Next stop, Thessaloniki, the second largest city in Greece. Since Luciya loves Greek and Roman mythology, we wanted to visit the area around Mt. Olympus. Thessaloniki is close to the fabled home of the gods.
In fact, there it is, right across the bay.
Our AirB&B was right on the main square, about five blocks from the ocean.
It was a great location with lots of restaurant, including a place with all the gyros. Delicious!
After discussing our options, Luciya decided that rather than visiting Mt. Olympus, she wanted to do an all-day trip to the monasteries of Meteora.
So the next morning we boarded the bus at 8:00am, bound for the domain of the Mad Monks.
I was concerned that they might be especially mad at me because they require long pants for visitors, and I refuse to wear long pants all day in 95 degree weather for a two-hour visit with a bunch of judgey monks. Luckily, the tour guide had us covered. Literally. He passed out slip-on pants to the men and long skirts and shawls to the women. Naughty knees and shoulders modestly hidden, we were ready to meet the monks.
And we were able to get a good view of Mt. Olympus on our way. It's the one with notch in the background.
As we approached Meteora, we got a good look at the dramatic rock formations that inspired the monks to climb and build. There were originally 24 monasteries perched on these rocks; only six remain. Built between the 13th and 14th centuries, they are an amazing tribute to the tenaciousness and construction skills of the monks, as in those days there were no roads to transport building materials to the top of those rocky spires, just ropes and pulleys and donkeys.
The first monastery we visited is actually a convent. That's a relatively recent development. St. Stephen's monastery was built somewhere between 1400-1500. Like all the other monasteries of Meteora, it was all male until the nuns took it over in 1961.
The inside of the chapel is lavishly painted in Eastern Orthodox style. I missed the sign that forbids photos and video and got one picture before Luciya pointed out the watch nun reaching for her ruler.
The monastery has sweeping views of the plains of Thessaly, and we were lucky enough to have a very clear day on which to appreciate them.
The nuns definitely have green thumbs. The grounds are beautifully maintained, with lots of flowers and mature shade trees.
The whole area is insanely picturesque.
I was so taken by this painting that I broke the no-photos rule and snuck a shot while the nuns were inspecting other visitors for dress code violations. Later I worried that scofflaws like me might be just the kind to be pushed off the ladder to paradise and cast into the jaws of the hell-beast. But I got over it.
The vertical rock in the left center is called the Finger of God. Was He/She actually giving me the finger for my impious ways?
The rocks are riddled with caves that in times past were home to a legion of hermit monks too ascetic to mingle in the monastic communities nearby.
After the monastery tours, we stopped at a local restaurant for an unexpectedly delicious lunch, then made our way back to Thessaloniki.
We passed a random 13th century castle on the way.
Back in Thessaloniki, the square in front of our apartment was filled with protesters. Some were protesting the war in Gaza, others more local issues.
There was also a fairly large and well-armed police presence. Luckily, it all ended peacefully.
The White Tower was constructed soon after the Ottomans captured the port in 1430 as part of the city's fortifications. It's now a museum.
The Roman emperor Galerius had this triumphal arch and the neighboring Rotunda constructed in the 4th century AD. In a city filled with graffiti tags, they remain unmarked.
We were amazed at the amount of graffiti tags everywhere in Greece. Unlike most cities we've visited in other countries, there is very little street art, but almost every building is covered with tags.
After Thessaloniki, we returned to Athens for one last night before our flight to Rome. We had dinner at the Stork Rooftop Bar in the Niche Hotel. The food and drinks were excellent, but the view was even better.
P.
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