Thessaloniki Macedonia Northern Greece.

Last night, we walked down to the port. One of the warehouse was teeming with young people as the disco raved.  Outside were two police cars and the army !! 

Thessaloniki is a typical tourist town with blocks of apartments facing the sea. 

 

The town is the first place we experienced a holiday atmosphere with  lots of people walking, eating and drinking. Some establishments were full of young people having  a good time, others for the more sober visitors! 

Our hotel is right in the heart of Ladadika; a bustling area of hotels and restaurants. The hotel was an excellent choice, the staff we most helpful. (€58per night). My only complaint was that the air conditioning didn't cool the room to my requirements! Last night we ate at a nearby typical Greek restaurant - the grilled cheese was delicious. 

On our return to the hotel, we fell into conversation with the receptionist. He was a well qualified young man who had completed a Masters in Public Policy in Madrid University. Greece needs young men such as him.

He told us that he regretted returning to Greece. He was disillusioned with the political system. When I made the observation that the economy appeared to be improving, he dissented and said that the Greek people were still hurting though they give the contrary impression.

At 07.00 hours the town was asleep - not a sole appeared until 10.00 hrs. Thessaloniki is the second city of Greece, with a population of only 325,000. The sun rose but it appears, it will commence raining at 15.00 hrs so we had better do the suggested walk before then......

We set off along the port to see the White Tower. 

 

It has a sad history as a prison and torture chamber. In 1826, Sultan Mamud11 massacred rebellious janissaries (an elite troop of forcibly Islamised boys) there. In 1913, Greece reconquered its country and whitewashed the tower to obliterate its bloody past - the white wash has obviously faded over time! 

From there, we turned inland and first encountered the Palace of Galerius,

 

 

followed further along our route by the Arch of  Galerius built to celebrate his victory over the Persians.

 

We heard music playing and diverted down a side street to hear the band. Thessaloniki has its own symphony orchestra - rare for a town of its size to support one. 

 

Further on Galerius also built the Rotunda; a 30 metres edifice as his future mausoleum but he died of a mysterious disease and is buried in Serbia. It had life as a Christian church and later as a mosque with an added minaret. 

 

Galerius chose prime sites on elevated land overlooking the sea!

A brief stop for lunch and our next visit was where Ataturk, first President of the Republic of Turkey, was born.  On our Orient Express Trip, we saw the suite in which he lived in the Pera Hotel in Istanbul. 

 

On we continued - the temperature had risen from 22-26 degrees but there was no sign of the promised rain. 

We visited the Church of Agios Dimitrios, the patron saint of Thessaloniki. The church is set in its own square.

 

In 306AD, Dimitri was killed at this site by order of Galerius, persecutor of Christians  His remains are in a side altar. 

 

It too became a mosque after the Ottman conquest and returned to church status after the Greek reconquest.

 

In 1917, Thessaloniki suffered a major fire and the church was damaged - only 5 original mosaics survived. 

 

To find our route back to the hotel was to prove a challenge- roads led off in all directions - the only solution was to keep walking downwards to the sea (geographers you understand) and so we did arrive one block from the hotel-after 5 hours of sightseeing!! 

It's siesta time now.....