April 18, 2024 - Vergina, Berea, Thessalonica

April 18 - Vergina, Berea, Thessalonica

Itinerary Notes: Traveling northward into Macedonia we visit King Phillip's (Alexander's father) tomb in Vergina, one of the most outstanding finds in all of Greece. A stop will be made in Berea to view the ancient synagogue where Paul spoke and the Bema, surrounded by mosaics of Paul and the plaque of scripture regarding the "more noble" church. The New Testament books of I & II Thessalonians will come alive to us today as we arrive in the delightful harbor city of Thessalonica. En route to the hotel we will view the old city ramparts; the newly excavated Forum, St. George Church, an ancient Roman monument which was transformed into a church, and the Galerius Arch which rises over the famous Via Egnatia.

Ronnie's FaceBook post:

The morning clouds and mountains were glorious as we left Meteora Monastery and continued north to Vergina to visit the underground tomb (turned into a museum) of Phillip II, a smart tribal ruler who united Greeks into a nation. His tomb was not discovered by grave robbers, so it made a marvelous site for a museum when it was found intact (along with those of other family members). His crown of pure gold was displayed, along with others. The site rivals that of finding Tutankhamun's tomb. I photographed a reconstruction of Phillip's face where he lost an eye in battle. In those days, leaders (kings) lead their troops in battle, unlike today's leaders.

 

 

view from balcony, Meteora

 

Tomb of Phillip II was only discovered in 1977

 

artist drawing of Phillip II

crown worn by Phillip II

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

armor worn by Phillip II

 

 

Following Paul's 2nd missionary journey (backward), we rode a bus to Berea (Acts 17:10-12) where Paul fled from a mob at Thessalonica. We visited a monument to the Paul and the Berean people who noted as "more noble" than those in Thessalonica. When Paul first visited the town, it had a large population of Jews who were willing to study their Scriptures and reason about Paul's argument that Jesus fulfilled the Messianic prophecies (the book Messianic Christolology by Fruchtenbaum has helped me most in this area).

 

 

 

believed to be the steps from which Paul addressed the crowds in 51AD

 

 

 

mosaics of Paul teaching the Bereans

 

mosaic of Paul's call

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The modern city of Thessaloniki surrounds the uncovered ruins of the ancient city (see photo). In Thessalonica, some Jews and God-fearing Gentiles believe while other Jews started a riot (Acts 17:1–9). Some of the believers Paul encountered in the Synagogue might have been Jews that were in Jerusalem to celebrate the Feast of Weeks when the Holy Spirit came at Pentecost (Acts 2:1-13).

 

I forgot to mention that earlier we visited the memorial to the 300 Greeks that resisted the million man army of the Persians. If you want to understand that history, watch the movie 300.

 

 

 

remains of ancient city of Thessalonica

 

Jan's note:

Since we were already there, our guide took us through Holy Church of Saint Demetrios, Patron Saint of Thessaloniki (it was only a block from where our van was waiting). Naturally I snapped a few photos.

 

Holy Church of Saint Demetrios

 

 

 

candles and prayers

 

priests outside the church

 

 

P.S. We arrived home last night at 3:30am (Sunday) after 30 hours of travel. Our 12 hour flight to Houston was diverted to New Orleans, or we would have arrived home by 7pm, Saturday evening. I have one more post to make of our last day. But now we're trying to get over jet lag!

 

April 17, 2024 Meteora Monastery

April 17, 2024  Meteora Monastery (April 17)

Trip notes: In Meteora, women are required to wear skirts below the knee and men, pants. From Athens, our tour travels northward past Thermopylae where we learn of the famous Spartan battle of 300. We continue through the mountains to Meteora. Here we see the world famous Byzantine monasteries that are perched precariously on summits of gray rock pinnacles of varied and beautiful shapes. Their history goes back to the 14th century when the monks sought refuge in the cliff side caves, then fled higher to build the original wooden shelters, later transformed into monasteries. Our lodging this evening is in Meteora.

Ronnie's FaceBook post:

There are 6 or 7 monasteries built on top of the rock formations you see in the distance. Olive trees (lighter green) below on the left. We were driven up as far as we could go in the van, then climbed the stairs to enter the monastery along with our Greek guide.

 

what goes up....

must come down....

 

I included a photo of the 12,000 liter water barrel the monks use to store water. Also I photographed the rope basket and winch used to lift materials, food, etc up to the monastery.

 

consider the logistics...

 

but the view from the top is amazing!

