and opted for a taverna, the Vikos Gorge Taverna, just around the corner from the accommodation. The food here was not that great but it satisfied us and allowed me to get back quickly to bed hoping the pain would go away the next day.
After waking up, I was relieved to see that my pain had nearly completely disappeared, eventually noticing throughout the day that it did not bother me anymore. After leaving the accommodation, we drove one last time to the Oxya viewpoint and admire the Vikos Gorge, this time just the two of us. Then back in the car, we drove down the mountain, leaving behind us the Zagori villages. Driving through the Pindus mountains once more, and past Metsovo, we then reached the start of the large plains of Thessaly, stopping at the city of Kalabaka where we would spend the night. The town is mostly known for laying right below the rock formation which holds the beautiful monasteries of Meteora, a Unesco world heritage site and one of the most visited places in Greece. Before visiting them though we decided to look for a place to have lunch in the city, and opted for a restaurant called Valia Calda. Here we had a really tasty lunch, with my dishes being a fried cheese in honey and meatballs with a kind of gravy sauce. After eating it was time to visit the world-famous monasteries. We drove out of town and through the beautiful rocky landscape, which seemed out of the world, and parked the car right below the first monastery, the Monastery of St. Nicholas Anapausas, or Agios Nikolaos. A series of steps brought us to the top of the rock where the monastery was built, and an entrance fee allowed us inside. As in all other monasteries of the area, women were supposed to cover up till the elbows and knees and no photographs were allowed inside the parts of the churches. This monastery was built in the 16th century and its church featured a nice collection of frescoes dated 1527 by the Cretan painter Theophanis Strelitzas. The view from the top was really nice and we took the chance to take several picturesque as we were the only ones there and it was nicely bright and sunny. Back down and into the car we drove up the road and stopped at the next monastery, Monastery of Great Meteoron. The largest of them all, despite its size, in 2015 only three monks resided there. After parking the car, we then walked up the steps, and after paying the entry fee, explored the interior. In this one there were some visitors too, but nothing like the crowds of pre-covid times which I had seen in photos. Initially built during the mid 14th century it was later enlarged and refurnished the two following centuries. At its center stands the Katholikon, or main church, with nice frescoes from the 15th and 16th centuries. On the way to the next monastery, we stopped along the road to admire a beautiful view from a panoramic spot. From here we could see most of the monasteries perched on top of solitary rocks which are part of this surreal panorama. Unfortunately, the sun had disappeared and was now replaced by clouds, but the view was nonetheless worth it. Then onwards we reached the last monastery for the day, the Monastery of St. Stephen or Agios Stefanos. The southernmost it stands on a cliff overlooking the town of Kalabaka. Dating to the 16th century it was unfortunately shelled by the Nazis during World War II who believed it was harboring insurgents. After a period of abandonment, it was given over to nuns in 1961 who reconstructed it into a flourishing nunnery hosting now about 28 nuns. Its central church features an array of beautiful frescoes dating to the 16th century. After the visit, we then drove back into town and to our accommodation, Toti Boutique Rooms, where we were given a nice room with a partial view of Meteora above us. For dinner, we decided to head back to the same restaurant we had lunch in and chose well as the food tasted as good as before.
