Out and About with Jill

Jill's visit these past few days has been an opportunity for Pat and me to try out our skills as Thessaloniki tour guides.  We think we did pretty well!  We have become much more comfortable getting about the city.  Here are a few photos from our weekend and probably my last post from this visit. 

 

 

 

This is a photo from the crypt under the Church of St. Demetrios.

We have heard a number of stories about this crypt, but the one that seems most likely

is that this area, which is now underground was a roman bath house at the time when Demetrios was martyred around 300AD.  Tradition has it that Demetrios was imprisoned here until he was killed.  Since then the site was one of the early Christian churches and is now the largest church in Greece.  It has quite a history and the church itself houses some impressive early Christian artwork and artifacts.  The "crypt" is now a museum of artifacts from the churches that have been on the site from early times. 

 

 

 

Saturday, we mobilized and took a taxi to the far end of the palladia.  This is a beautiful parkway along the waterfront.  It has been under construction/renovation for 5 years and it was fun to see the new parts from the last time we were here.  This is a wonderful outdoor area that is enjoyed by everyone, at all times, in all seasons.  It is a very popular place ~ babies to elderly, toddlers, children of all ages, bikers, walkers, dog walkers, you name it, they are probably there. 

 

 

 

Artemis had her first big outing in her new stroller.  She did very well, sleeping in the sunshine much of the time and having her first meal and diaper change in a social situation.

 

 

 

Part way into our stroll, we stopped at a dockside taverna for some dinner.  A group of youngsters were finishing up a sailing lesson in these little sailboats when we arrived.  It was good entertainment to watch them clean everything up and put everything away. They were very professional about it all.

 

 

 

We sat at the perfect spot right on the edge of the water~

 

 

where we had a great meal, conversation, and watched the sun set.

 

 

 

Ian, Eleftheria and Artemis called it a day soon afterward and headed for home.

 

 

 

 

Pat, Jill, and I walked to the end of the palladia and then through the Center and caught the bus home.

 

 

 

This morning, Sunday, Artemis waited patiently while we got ready to walk from the Fortress and through the old town.

 

 

The Byzantine/Ottoman fortress is situated at the high point of the original city and what is left of the walls of the city extend out from it and go to the sea marking the outside boundary of the old city.  It is slowly undergoing some restoration work with plans eventually to be public space.

 

 

Eleftheria, Ian and Artemis, see the pink flower by Ian's chin, take a coffee break.  Artemis traveled today snuggled in her sling.  The cobbled streets of the old town do not much accommodate strollers.

 

 

 

In the late 19th century through 1989 the fortress was repurposed as a prison (oh my :-(

This is the visiting area; prisoners on one side and visitors on the other.  This was not a "country club" prison.

 

 

 

The earliest part of the fortress and city walls probably date to the 300s AD and they were knocked down and rebuilt multiple times as the city changed hands throughout history.  One of the interesting features of the (re)constructions is the reuse of materials.  You can find all manner of artifacts incorporated in the brickwork.

 

 

 

 

We have already posted photos of the old city, I think.  If not, and you really want to see them, I have hundreds!  As we walked down through the cobbled streets, we came upon this happy cat sunning itself on the roof.

 

 

 

This is one of two historic churches we were hoping to go into today.  They are both UNESCO World Heritage sites and alas, neither were open.

 

 

 

 

Another site that was not open is Rotunda of Galerius, a 4th century Roman emperor.  This structure was built originally as his mausoleum, which he didn't use, and was/is connected by a roadway through his triumphal arch and his palace.  The arch is partially intact and the palace is an excavation site and partly under a current plaza area.

The Rotunda has variously been a polytheistic temple, a Christian basilica, a Muslim mosque, an Episcopal Church and is now an historic archeological site.  The restored minaret is the only one in the city.  

 

 

 So, at the end of our journey we were back in the center where we stopped for

hot chocolate at the café where we went on our first walk six weeks ago.  Ian, Eleftheria and Artemis headed for home and Jill, Pat and I walked through town taking in a few more sites before catching the bus home. 

 

Jill heads back to England tomorrow night, Monday, and Pat and I head for home early Wednesday morning. It has been quite a six weeks! 

Love you all.