Travelling through Greece - in the Steps of St Paul - back in Kavala

Fire breaks zig-zag crazily down through the forests - fire must be a real hazard here in such searing temperatures and tinder dry vegetation. It is a big asparagus growing area - we see the fields on our way back to Kavala - bright orange pots are for sale at the roadside - all one price - 5 Euro. Allotments look very much like mine at home - complete with scarecrows. We pass remnants of the original Via Egnatia - and plenty of beehives - plus many little road side shrines - commemorating victims of road accidents. We visited Philippi this morning and have the rest of the day free in Kavala to have lunch and explore further.We see plenty of 1920s refugee accommodation lining the streets coming down into old city - contrasting sharply with the stunning views of the port laid out below us.

beehives

 Barley is being grown in quantity for the local Fix beer - which is very good - and is now building up its own export business. Thinking of beer, it is lunch time. There are plenty of water front tavernas plying their trade. The appetizers are all huge and it is obviously expected that a variety of appetizers are ordered and shared between a group - that is clearly the way to do it - like Georgia and Jerusalem and Turkey on previous pilgrimages. The double headed eagle by the port is symbol of the Byzantine empire.

  

locals enjoying the Kavala beach

Kavala beach

After lunch I take myself off to explore the coast to the west of the hotel - I shared my breakfast table this morning with a lady who is staying in the hotel while she visits a friend in the town and I mistook her on the first morning for a member of our group. She has told me that there is a swimming beach further round from the port, where the locals play and swim and I'm off to find it. It is quite a walk, given the afternoon heat. I go through the incredible aftermath of the Saturday street market - rubbish galore, but all being meticulously swept up by two men with nothing more than two small besom type brooms. Tomorrow there will be no trace left and all will be clean and tidy again. But as I leave the old town and port and approach the beach side promenade there is a dramatic change. The prom is but a shadow of its former glory - gardens neglected and everything including three changing cubicles on the beach itself so run down, with graffiti just about everywhere. The sand is very gritty but the sea is certainly not cold and local families are out in force enjoying themselves all along the beach. Paddling and swimming in the sea and enjoying the sand is free entertainment where financial worries can be put aside for a while.

interesting art/graffiti

Walking back to the hotel through the town itself it is suddenly eerily deserted. Most of the shops seem to be shuttered for the siesta and there appears to be a storm brewing. The atmosphere has become very heavy and thick black clouds are visible in the distance. Near the back entrance to the hotel I come upon a plinth commemorating Alexander the Great. An elderly Greek man comes up to me and starts gesticulating wildly. Have I done something wrong? But he seems friendly and after many smiles and waving of arms I understand that he is simply telling me what a very great man Alexander the Great was.

Alexander III of Macedon, commonly known as Alexander the Great, was a King of the Ancient Greek kingdom of Macedon and a member of the Argead dynasty. July 356 BC to 323 BC, His father was Philip II of Macedon, his mother Olympias. By the age of thirty he had created one of the largest empires of the ancient world, a new Hellenistic civilization and features prominently in the history and myth of Greek and non Greek cultures. Along with his teacher Aristotle he is often thought of as one of the most influential people of all time.

Enticing cake shop Kavala

On the side of the statue as I walk around it I see a plaque recording the oath which Alexander the Great gave at Opis in 324 BC, just one year before he died, at a banquet before 9,000 Greek and Asian officers. Below is not perhaps quite the exact translation recorded in Kavala - but it's close. Please read it - oh if only!

Alexander the Great Plinth Kavala

“It is my wish, now that wars are coming to an end, that you should all be happy in peace. From now on, let all mortals live as one people, in fellowship, for the good of all. See the whole world as your homeland, with laws common to all, where the best will govern regardless of their race. Unlike the narrow -minded, I make no distinction between Greeks and barbarians. The origin of citizens, or the race into which they were born, is of no concern to me. I have only one criterion by which to distinguish their virtue. For me, any good foreigner is a Greek and any bad Greek is worse than a barbarian. If disputes ever occur among you, you will not resort to weapons but will solve them in peace. If need be, I shall arbitrate between you. See God not as an autocratic despot, but as the common father of all and thus your conduct will be like the lives of brothers within the same family. I on my part, see you all as equal, whether you are white or dark-skinned. And I should like you not simply to be subjects of my commonwealth, but members of it, partners of it. To the best of my ability, I shall strive to do what I have promised. Keep as a symbol of love this oath which we have taken tonight with our libations”.

