Eastern Europe: Thessaloniki (Thess-a-low-niki)

Day 5 - July 19th, 2012
Thessaloniki, Greece

Continental breakfast... ye haw!!!

Thessaloniki has been inhabited for thousands of years, with thousands of years of history to go with it.  Ye Lonely Planet recommends taking a Taxi to the Kastro (Castle) and then doing a walking tour back to the water... so that is what we did.  The Kastro was UNESCO numero two for us and it was the original walls that surrounded the city.  We headed down the hill to a monastery which was another UNESCO site, and then further down.  This was the oldest part of the city and the houses seemed to cling to the hills.  Thank goodness we weren't driving this time!  After being lost for a time we managed to find the Turkish bath, and then an amazing church.  The church holds the remains of a Christian martyr who was slain in the early days of Christianity when defending his beliefs.  The martyr's relics remain in the church, and his great deeds are told in mosaics scattered throughout.

Thessaloniki

The Walls

Walls

UNESCO

Through the Battlements

A Gate

Along the Wall

Old and New

An Unexpected UNESCO

The Monastery

Door

Under the Vines

The Church

Carved Eagle(s)

Mosaic

Details

Inside

Mighty Chairs

Restored and Not

Painting

The Eagle(s)

Aisle

Next was the Roman Agora, and from there we went to the Rotunda, which was built as a mausoleum for Galerius, the Roman commander at the time of the martyr's execution, but was later used as the first Christian church in Thessaloniki.  Down from the Rodunta was the Arch of Galerius, the Palace of Galerius, and then Thessaloniki's great White Tower.

The Agora

Under the Agora

Inside the Rotunda

The Arch and the Rotunda

The Arch

The Palace

Nude

Sketching Nude

About the "White" Tower

The White Tower

The White Tower and the Aegean

Tower Bust

360 of Thessaloniki's Coast

It was the heat of the day by this point, and after a quick lunch it was time to make ourselves scarce until the sun did the same.

 

Thessaloniki's Waterfront

Later, we managed to make our way onto the pier to a restaurant called "Kitchen Bar."  We had to wait for a table but it was worth it.  Our seats were right on the edge of the pier where we could look over Thessaloniki.  I ate something they call "baby pig" which seemed to be confit du pig as far as I could tell.  It was amazing, and the view was spectacular.  It was a late night, a great night, and then back to the hotel for a nap till morning.