Ronnie's Trip Summary - April 24, 2024

Ronnie's FaceBook post - April 24, 2024

As a final post on our pilgrimage to walk the steps of Paul and John in Turkey, Greece and Patmos, I wanted to highlight the most impressive site we saw—ancient Phillipi, where Roman magistrates jailed Paul and Silas. Their jailer became a believer as did Lydia at a nearby river. Amazing history to move around the places where Paul, Silas, Timothy and Luke walked and understand many of the “why” questions I had.

 

By way of trip review, we started in Turkey touring the 7 sites of churches John mentions in Revelation 2-3. They would have later become John’s responsibility after Nero beheaded Paul in Rome. We sailed from Turkey to Patmos to see the cave that held John prisoner. He wrote Revelation while in the cave.

 

According to Acts 16:11, sailing from Troas, Turkey, Paul would have first set foot on European soil at the modern city of Kavala and then walked up to Phillipi, a Roman colony (populated by ex-Roman soldiers) located on the Via Egnatia, the Roman road to Rome. An earthquake destroyed the city, originally Greek, but the architecture revealed its conversion to Roman culture. Seeing the Christian “fish” and understanding the symbolism of an octagon were highlights for me.

 

We surely stood on the spot where Roman’s tried Paul and Silas as Jews. We saw the grotto that imprisoned them overnight and released. We walked the Agora they would have walked. We saw the remains of large churches that would later spring up because of his missionary work.

 

We had lunch nearby and went a short distance to a river where Lydia believed, becoming Paul’s first Christian convert in Europe (Acts 16:13-15). The pastor baptized 3 people from our group of 12, one for the first time and two who reaffirmed their faith.

 

I encourage you to take the Steps of Paul and John tour if you can. It was a marvelous adventure. Thanks for following along via these posts on FB.

April 19, 2024 - Thessalonica/Philippi/Lion of Amphipolis/Kavala - part 2

I'm breaking this post into 2 parts because this was a memorable day. 

After visiting the ancient ruins of Phillipi, we enjoyed a delicious Greek meal at the nearby restaurant and small museum store/bookshop. I think I had Greek salads at least 3 or maybe 4 days in a row. ha! You'd think with all the walking we did, plus the salads I would have lost some weight, but alas, there was the huge buffets, the Turkish Delights (with or without nuts, rose flavored being the most popular) and then the baklava and other honey-drenched desserts all over Turkey and Greece. 

Anyway, after lunch we drove a short distance to the town (Lydia) where Paul met Lydia (seller of purple) and other believers at the river where they worshipped. At some of these sites (like the ruins of ancient Phillipi) we know that Paul was there and there is even a crypt that is thought to be the place he was imprisoned, but admittedly no one knows the exact spot. Same for Lydia, we don't know the exact spot along the river that they met, but we do know the river. We visited the Baptistery of Saint Lydia where Paul baptized Lydia and her entire family in 49 or 50 A.D. There we read the account from scripture together and Pastor Craig explained about the selling of purple in those days.

Believe it or not, it takes 10,000 of these guys (below) to make enough dye to color an average size ladies blouse. In those days, only royalty wore purple (or perhaps the very wealthy). This explains why a purple robe was put on Jesus before His crucifixion - because He claimed to be a king. Of course they were mocking Him because they didn't believe that He really WAS a king! 

Being a seller of purple dye, Lydia herself would have been a wealthy business woman in her day. She was also a worshiper of the one true God, but did not know about Jesus and His resurrection until Paul shared the good news of the gospel and the way of salvation to her. So Lydia became the first recorded person in Europe to become a follower of Jesus and the first person Paul baptized at Philippi.

 

10,000 snails - to dye one shirt

One of the ladies in our group asked if she could be baptized, because she had only been baptized as an infant. Of course the pastor was happy to do that, but the water was extremely cold so he gave her the option of just letting him pour water over her head. So even with her bum knee, she managed to get down the stone steps and onto her knees. After that, another man in the group wanted to be baptized, and then yet another. This was all spontaneous, and very meaningful to everyone in the group.