The next morning, after an early rise we decided to drive back to the monasteries and visit one other which we had not had the time to visit the previous day. That morning the sun was shining bright so we decided to stop on the way at some viewpoints to admire the view and take some pictures. Then we headed to visit the Monastery of the Holy Trinity, considered as one of the most inaccessible in the past. In fact, once, provisions had to be sent up baskets pulled by a rope ladder. The way up is still hard and is accessed by a small path dug inside the rock up to the top. After paying the entry ticket, we explored the complex consisting of a central church and buildings around it dating to the 15th century but remodeled the following centuries. The central church featured some nice frescoes dating to the 18th century. After the visit to the monastery, it was time to go. We got back in the car and after driving eastwards through the Thessalian plains and past the city of Larissa, reached the eastern coast. Here we decided to stop at a restaurant called Kymata Platamon, right on the beach, where we had a tasty lunch, with Ania having fried veggies and a salad, and me with veggies and grilled scampi, all while enjoying the sea view. After lunch, we then drove up a nearby hill and reached the Platamon Castle. We parked the car and walked to the entrance where we paid an entry fee to get in. The site consists of a fully complete outer wall built on a hilltop and with a central donjon keep. Inside the castle grounds were also a series of ruins dating from the Hellenistic era that confirm the site was used well before the construction of the castle. The fortifications date to the 10th century, during the Byzantine Era, and were later refurbished right after the Fourth Crusade when the castle was given to the Lombard knight Rolando Piska by Boniface of Montferrat, king of Thessaloniki. After coming into Byzantine hands once again in 1218 it was then captured by the Ottomans in 1385. For a really brief period, it was also in Venetian hands, from 1425 to 1427, before then remaining in Ottoman hands until the beginning of the 20th century. As we explored the area we admired the Hellenistic ruins, what was left of two Byzantine churches, and then admire the beautiful view from the top of the walls. Here we could see the whole coast below us, south towards Athens and north towards Thessaloniki. Northwards, not far, and looming right by the castle and just next to the coast was the impressive figure of Mount Olympus, standing at 2917m making it the largest mountain in Greece. After the visit to the castle, we decided to drive down to the nearby beach of Paralia Panteleimonos. We were the only ones there, and the water was inviting enough for me to have a quick swim. As soon as I got out of the water I noticed that an octopus had followed me to the shore and it seemed like he was quite taken from one of my feet, trying to grab it. I found it quite funny but also worrying as it seemed like he was not afraid of me at all. After a bit of time spent at the beach relaxing under the warm sun, we then got back in the car and continued on the journey northwards along the coast, driving then through the town of Dion and past its archeological site. Ancient Dion was an important Hellenic and later Roman city right at the foothills of Mount Olympus and known in antiquity for its sanctuaries to various gods. We did not have the time to visit the site but just drove by admiring what we could from outside. Finally, with a last drive north along the coast, we finally reached Thessaloniki's airport where we dropped off our car at the car rental place. We then took a bus which carried us to Thessaloniki's city center where we would spend the next two nights. After getting off the bus we headed on foot through the city center and reached our hotel, the Plaza Hotel, where we checked in and later went to bed.
In the morning, after breakfast in the hotel, we then headed out through the city to explore it together. Our first stop was the church of Panagia Chalkeon, an 11th century Byzantine church part of the Unesco world heritage site of Paleochristian and Byzantine monuments of Thessaloniki. The interior was rather dark but still featured large traces of frescoes dating from the origin of the church and others from the 14th century. I really liked the exterior though as it was featured the typical byzantine brick architecture and cross-in-square plan. Next up we then walked a little further and visited the church of Hagios Demetrios. Also part of the Unesco site, this large five nave basilica dates to the 7th century. It features a nice interior full of light and traces of mosaics dating to the 7th century and depicting St Demetrius and city officials which survived the many centuries while the church was converted into a mosque and the great fire of 1917. Also along the main central nave, there are some nice ancient greek and roman columns with decorated capitals. Below the church, a staircase led to a small museum that held some interesting early Christian marbles. and