GREECE
We spent 9 wonderful days in Greece with the students. We visited so many places and covered a lot of territory. Thessaloniki to Athens is an 8-hour drive. Fortunately, we broke up the travel with overnight stops in Kalambaka and Delphi.
June 4, 2023 Sunday Up early, bus to Tel Aviv, flew to Thessaloniki. Had lunch at a fun outdoor restaurant, very Greek, dancing and music. Went out walking on the waterfront. Thessalonians! Beautiful Aristotle Plaza.
June 5, 2023 Monday We had our Thessaloniki tour on the bus with Gabriela the guide. She’s from Germany but has lived in Greece for 35 years. Visited the Hagios Demetrios Church, the Hagia Sophia, arch and Rotunda of Galerius, and city fortress on the hill above. After lunch at the same place (seafood today, with sardines and calamari!), we went to the Museum of Byzantine Culture, which was excellent. Had gelato with Eric Huntsman and Mauro Properzi, then enjoyed boat cruise on the harbor on a pseudo-pirate ship. Fun, but loud.
June 6, 2023 Tuesday First stop was the Baptistry of Lydia, a beautiful Greek orthodox church and a stream running nearby where traditionally Lydia was baptized the first woman Christian in Europe. So green and lush, grass, flowers, fruit trees! Mauro invited Deanne to give part of the devotional there, and she talked about faithful women, did a very nice job. Then on to the ancient site of Philippi, which is a large Roman site, with temples, forum, mosaics, a traditional prison of Paul, etc. Wildflowers were still out and we had an excellent experience there, thanks to Gabriela. We drove to the beautiful port town of Kavala (Neapolis anciently), where Paul probably landed to go to Philippi. Jim walked up to the fortress with a lot of the students and took in the views, also saw the well-preserved Kameres aqueduct.
June 7, 2023 Wednesday More travel in the footsteps of Paul. First a stop at the Altar to Paul at Berea where David Seely and Mauro Properzi gave devotionals. Then to the royal tomb at Vergina, the first capital of the kingdom of Macedonia, relatively recently discovered and full of treasures, unbelievable gold, tools, weapons, tombstones, etc. Drove on to Kalambaka, with a stop at the overlook above Meteora to get psyched! Greek dancing in the ballroom of the hotel in the evening.
Lunch at Aggelo’s, a family-run Greek restaurant. Lunches are always leisurely two-hour affairs.
Eric Huntsman teaching
A long drive to Athens, where we checked into the Divani Palace Acropolis Hotel, which is very close to the Acropolis, the Plaka, etc. A nice hotel, with a large double-suite, two bathrooms, adequate electrical outlets, and Wifi!!
June 10, 2023 Saturday Up for a drive along the coast. First to the Corinth Canal, then to ancient Corinth, with the Temple of Apollo and devotional on the Forum where Paul preached for 18 months. Next to Nemea, to see the stadium and watch the students (guys and girls) running Olympic races like crazy—some fast runners! Then to the Temple to Zeus, where we could actually walk on the temple grounds. We had lunch at the Agamemnon restaurant, lamb shanks! Then Mycenae, where we saw both the Treasury of Atreus (a big tomb) and walked up to the Mycenae ruins to see the Lion Gate and to the top. 3000 years old! Still there! Back to Athens for dinner.