 

I baptize you...

in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit

buried with Christ in baptism...

raised to walk in newness of life!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

at the baptistry of St Lydia

Nearby was a church named "The Baptistery of Saint Lydia." We were able to go inside (see photos below). It was ornately decorated with many colorful murals and mosaics.

Baptistery of Saint Lydia

one of the beautiful mosaics outside

the tiled floor was a map of all the places Paul visited

narthex ceiling

get your candles here

colorful depictions of Biblical scenes

beautiful mosaic work

view from entry toward river and baptistry

stained glass, painted murals

upper dome

Pastor Craig (L), Kyle & Karen Rodgers

The day was a great ending to a great trip! 

A few days later: 

After a very long and tiresome trip home (30 hours leaving the hotel to our driveway - long story!) we are still getting our days and nights back on US time. The trip was pretty much non-stop "going" from early morning until evening. We actually had one afternoon "off" in the entire 16 days.

Most days consisted of LOTS of walking in difficult places. And there was a ton of information to take in, of which I only absorbed a snippet. But it was exciting to see places that we have only read and heard about. And it was a wonderful opportunity to make new friends and sit under the teaching of a very good pastor. 

My best advice for anyone considering doing the "Steps of Paul" tour is to consider your overall fitness level and any physical limitations you might have (it was quite difficult for me in certain places). We are thankful we got to go, but also for our "sooner rather than later" philosophy because I'm not sure how much longer I would be able to do it. Not trying to discourage, just keepin' it real!

Here is the group we traveled with. Pastor Craig Bollinger (not pictured) was behind the camera. Man on right end is our van driver. Our Turkish guide "Art" is in the middle.

April 19, 2024 - Thessalonica/Philippi/Lion of Amphipolis/Kavala - part 1

April 19, 2024 Thessalonica/Philippi/Lion of Amphipolis/Kavala

Itinerary Notes: We begin the day by following the massive battlement Byzantine wall to the citadel for a panoramic view of the city. Next, we will visit Philippi, Lion of Amphipolis, and Kavala. Kavala is Greece's prettiest mainland port with a most elegant harbor. Paul landed here with his disciples, Timothy and Silas. Luke, the Evangelist, also came here from Troas. This ancient city of Neapolis was later renamed Christoupolis because it was the first European city to accept Christianity. Imagine walking on the same sod as these men of the Bible! We will see the Roman Aqueduct and the ruins of the Acropolis in this beautifully located city, known since the 5th century as Kavala. Continue on to Philippi where Paul preached his first evangelical sermon and baptized the first Christians on European soil. We will view the baptismal site where Lydia surrendered her life to Christ and visit a crypt, dating from the Roman period that is thought to have served as a prison for Paul. See the famous Acropolis, the Market Place, Basilica, and the Theatre. We return to Thessalonica and visit St. Demetrius Basilica, dedicated to a distinguished member of the Roman army and a martyred Christian convert, before returning to the hotel for our final night.

Jan's notes:

Today was a great last day! After breakfast, we drove to the Archaeological Site of Philippi, another UNESCO World Heritage site where excavations began in 1914. It was a huge area and there is still much work to be done there. Red poppies grow wild all over the ruins so it is beautiful to see! Here's a link with lots of information about this site if interested. https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1517/

Have I mentioned that the weather was fabulous the entire time we were there? As I've mentioned previously, this trip was physically challenging for me with all the walking and climbing on rocky, uneven and sometimes slippery surfaces. I can't imagine having to do what we did in the hottest part of the summer. If you're ever interested in visiting these places, be sure to do it in the spring!

 

the Via Egnatia - road linking Europe and Asia

 

theater (square in middle where animals were brought in)

archaeological site at Phillipi

mosaic file found in early church, dated 313

re-done statue of god of Apollo

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

portion of excavated arch, site of Phillipi

 

early Christian symbols found there-   L: octagon represents Jesus's resurrection    R: fish/Greek ichthys)                  

 

couldn't stop without throwing in one more poppy picture!

 

 

 

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