decorations including a large ciborium. After visiting the church we then continued onwards passing by the Alaca Imaret Mosque, dating to the 15th century, which was closed, as it is not used for religious services anymore. Not far from the mosque we then reached and visited the church of Prophet Elijah another 14th-century Byzantine church with a typical cross-in-square plan and part of the Unesco site. The interior was small but nice and still featured some traces of old frescoes even though mostly darkened by the passing of time. As we left the church we were now walking uphill and entering what is known as Ano Poli, or Upper Town. This is the large neighborhood in the northern part of the city center which survived unscathed the great fire of 1917. Built on a sloping hill it features colorful houses and picturesque narrow streets. On our way up we encountered the building of the Byzantine Bath, a 14th-century thermal complex that functioned continuously until the 1940s. Among the many that once existed in the city, it is the only surviving there, and the largest and best-preserved of the few Byzantine baths that have survived in Greece. Continuing further up we then entered and visited the church of Hosios David, known as the Latomos Monastery. The complex originally dates to the 6th century but was later refurbished during the 12th century when frescoes were added to the walls. The church, like many others, was converted into a mosque and only returned to its original religious purpose during the 20th century. Inside was a splendid mosaic over the apse dating to the 6th century and depicting the Theophany with christ as the main figure. The view from the terrace in front of the church was really nice as we could see the whole city down below and the waterfront and sea in the distance. Further uphill we then reached and visited another monastery, the Vlatades Monastery. Together with the previous one, it is also part of the Unesco site, but this one having been built during the 14th century. As we reached it we noticed there was a wedding going on on its premises, but we were still able to enter and visit the church. It featured some beautiful frescoes covering nearly every square inch of the walls. The view from the outside was as nice if not better than the previous one, and kept us there for quite a while enjoying the panorama. Just up from the monastery we then reached the ancient walls which once encircled the city and are now just preserved on the northern and eastern part of the old town. Built around the 4th century during the Byzantine Era the parts still remaining are wonderfully preserved an excellent example of medieval walls of this part of Greece. Next to the walls was the Heptapyrgion which we then decided to visit after paying an entry fee. This Byzantine-era fortress, later used by the Ottomans, was built together with the rest of the walls on the northeastern part of the old city. From the 1890s to 1989 the citadel functioned as a prison and just recently was turned into a museum. After seeing the parts where the cells and the guards were located we then climbed on its walls and towers and admired the view from there. As we were exiting the fortress we found a tree inside the citadel which had some kind of long beans hanging from its branches, I handed one to Ania who decided to try it; she felt it tasted weird so immediately spit it, but we did not know what would happen later that night. As we headed back downhill we then entered the Trigonion Tower, known as the Chain Tower, a well preserved byzantine tower part of the city walls. The entrance was included in the ticket we had bought for the Heptapyrgion and from there we had an even better view of the city and the waterfront not too far in the distance. Then after the visit, we followed the nice path sided by the ancient walls reaching then the lower neighborhood of Thessaloniki. Here we took a staircase next to the main street, Egnatia street, and reached an underground religious complex known as the Baptistery of St John the Baptist. It is considered the oldest early Christian baptistery and was annexed to a building complex of a five-aisled episcopal basilica of the fifth century. Now just some of its parts are remaining and can be admired under the street level. After stopping on the way to grab a salad and pomegranate to eat on the way, we then reached the hotel and Ania started not feeling so well. Unfortunately, she was sick the whole rest of the afternoon and evening. We thought at first it might have been the food, either the breakfast or the lunch, but then I had eaten the same things as her so it could not have been that. We then thought that maybe the bean-like thing she had tasted might have been what made her sick. We google it and found out it was in fact a plant whose beans were actually quite poisonous. That night then we eventually went out for dinner but she did not feel like eating anything, so I just had a burger from a place near our hotel called Pax Homemade Burgers. Then we headed back to sleep hoping she would feel better the next day.
