Day 2 Greece

What a blessed Sunday it has been. Before I get into everything we’ve done today, I’ll start with our breakfast at the hotel. 

The teapot was so clean I could see myself in it. 

Pastries 

“Please to clean your hands with this and to use the gloves thank you.” You kind of need to read that phrase with a Greek accent to understand it. 🤣

Hot foods 

I found a few things I could eat. Now on to the good stuff.

 We seem to be going backwards in Paul’s life. Started out where he was last imprisoned and executed in Rome. Then saw where he was run out of town in Thessaloniki and a church was built to honor him. Now we head to Philippi where he preached to the gentiles, caused a riot and was imprisoned before being run out of town to Thessaloniki. A bit hard to follow but that’s the direction we’re traveling. 

This is what we know from the Bible in Acts 17. When Paul and his followers reached Thessaloniki, it was autumn of 49 AD. Paul and Silas find the city completely different from what they had seen so far. It had been free from Roman occupation since 168 BC. There was also a synagogue close to the port, according to Acts. Paul preached for three Sabbaths sharing the gospel. Some believed and became students of Paul and Silas. Many of the neophyte Greeks believed as well as several women who stood out in the city’s society. 

Soon because of Paul’s activity and the unbelieving Jews, problems began to arise, and riots were provoked, exactly as happened in Philippi. Paul and Silas left the city during the night.

“Tradition” (not the Bible) says that as he left, chased by his countrymen, he came out from a high spot on the walls, where later Vlatadon Monastery was established. Just east of where the monastery now stands was a spring. It is said that he stopped there to drink some water. Every year people used to honor him at this spring known as “Apostle Paul’s Holy Water”. After the liberation of Thessaloniki, a church was built in this place and the “holy water” became well-known.  

These are pictures from the monastery and the church that was built to honor him. 

They were having services this morning so we didn’t go in. People were standing and sitting outside. 

View from the monastery 

A few church bells. 

Just past the monastery is Fort Eptapyrgio, a Byzantine and ottoman-era fortress situated on the northeast corner of the acropolis of Thessaloniki. Despite its name, which in both languages means “Fortress of Seven Towers”, it features 10. 

Incredible that this is still standing with all that weight on it. 

This is a Greek Orthodox Church having Sunday morning services. 

At a little coffee shop here, Nickolaos buys himself and Kim an iced coffee for the road. We are now driving about two hours to the ruins of Philippi. 

Philippi is a city in eastern Macedonia established by Philip 11 of Macedon. The king started the city in 356 BC the same year his son, and heir to the throne, Alexander 111 (also known as Alexander the Great) was born. The objective of founding Philippi was to take control of the gold mines and establish a garrison at a strategic point. There are many pics of the ruins of the city. Colleen, as you said, this really brings the Bible to life. 

The theater 

Look at the carving on this stone. 

Rubble from the marketplace. 

Paul’s jail cell. 

While in Philippi, Paul meets a slave and sensing she is demon possessed, he cast the evil spirit out of her. The slave’s masters, angered that her profitable skills are now gone, seize Paul and Silas and drag them to the marketplace (right here where we are standing 😲) before the rulers, and get as many people as they can to go against them. They accused them of being Jews and disturbing the city. The magistrates tore off their garments and ordered them beaten and thrown into jail with their feet in stocks. 

It was about midnight, when Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns and the other prisoners were listening, that God caused an earthquake to shake the foundations of the prison, opening the doors and bonds of the prisoners. When the jailer woke, and saw what had happened, fearing all the prisoners had escaped, he drew his sword to kill himself. Paul stopped him and when he realized they were still there he threw himself at their feet and asked what he had to do to be saved. I’ve paraphrased all this but you know the story and can read it all for yourself in Acts 16. 

Paul wrote several of his epistles from a jail cell like this one. He wrote Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians,  Philemon and Timothy, all while being imprisoned. 

Mosaic floor and underground Macedonian tomb. 

There’s a museum here also. We spent so much time walking around the ruins that we didn’t have much time in it but I loved the color of this glass bowl. 

Kim said this was the model for Uncle Sam’s (I want you!)  🤣

A model of how the marketplace would have looked. 

This goddess was supposedly protecting the city.  🥴

An icon of Paul. Can you imagine how he would have felt about that after all his preaching against idols? 

The Zygakti river where Lydia was baptized. 

There were two baby baptisms going on here at the church and park with lots of people and noise but as we walked down to the river, it was so peaceful and quiet. I was imagining Paul baptizing Lydia right here where we are. Overwhelming. 

Standing in the river. 

Like Paul, Lydia has been iconized. 

There are some amazing mosaics…

and stained glass. It’s now time to head to Kavala (Neapolis) and check-in to our hotel and get some lunch/dinner. Starving because we haven’t had any food on this trip 🤣

Beet salad

Fried zucchini 

Kims fried prawns

Nickolaos’ grilled squid🤮

My grilled shrimp 

Fig ice cream, vanilla and caramel ice cream and baklava for dessert

The beautiful city of Neapolis. 

We walked up to an overlook of the Aegean Sea and the city.

What fantastic views!!!

Castle on the hill. 

These are views from our room btw

When Paul was in troas he dreamed of a tall Macedonian man who begged him to come to Macedonia and help them. This dream decided his to journey to Europe and was the beginning of his preaching the gospel to the Gentiles. In the winter of the year 49, Paul sets foot in Europe for the first time. After two days travel, the place he first came was Neapolis. As we looked out over the port, I couldn’t help but think about Paul arriving in his boat and wondering what the city looked like at that time. Seven years later, Paul came to Neapolis a second time. 

Paul, along with Silas, Timothy and Luke, arrived in Agia Nickolaos and after following the Via Egnatia, he reached Philippi. So if you read the posts from Greece Days 1, 2, 3, & 4 (haven’t written 3 & 4 yet 😁) in reverse order you get the correct timeline. 😁. 

Watching them pull these nets in, I couldn’t help but picture the apostles

As the sun sets in the west…

the moon rises over the castle. 

I don’t have time to proof read this so don’t judge me 😬. Goodnight from beautiful Neapolis.