Two Days in Thessaloniki
- KB Cook
- Nov 23
- 7 min read
Day 55 Thessaloniki 1
[In the previous blog post, I described my travels by bus from Sofia, Bulgaria to Thessaloniki, Greece. This continues the report.]
Half the bus’s passengers got off at the station outside of town. Arriving on time at 3, I was lucky and picked the correct direction to get to my hotel – it was a straight shot down the main thoroughfare for about 5km. It was a nice day, one side of the street was in the shade, so I hoofed it, getting to the Imperial Plus Hotel by 4 and in room 302 shortly thereafter. With a wall of windows (and blackout curtains, it had a queen bed, floor space, and a decent bathroom.
With four cathedrals on my list, and about 24 hours before I joined the land tour, I set out onto the street. Maps took me on a zigzag path, which still didn’t help too much in locating the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception / Καθεδρικός Ναός της Αμώμου Συλλήψεως which has a designation of Frangoklisia (Φραγκοκλησιά), a term used to link to the Frankish rule during the Crusades. Tucked into the center of a block, a break in the buildings provided access.
A domed tower provides a covered porch before the entrance, matching the exterior’s sand-colored surface with beige trim. The center of the three-aisle nave is filled with dark wood pews, which contrast with the flat white of the walls, arches, columns and vault (some of which take on a pink tint in the light.) The side aisles have individual chairs. I noted the autumnal colors in the abstract designs filling the stained-glass windows.
The altar table stands at the edge of the sanctuary, while the simple marble cathedra occupies the place of the high altar. Little more than a couple of paintings, several icons, and the Stations adorn the walls. Returning to the outside, the extreme closeness of the neighboring buildings prevented my finding a satisfactory shot – I kept looking at the apartment windows, hoping to catch an occupant’s eye for an above-ground photo.
Exiting the confines of this heart of the block, I began heading towards the Church of the Holy Faith, the Greek Orthodox see. About a kilometer, many of the streets looked to be primarily for pedestrians. When I arrived, the ochre-colored walls of the ex-cathedral (to 1524) sitting below street level surprised me. The Hagia Sophia Cathedral / Ιερός Καθεδρικός Ναός Αγίας Σοφίας has basically a square footprint facing west, with a single large dome over the center. With no lights turned on, and the center of the rotunda being cordoned off, photography was a challenge. Using the “Moon” setting, I got a few very dark shots.
From there, I decided to walk down to the waterfront, and then aim towards the port. A block and a half before I reached the boardwalk, on the corner stood the Holy Metropolitan Cathedral of Saint Gregory Palamas / Ιερός Μητροπολιτικός Ναός Αγίου Γρηγορίου του Παλαμά. Built in the early twentieth century after a fire in 1890 destroyed the previous cathedral, it is the active cathedral in Thessaloniki. A neo-Byzantine building, smaller red domed towers occupy the corners and a much larger dome sits over the center.
After being in the Hagia Sophia, I felt the nave floorspace was much smaller. Light pours through lantern windows in the central dome, and lights were on, so I was able to enjoy and admire the multitude of illustrations covering nearly every (non-floor) surface. A broader color palette had been used, with rich blues and olive greens added to the traditional red and gold. I left feeling uplifted, and continuing outside, soon arrived on the pedestrian breakwater.
It was a beautiful Saturday late afternoon as I strolled along the waterfront. When I came to the perpendicular pedestrian street, I turned and strolled to the main throughfare where the Alkazar Mosque / Αλκαζάρ Θεσσαλονίκης stood across the boulevard, scaffolding signally that restoration was underway. Back at the Imperial Hotel I unloaded the camera to the netbook, unpacked a bit, and then grabbed my journal to take to dinner.
Here are some street scenes from my walking in Thessaloniki:
Crossing the street from the hotel, I wended my way, having to cross another main street before getting into a “real” neighborhood. Paraflou / Παραφλού is a casual eatery on the corner, with tables on the sidewalk and more inside along the windows, and seating at the counter. They have a good wine list, and “native food”. Getting a Greek wine, Refosco from Gregoriadis Wines, a blend aged for 12 month in French oak barrels, I got the sampler of homemade spreads: tzatzīkī, tyrokafterī (fennel and pickled pepper) and taramasalata. My tastebuds were in seventh heaven. For a main I asked for the special, Greek sausage with potato salad. Two different grilled sausages, the sides were a red cabbage salad with vinegar, the potatoes seasoned with dill, it all went so well together, prompting a second glass of wine.