In the morning after breakfast in the hotel, Ania felt much better, so we decided to head out and explore the rest of the city. Our first stop was the church of the Acheiropoietos, a nice 5th century three naved basilica part of the Unesco site. It held some nice columns with decorated capitals and several traces of mosaics from its origins. After the visit, we walked on and passed the church of Saint Panteleimon once again this time finding it open and visiting its nice interior. On the way, we then passed by the Ataturk Museum, a historic ottoman-styled house from the 19th century in which the founder of modern Turkey Mustafa Kemal Ataturk was born in 1881. Nowadays it functions as his house museum and the Turkish embassy is hosted in the nearby building. We then entered the Ano Poli neighborhood once again and walking up reached the church of Saint Nicholas Orphanos a 14th-century early Byzantine church part of the Unesco site as well. Its interior presented some nicely preserved frescoes contemporary with the church's construction which covered the ner entirety of the walls. The frescoes are an example of the Thessalonican school at the height of the Palaiologan Renaissance. After the visit to the church, we continued along the nice picturesque streets of the neighborhood and reached the western end of the old town where the church of Saint Catherine is located. Dating to the 13th century in a typical Byzantine style and part of the Unesco site it was unfortunately closed so we could only admire it from the outside. We had now seen most of the city and it was time to look for a place to eat. We opted to eat at Roots, the vegetarian and vegan place I had eaten at on my first day on the trip. After lunch, we then walked around a little more and then headed back to our hotel to gather our things and eventually take the bus which would take us to the airport in time to catch the flight back to Berlin.
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| The cupola of the Basilica of Saint Sophia |
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| The Basilica of St Sophia in Thessaloniki |
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| The Arch of Galerius with the Rotunda in the back |
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| The interior of the Rotunda, once the Tomb of Galerius |
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| View of the Rotunda with the added minaret |
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| The White Tower of Thessaloniki |
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| Kalogria Beach in the Sithonia Peninsula, the central of the three peninsulas that make up Chalkidiki |
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| View along the way on the southern side of Sithonia |
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| Toroni Beach |
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| The coast of Kalamitsi Beach |
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| A view on the Kalamitsi Beach |
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| The beach and waterfront of Sarti |
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| Kavourotrypes Beach |
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| The rocky coast around Kavourotrypes Beach |
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| The view of Mount Athos driving along the coast |
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| The Lion of Amphipolis |
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| The ancient theatre of Philippi |
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| The archaeological area of Philippi |
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| One of the Royal Tombs of Aegae in Vergina |
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| One of the streets of the old town of Edessa |
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| The old town of Edessa |
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| The old town of Nymfaio |
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| Another view of the town |
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| A bear of the Arcturos Bear Sanctuary |
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| The view from Nymfaio |
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| The view of the plains of Western Macedonia with the mines and power plants |
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| Metsovo among the Pindus mountains |
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| The old town of Metsovo |
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| View of the mountains from Metsovo |
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| A super cute stray dog with the Ionnina lake in the background |
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| The lake seen from the old town of Ioannina |
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| The Its Kale castle in Ioannina |
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| The Fethiye Mosque |
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| View of Monodendri one of the villages of the Zagori mountains |
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| The Vikos Gorge |
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| A street in Vitsa, another of the Zagori villages |
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| View of Vitsa |
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| The landscape around Vitsa |
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| The Kokkoros bridge |
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| The Plakidas bridge |
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| The Vradeto steps |
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| View around Vradeto |
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| The Vikos Gorge seen from the Beloi viewpoint |
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| The Monastery of Rousanou in Meteora |
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| Interior of the Monastery of Agios Nikolaos |
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| The Monastery of Agios Nikolaos |
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| The Monastery of Varlaam |
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| The interior of the Monastery of Great Meteoron |
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| The rocky landscape of Meteora as seen from one of the viewpoints |
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| The interior of the Monastery of the Holy Trinity |
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| The town of Kalambaka as seen from the Monastery of the Holy Trinity |
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| The Platamon Castle |
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| The castle walls and the view of the coast to the south |
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| The view from the castle of the coast to the north with Mount Oympus |
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| The church of Panagia Chalkeon in Thessaloniki |
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| The crypt below the church of Hagios Demetrios |
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| The interior of Hagios Demetrios |
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| The Alaca Imaret Mosque |
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| The interior of the Vlatadon Monastery |
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| The Heptapyrgion castle |
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| View of the walls and harbor from the Heptapyrgion |
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| A street in the upper town, Ano Poli |
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| Bars and restaurants in Ano Poli |
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| Another street in Ano Poli |
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