Monday, February 2nd, was somewhat of a failed adventure but also a wonderful day. The group was exhausted and getting weary since we had not had a true free day since January 19th in Egypt. We drove from Makrynitsa to Olynthos, but the museum there was closed. Then all restaurants were closed (because it was a Monday) until we reached Thessaloniki. Immediately after unloading at the hotel, we explored for restaurants and found a delicious pita gyro shop called Luigi’s. (It was very late in the afternoon by this point). They had delicious pita gyros. Then Allie, Louisa and I decided to explore Thessaloniki by taking a walk to the water. We went for what turned out to be a six-mile walk until dusk. We found the famous white tower on the water and then walked along an exercise path until we reached the end of the dock. It was an amazing walk, and we had wonderful conversation so that we all got to know each other more deeply. We agreed and disagreed on many things, but the conversation was inspiring for me since we were able to share beliefs without getting offended or confrontational. On the way back to the hotel, we lost our way and had to awkwardly consult Greek-speaking passers-by and a large map we had from the hotel. Once we found the street we should be on, we celebrated by each getting a little treat at a local bakery. That night, we ate at a crêpe restaurant that we had found on our walk and had delicious crêpes! They were different than ones I had had in the past because they were thicker, and the ingredients were different. I ordered one with many thick toppings – salami, potatoes, tomatoes, and cheese.
On Tuesday, we visited Vergina and saw the tumulus thought to contain the tomb of Philip II, Alexander the Great’s father. The site is literally a huge burial mound, and the museum is built inside the mound. Walking into the museum, you walk through a long dark tunnel under a huge mound of earth. The museum was one of my favorites because it was dark and almost mysterious, and the descriptions were thorough. I also find it so mysterious and interesting how much was put in people’s tombs for storage or preparation for the afterlife. It certainly is a foreign concept to us. Philip II’s tomb house, if you will, (what is thought to be his tomb; there is not universal consensus on this) was beautiful. It was in a large building (9.5 x 5.6 m) with the tumulus built around it, and is remarkably well-preserved. In preparation for our visit to Vergina, we read sources on Philip II’s assassination. Pausanius, the assassin, fled the site and was killed before anyone could ask him questions about his motives, so there are countless theories it.
On Wednesday, as we drove from Thessaloniki to Xanthi, we stopped in Philippi, the site of the first Christian community in Europe. Saint Paul traveled there in 50 A.D., and he wrote the epistle to the Philippians based on the community in Philippi. In addition to seeing the remains of the city with its church, market, and Roman agora, we especially enjoyed seeing the bathroom. Look up the ancient toilets at Philippi to picture this, because this is another idea that is completely foreign to us. We all sat on the toilets (and with 17 of us there were many to spare), and we sat about a foot away from the person next to us.
We had a free day on Thursday in Xanthi, Greece. While Xanthi is a sizeable town, it is small and relatively easily to navigate (though I did manage to get lost here too). On Thursday, I went to a very nice long “lunch”, starting at 3:00 pm, with Dr. Krentz, Emily, Louisa, Allie and Reed. The lunch was with the wife of a Davidson graduate and her two young children. The woman (and I can’t remember her name!) is Greek, and she met her husband in Germany while he was on a Davidson study abroad trip there. She is now a lawyer in Xanthi. Her husband tragically passed away because of a sickness several years ago, and there is a memorial scholarship in his name for Davidson students. We had a really delicious meal with her, and it was a valuable and eye-opening experience for us to meet her and her children. I definitely take my parents’ lives and having a stable two-parent household for granted.
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