A Long Weekend in Thessaloniki

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When searching for flights, there are three factors in play - price, destination, and date. Usually, you can specify two of the three factors. In order to find cheap flights for example, you are able to choose the destination OR the date. In this case, we were limited to traveling during a mandatory vacation, and so the destination was ‘whatever came about’. In fact, I had no idea where Thessaloniki was on a map, but quickly found out that there is quite a bit of history and culture in the second largest city in Greece.

Flying in on Aegean Airlines (quite an experience in itself), we passed by Mount Olympus, which conjured screams of excitement from our kids. Reading legends of grandeur and the Greek gods (even the Percy Jackson series) in preparation for the trip was a great way to introduce a country that played a significant role in history.

Of course, the Archaeological Museum was a highlight for us. It was a whirlwind through several centuries of art - statues of the greek gods, sarcophagi, ancient pots and tools, and of course, lots and lots of gold. Now, this was one of those museums that people would tell us not to go to because it would be ‘boring’ for the children - it was basically a lot of static exhibits with a lot of text. But by reading stories and finding that one exciting piece for each child (for example, Brecklyn was enchanted by the gold wreaths that the ancient Greeks wore in their hair) we were able to spend a couple of hours being immersed and telling them stories that we knew. Way better than pictures in a history book!

I imagined eating a lot of Greek food, but due to the Turkish influence in the area, the food had a bit of Moroccan influence. That being said, some of our favorite dishes included Greek yogurt and honey for breakfast, risotto with basil and feta, and of course, lamb Gyros. The portion sizes were huge and dining was expected to occur over several courses and with lots of socializing. Dessert is included and part of the dining experience. Often, we’d be overly full after dinner and they’d ask us about dessert. We’d say “No thank you” but they’d bring it out anyways, on the house (!), which was a big hit with the kids.

As part of the history lesson, Thessaloniki became a pilgrimage for our family. We walked through the Church and Crypt of Ayios Dimitrios (Saint Demetrios), which was built on top of an old Roman bath. It was here that that St. Demetrius, the patron saint of Thessaloniki, was imprisoned and martyred in AD 303.

At VBS the summer prior, the kids also learned about Saint Paul, so they were thrilled to read more about him and see some of the locations that he visited. In Thessaloniki, you can visit the old Roman forum and see many remnants of the wall that Saint Paul passed through to escape out of the city. Close to the wall, there is Vlatadon Monastery, built on the spot where St. Paul preached. From here you can take in a beautiful view of the sea and Mount Olympus from high over the city. This was where our kids recited from memory (1 Corinthians 13 4-8).

Thessaloniki is also known for the large number of Greek Orthodox churches. We walked through many churches and we amazed by the Byzantine era paintings that adorned them. We attended church and were amazed to see the faithful people kiss the paintings in adoration.

For a short visit, Thessaloniki was a great city to explore. The historic roots and art are a great lead-in to Byzantine and Greek cultures, and the city itself is small enough that you can see most of the major sites in a long weekend.

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We thought it would be nice to list some details about sights, food, logistics mentioned in this post, and a few more examples of family friendly activities in Thessaloniki. Information should be accurate as of early 2014, but please double check via websites or direct contact with the sites if you are planning to visit.



1. Museum of Byzantine Culture and the archaelogy museum

Information: You can buy a reduced fare combo ticket for 8 euros for both the archaelogy and byzantine culture museum. Kids are free.

A. http://mbp.gr/html/en/mouseio.htm

B. http://www.amth.gr/index.php/en/



2. Church and Crypt of Ayios Dimitrios (Ayios Demetrios)

Information: Shrine of St Demetrious, the patron saint of Thessaloniki, and crypt where he was matryed can be visited. Located at the corner of Odos Ayiou Dimitriou and Odos Ayiou Nikolaou



3. Aristotelous Square

Information: Beautiful square on the water that is perfect for people watching and catching a bite to eat.



4. The White Tower

Information: Great view of Mount Olympus and the city from the top of the tower. Pretty much the only real 'touristy' thing in the entire city, and pictures of the tower are widely published on most tourism sites for Thessaloniki. It is right on the water with an interesting digital museum covering the history of the city.



5. Church of Ayia Sofia

Information: 1000 year old church with Byzantine architecture



6. Mount Olympus

Information: Visible from the city of Thessaloniki, it is a 1 hour car ride away. It is the legendary home of the 12 Greek Gods. At the town of Dion, there is an archaeological site that can be visited where Alexander the Great made sacrifices to the Greek Gods. More information can be found at the website below. http://www.macedonian-heritage.gr/Museums/Archaeological_and_Byzantine/Arx_Diou.html

Kids Lesson:

A. Read Terri Temple’s books on the Greek Gods

a. Link to one of her books on Amazon.

http://www.amazon.com/Zeus-Storms-Greek-Mythology-Childs/dp/1614732647/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1404248040&sr=8-2-fkmr0&keywords=zeus+terry+temple

B. Check out dltk for great project ideas to do for the different Greek Gods and Greece word searches and such. Here is an example project for Zeus. http://www.dltk-kids.com/fantasy/mzeus.htm



7. Greek Food

Kids Lesson: Learn about and make common Greek recipes.

A. Breakfast and dessert: greek yogurt smothered in local honey

B. Dolmades---stuffed grape leaves

C. Hummus

D. Tzatziki sauce---white creamy cucumber sauce



8. Walk in the footsteps of St. Paul

A. The Greek Agora and Roman Forum

Information: Ancient Roman ruins. Free and easy to see everything by walking around the perimeter. There is a museum available.



B. Heptapyrgion Castle (Eptapirgio on Google Maps)

Information: Byzantine fortress located near the city wall. Now abandoned, but a good exploration site on foot. Take the 23 bus to the top of the hill overlooking the city (it is a long hike uphill), there is a stop near the SE corner of the park. Also a good place to start exploring the remaining sections of the city wall.

http://www.enjoythessaloniki.com/visit/ancient-monuments/the-walls-fortress/



Keep walking downhill and you can find the--

C. Monastery of Vlatadon:

Information: Located where St. Paul preached and beautiful view of the city.

http://orthodoxwiki.org/Monastery_of_the_Vlatades_(Thessalonica,_Greece)



D. St Paul in Phillipi

Information: Where St Paul first landed in Europe and was imprisoned. Open Nov-May Mon-Sun, 0830-1500

http://www.greecetravel.com/dolphinhellas/dolphin_paul.html

http://sithoniagreece.com/sithonia/pyrgadikia/tours/philippi-walking-tour/

https://www.gtp.gr/TDirectoryDetails.asp?id=15336



E. Kids Lesson Ideas:

1. Read St Paul by Mary Leatill

2. Memorize 1 Corinthians 13 4-8

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Comments

[D MJ Binkley]

wow
Beautiful