Weather: Sunny
Temperature: 38+
Today we headed out of Thessaloniki to the surrounding areas exploring natural and ancient sites. We somehow misheard or didn’t find ourselves close enough to our guide and thought our day was finishing at 3pm - however we returned to Thessaloniki at 6pm.
On our way to Edessa, our first stop, we passed many groves of peach trees which had just been harvested. Edessa is famous for its beautiful waterfall which has a drop of 24 metres. It is very fast flowing and visitors are able to walk beneath the fall and look out to the spectacular view below. As it took 90 minutes to reach Edessa we stopped at the café within the site and had a coffee and cold drinks. The temperature was beginning to rise!
A short drive away was the town of Naoussa which is famous for the School of Aristotle where Alexander the Great received his lessons from the great philosopher from the ages of 14 to 16. Other students were the children of Macedonian aristocracy. We watched a short film which explained the site before we set off in the increasing temperatures. Not a lot remains here however we could enter the caves which abutted the buildings used by the scholars. I’m sure the reason they used the caves was the naturally cooler temperatures as opposed to the searing summer heat.
On the way to our next stop we crossed the Aliakmon River which is the longest river in Greece. It is impressively wide and moves down to a delta to the Aegean Sea.
Lunchtime beckoned and as we disembarked from the bus we diverged from the tourist rabble and ambled up the street to a smaller café. Our aim was to spread the tourist dollar! The owner was a lovely lady who convinced us her souvlaki was the best so we duly ordered that with the ubiquitous Greek salad and tzarziki salad. The souvlaki (pork) was delicious and as we finished lunch she cut some grapes from the vine above the verandah for us to enjoy.
A short stroll down the road took us to the museum and tomb of Phillip II. To say this site was gobsmacking is an understatement. This archaeological find of four intact tombs is in the realm of the discovery of Tutankhamen’s tomb. The tombs are presented in situ and the doors have not been opened since they were sealed at the time of entombment. Archaeologists have entered through the roofs and removed the objects just as tomb plunderers have done over thousands of years. Seeing exquisite gold crowns, greaves (shin pads), armour, pots etc in readiness for the afterlife presents an extensive collection. Unfortunately, we were not permitted to take photos here – generally you are allowed to take photos but no flash so I have none of the interior to share on the blog.
Our last stop for the day was Veroia - a very pretty town which boasted at one stage after World War One of having seventy-four churches. I’m not sure how many there are now but we certainly passed quite a few as we strolled the streets in searing heat. St Paul delivered sermons here and a huge monument with magnificent mosaics pays homage to this.
One church, the Cathedral of Veroia was built in the 11th century. It is a three aisled church with frescoes dating back 1320. It is undergoing a major reconstruction project (2007-2013) being funded by Greece and the EU. I wonder if this will eventuate now with the current economic climate?
The heat was pretty oppressive today and we were glad to retreat to the bus and the air-conditioning. The majority of the bus catnapped as we made our way back to the hotel. Desley and I were dropped off at Aristotle Square with some others to take in the shops however, I think the day had taken its toll and we didn’t get carried away…particularly as unbelievably winter gear was being displayed!!
Tomorrow we return to Athens via Pella.
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