Day 56 Thessaloniki 2
Waking at 8, I headed downstairs for breakfast. Scrambled eggs, bacon, spanakopita, cheese pie, juice and very weak coffee set me up for an active Sunday running around greater Thessaloniki. Back in the room, I finished packing, bringing my gear to registration to check out and then store for the day. Crossing the street, I found the newspaper stand where bus tickets were sold, getting a handful.
Setting off on a #83, I rode it up into the hills to the end of the line, unintentionally in Langadas. [Checking the route on the phone, Maps inadvertently dropped my destination in favor of showing the line and all its stops. I should have exited in town.] So when I got off, I had a 15-minute walk through the quaint village. Walking the sidewalk along a cast iron fence of crosses, the Metropolitan Church of St. Paraskevi / Ι.Ν.Ἁγίας Παρασκευής is the seat of the Holy Metropolis Lagkada Litis & Rentinis. It is a cream-colored church with red tile trim and roof.
As I approached, a small crowd of older people were gathering, and I soon found that a funeral was about to start. Grabbing my camera and working quickly, I was out in about 5 minutes, trying to respect the deceased and his family and friends. Not able to appreciate it while there, my pictures reveal a beautiful interior. (By the way, the episcopal office is located in the next building north, on the same triangle as the cemetery.)
Knowing that I needed to head back on the returning bus, I headed to a closer bus stop in town. Coming down from the heights, I noticed the pyramidal mountain to the west, terraced by excavations. In Neapoli, I had planned on transferring to another bus, but it was a beautiful day and I chose to walk. After about 30 minutes mainly climbing the hill, I came to a stunning building, the Cathedral Church of St. John the Baptist / Ιερός Καθεδρικός Ναός Τιμίου Προδρόμου Νεαπόλεως. Founded in 1983, it was consecrated in 2004. Situated on a hillside, it occupies three levels.
Coming off the street up the hill, a large paved plaza fills the southeast side. To the left, an arch opened to a door, while to the right several arches covered doors directly into the nave. Using the open door on the left, I entered into a reception area. Encountering a priest, I asked if I would be allowed to visit and take photographs. Fortunately, he understood some English, and I was ushered through the narthex into the church proper.
The side aisle had lower ceilings than the central nave, with a 3-story vault. Unadorned walls and ceiling were a warm cream, a huge gold chandelier suspended from the dome. The iconostasis is dark wood, with gold-backed icons filling the frames. Turning around and looking back, the gallery forms a U above the aisles and narthex.
With another level to explore (on my search for the facilities), I was able to see the crypt. Older icons were placed in niches, an icon of the Mother and Child on a column was also a basin. A narrow room turned out to be a chapel, with a waist-high wooden screen in front of an altar. A very shallow red brick dome with mosaics caught my eye. Thanking the priest as I left the grounds (so he could return to his family for Sunday dinner), I climbed the rise across the street to capture a great image for the volume of Cathedrals to the Glory of God. Off to my left, over the tops of buildings, were the waters of the Thermaic Gulf.
Still before noon, I decided that I should walk back to the hotel. It took about an hour, and was mostly downhill. I would run into walls with overhanging rosemary, scenting the air. Surprisingly, when I reached Thessaloniki proper, I was directly across from the hotel. I collected my gear, putting the camera into the small roller, and enjoyed a bottle of water the receptionist offered. The meeting point and new hotel for my group land tour of Greece was at the City Hotel, about a kilometer away, so I headed out onto the sidewalk and strolled and rolled my way to the next step of this adventure.
[My report on Day 56 will continue in the next blog, detailing my adventures with the EF Tour in Greece for two weeks.]
You can purchase your own copy
(or have me send it as a gift) of
Cathedrals to the Glory of God
by clicking this link:
Volume II has been released
You can order your personal copy
(Print on Demand)
Cathedrals to the Glory of God
Volume II
by clicking this link:
Comments