the double headed eagle at Kavala Port

The threat of storm has come to nothing. By 6 pm the harbour is bustling once again with life and activity in the tavernas, the economy helped no doubt by the very large ship in port for the night - a Hellenic Seaways liner or ferry. Many passengers offload here, with their assortment of baggage, some probably arriving home after trips to who knows where, others on the tourist trail. The roads have suddenly become very busy indeed, and where casual jay walking was the order of the day earlier on, now I have to use the lights to cross safely. I see an elderly man with a very old push chair of the simple folding type I used for my sons all those many years ago. But there is no child in this buggy. It is full of garlic bulbs, held together in ropes reminiscent of the way I have seen the French carry them on their bicycle handle bars. Here the Greek is pushing his wares from restaurant to restaurant hoping for sales before the busy evening restaurant trade.

Tomorrow we say goodbye to Kavala and continue to Thessaloniki...in the Steps of St Paul...

Travelling through Greece In the Steps of St Paul - Kavala

Lake Koronia

The journey from Thessaloniki airport to Kavala is scenic and pretty, pink and white Oleander lining much of the main road, and we pass through olive groves and coniferous woodlands. There are election posters everywhere and the inevitable roadside litter, although it has to be said that this seems far less of a problem here than, sad to say, either in beautiful Caucasian Georgia or indeed in the UK where our litter problem is shameful.

The castle above the town

We are heading out Eastwards on the main road which was supposed to have been finished for the 2004 Olympics. It was not: apparently rare local brown bears, archaeological treasures and the mountainous terrain all conspired against timely completion. We drive alongside two vast expanses of water, the freshwater Lake Koronia and Lake Volvi. This is an important area for passage and overwintering birds. Water pollution is a problem and the area has some protection status. 

We are told that the Greeks here grow a little of everything; a few chickens, a couple of cows, some sheep, goats, pigs - a sharp contrast to the supposed greater efficiency of large-scale single crop farming which is being promoted.

the castle and port at night

As we view the island of Mt Athos to our right, in the shimmering Aegean Sea, we learn about the monks here who  inhabit this oldest surviving monastery in the world, where a wealth of unimaginable treasures is preserved for those who follow the monastic life here, other male workers and those few others who are privileged to be given permission to visit, for pilgrimage or study. Access is severely limited and women are never allowed, not, it seems, even cows or chickens! Boat trips can be taken to have a look at the monastery from a respectful distance.

Bright orange roofs on glistening white-washed houses tumble down to the shore at Vrasna. The road then climbs away from the sea again, through large areas of olive groves.  

castle and cruise liner

Suitably refreshed at a service area where we sample the local almond cake delicacy,  courtesy of Mara, we continue through a road tunnel and out again down to the lowlands approaching Kavala. The Island of Thasos is in front of us in the bay, famous for its snow white marble, mostly exported to the Emirates and Germany, and which claims to be even more translucent than the Italian white marble.

Kavala is charming - the old city sits on a peninsular topped by a castle and the acropolis. The Kamares, or "arches", are the trademark of Kavala. A listed monument, this is actually an aqueduct built in 1550 by the Sultan Suleiman II, the Magnificent. It was repaired in the 19th century by Mehmet Ali to serve the water supply needs of the City.

fishermen mend their nets and share the day's gossip

Brooding over the whole port today as we arrive is a massive Hellenic Seaways cruise liner - this is a popular tourist port of call for obvious reasons.

Kavala was also the birthplace of Muhammad Ali, founder of the dynasty which ruled Egypt in the 19th and early 20th century, and his house can be seen in the square just behind our waterfront hotel.

The town owes its prosperity to the tobacco industry, started here at the beginning of the 19th century, and there is a Tobacco Museum which recalls the industry's rise and subsequent decline in the area in the early 20th century. Tobacco used to be a big crop generally here in Macedonia - until the advice was given to start growing sunflowers for the oil. 

solar panels - many along the way

Now a different style of farming is evident - Solar panel farms are cropping up everywhere.