Meteora Monastery, Greece

water storage

method used to bring goods up

method of lifting

 

 

I snapped this photo (of a photo) in area above

sneak peak at narthex

3 fingers (Trinity)

many different saints and icons

After touring parts of the monastery, Pastor Craig Bollinger did an amazing job of walking us through the different aspects of the Lord's Prayer (Matthew 6).

Photos were not allowed inside the incredible inner portion, only the entrance area. 

I always thought monasticism was contrary to Jesus' command to share the gospel with others. But judging by the hundreds of people touring the site, God used the monks work to create a beautiful testimony to the gospel that has stood for centuries.

As a 15th century orthodox Christian site, it had nothing to do with our "Steps of Paul" trip but it was on the way to Berea, so we stopped.

Jan's notes:

We were up and out by 7 am this morning in an attempt to beat the traffic out of town since there is a  I couldn't resist sharing the view from our hotel balcony tonight (1st photo). There are 7 monasteries built atop the rock formations you see in the distance. Olive trees (lighter green) below on left. We climbed up (using steps, ha!) to visit the Meteora Monastery along with our Greek guide. Pastor Craig Bollinger (Christ the King Lutheran, Charlotte, NC) did an amazing job of walking us through the different aspects of the Lord's Prayer (Matthew 6). 

It was a fantastic day! PS No photos allowed inside the incredible inner portion, only the entrance area.

Craig Bollinger, Christ the King Lutheran Church

 

From there, we were taken to our hotel for the night. These are a few more pictures I took while at the monastery, plus the early morning one just after sunrise. The view is so beautiful there; it's hard to take a bad photo! I have many more (of course) but you'll get the idea.

trekking up to the monastery

view from room balcony

patio view

morning has broken!

Good morning, Meteora

April 16, 2024 - Athens, Greece

April 16, 2024 Athens

Following breakfast this morning we tour Athens, the foundation of democracy. We visit the Acropolis, the Parthenon, and Erectheum before viewing Athens atop Mars Hill where Paul stood and preached the truth to the Gentile nation. From atop Mars Hill we view the Agora below, the ancient marketplace and center of Athenian public life. Additional sites viewed during our panoramic bus tour are the House of Parliament, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, Olympic Stadium, and the Presidential Palace.

Ronnie's FaceBook post:

Sorry to overload you with frequent posts on our "steps of Paul and John" pilgrimage but maybe you'll get a sense of the rush we've experienced. We were off from the hotel in Athens at 7am to try and beat a hot day on top of the Acropolis. 

 

 

The Acropolis, Greece

 

Public transportation in Athens was scheduled to strike soon and that would make traffic even worse. The city has four million people and a lax graffiti code that views it as "artwork." It's everywhere but I didn’t understand any of it since it looks like Greek to me. Haha!

 

Here's a photo of the Acropolis as seen from our hotel. Arriving early beat the heat but not the crowd. We arrived before 8am, but the line to enter snaked down a long stone path. People visit the Acropolis from all walks of life, young and old, rich or poor, thief or beggar. We were warned about pick pockets and everyone had a tight grip on their valuables as we entered the main gate.

 

 

 

On this journey we've noticed the "influencer" pose many young women (and a few men) strike while making a selfie or having their photo made. Why does one want to take a glamor shot in front of antiquities?

 

 

 

I included a photo of the Acropolis from our hotel. On the right you can see the buildings near the west gate. In the center is the Pantheon or temple to the goddess Athena. She was worshiped as a god of wisdom. Athens was the place for philosophers. I included a photo of a rare coin with her image on one side and an owl on the other side.

 

 

 

We walked all over the Acropolis but the highlight for me was hiking down to Mars Hill or the Areopagus, where Paul reasoned with the Athenians (Acts 17:15-34). Paul must have walked up the steps in my photo.

I could share much more but it's already late and we have an early start in the morning. 

 

 

staircase to Mars Hill

 

 

I'll close with a photo of the original Olympic stadium. It would have been fun to enter and run the track but we were not allowed to do such a thing.

 

 

Olympic Stadium, Greece

 

 

 Jan: I'll include a few more photos made at the Acropolis.

 

 

view from Mars Hill

back of the Parthenon undergoing restoration

dedicated to founder of Athens

extremely rocky terrain as we climbed, very slippery marble in places

 

 

Pastor Craig Bollinger teaching atop Mars Hill

 

 

He spoke on Acts 17:15-34 about how Paul reasoned with the Athenians after seeing their altar to the "unknown God", explaining to them the good news about Jesus and the resurrection (vs 24-31). It was exciting to know that we were sitting in the place where this took place.