Day 4: Wednesday, September 8: Berea, Vergina, Meteora, Kalambaka.
Today we left Thessaloniki following another very nice breakfast. We had some drizzle/rain today (unusual for Greece in September), and some cloud cover at times, but temps were mild in the 70s. As we departed the hotel, we read from Philippians 1:12-21.
Berea
Our first stop was only 45 minutes away. Today the city of 40,000 is called Veria. It is called Berea in the Bible. While there is no archaeological ruins to see here, we visited a very nice memorial in honor of the early church here. Paul visited this site and found the believers here “searching the Scriptures” (Acts 17:11). A number of Greek men and women also became believers. Paul left Berea for the coastline and sailed to Athens, while Timothy and Luke took the inland route to Athens.
Vergina
Only a few miles away was our next stop, Vergina. This was where Philip II, the father of Alexander the Great, was buried following his death in 336 BC. He was murdered by his body guard in the theater while attending a wedding. His tomb was discovered in 1975. The tomb was untouched, with many of the treasures (lots of gold and ivory!) on display in the museum. His son’s tomb was also discovered three years later.
“I enjoyed the site of Meteora today. The scenery was spectacular and so unique too. These monasteries perched high on those rocks was amazing to see.” -Tour Member-
Meteora – Kalambaka
From here we entered the Pindos mountain range and drove three hours to Meteora. We stopped about half way for a quick bit to eat. Meteora (from a greek word meaning “suspended in air” is famous for the Greek Orthodox monasteries perched high upon the unique rock formations. There are four functioning monasteries today ,and two convents. These date from the the 14th century AD. In the 16th century there were 24 of them. We climbed a few hundred steps and entered the Verlaam monastery.
Following this visit, we enjoyed two panoramic views. The clouds lifted enough to allow us to see the other five monasteries. What a magnificent view! To end the day we drove to Kalambaka and enjoyed a stroll down the main street.
A few miles away is the Amalia hotel. We checked in two by twos (with our temperature checked). We enjoyed dinner and a free evening.
Day 5: Thursday, September 9: Thermopylae, Delphi, Athens