Kavala at night

We arrive at our hotel in Kavala in the early evening. It is in the old town fronting the port and after a quick check in and unpacking of essentials there is time for a stroll around this delightful old town. There are tranquil scenes of fishermen sitting around mending their nets, while no doubt sharing the gossip of the day. A row of suntanned women, mostly dressed in black, sit on a bench in the shade, the sun still fierce in spite of the hour. Reflections ripple on the water as just below the surface small fish fry are taking advantage of the day's accumulated detritus from the returning fishing boats. Seagulls are also trying their luck. Houses scramble up the hillside to the citadel. After saying our evening devotional Compline with the group, I sit on my balcony looking down upon the busyness of the cafes and restaurants below which have suddenly come alive. It is lively in a restrained kind of way - and the air is pleasantly warm to sit out. Hard to imagine that winters here can be harsh.

Travelling through Greece - in the steps of St Paul

This is my own very personal perspective of a journey through Greece.
It is also my story of a pilgrimage. A pilgrimage from Southwark Diocese led by the Very Revd. Andrew Nunn and organised by McCabe Pilgrimages.

But what is a pilgrimage if not a journey? Of discovery, getting to know ourselves better, getting to know others better, and in the case of this party from Southwark Diocese, getting to better understand our relationship with God. But my story here is not just about the religion. It's very much a travelogue for this beautiful area as well. We shall be visiting Kavala, Philippi, Thessalonika, Berea, the Meteora Monasteries, Delphi, Athens and Corinth and more - an exciting prospect which I shall write about over the next few weeks.

It's 4.40am on 12th June 2015 at Zone A North Terminal Gatwick and thirty four bleary eyed pilgrims are gathering for a trip to Greece, to follow In the Steps of St Paul, on his second great missionary journey. 

Greece is for many the cradle of Western civilization and democracy. It has given us so much. Now the country needs our prayers and understanding as it struggles with its current financial crisis, whatever our individual views of the causes and solutions.

Lake Volvi

Summer had barely started in the UK - flaming June it most certainly had not been so far, until the day before we travelled, when the mercury at last hit a respectable 23 degrees - good but hardly sufficient training for the heat we can expect in the week to come.

Andy's Coach

service area Greek style

It is good to see Rosemary Nutt from McCabe checking in to travel with us. Many of us know her well from previous pilgrimages, notably for me in Georgia and before then the Holy Land, both covered in my previous blogs.
Indeed it was the trip to the Holy Land which sowed within me my passion for pilgrimage.

As we make ourselves comfortable for the 3 hour flight, I settle down to read a draft copy of Dr Mark Vernon's "The Idler Guide to Ancient Philosophy" which promises to be not only an introduction to Greek Philosophy but also a link with the Greece that St Paul would have experienced on his journey and the culture into which Jesus Christ came into the world. It proves to be a fascinating companion for our journey. Mark is travelling with us and continues to give us the benefits of his wisdom in this field throughout the trip, often helping to while away the longer road trips. Much of this is recorded in the Dean's own blog so I will not attempt to repeat any of it here - but I promise it is fascinating stuff. Mark shows us that philosophy is not stuffy. He soon shows us that we are all philosophers.

Oleander at service area

We head up into low cloud which clears over Belgium to reveal a green patchwork of fields and woods, contrasting sharply with the parched brown landscape as we approach Greece, where we are told it is 28 degrees and rising. Hooray!

Kavala awaits us

We have a snack on the plane - the vegetarian option simply means that the ham has been removed from the ham and cheese croissant! Frugal!

The scenery is beautiful as we bank sharply to land, over an azure blue sea dotted with all kinds of boats, and many Greek islands - apparently there are 6000 or so, only a fraction of which are known to travellers.

Tranquility at Kavala

The flight is smooth in all respects, and on arrival at Thessaloniki we are soon settled comfortably into our air conditioned coach being looked after by our attentive Athenian guide Mara (short for Maria - a family name passed down through several generations) and our careful driver Tassus, as we make for Kavala 160 km to the North East,
Kavala was previously the ancient port of Neapolis where Paul landed arriving from Troas on his way to Philippi, travelling along the Via Egnatia linking the Aegean and Adriatic Seas. 600 km long, this great Roman road was a vital artery for the Romans, used by merchants, generals and proconsuls alike as they travelled to and from Rome via the Via Appia to the Adriatic and thence to Neapolis and the Via Egnatia.
It seems fitting that the Good News of the Gospel of Jesus Christ should follow the same route on its early journey into Europe.

Tomorrow we shall visit Philippi and Lydia... Meanwhile we enjoy our stay at the Galaxy Hotel on the waterfront at Kavala.