Travelling through Greece - In the Steps of St Paul - Philippi and Lydia

Celebrating Eucharist at Lydia

 This morning we are set for Philippi, the first city in Europe visited by St Paul and the city where he and Silas were imprisoned, as told in Acts 16 11-40. The church of Philippi, the first Christian Church in Europe, was perhaps the most supportive of all to Paul (Paul's Letter to the Philippians 4) and he always held a special affection for them.

The Lydia baptistry

We will also visit the stream by the village of Lydia, where a shrine has been built commemorating the baptism of Lydia of Thyatira (in Asia Minor, known for its purple cloth) the first recorded baptism in Europe. Here in the open air down by the river we celebrate a group Eucharist, and renew our baptismal vows, the background noisy rush of the water in stark contrast to the solemnity of the occasion and the dainty damsel fly and the seed heads floating down on the ever so slight breeze.

Inside the Baptistry at Lydia

inside the baptistry at Lydia

On the coach we learn something of the history of Baptism in the early church. The St Lydia baptistery attracted adults from communist countries to be baptized as Christians in the 1990s.

In the Greek Orthodox church the godparents give the baby to the priest who totally immerses the child. 

St Nicholas Church Kavala 

But first we briefly visited the church of St Nicholas in Kavala, with its mosaic and the supposed post where Paul may have tied up his boat on arrival in Kavala. According to tradition, a mark on one of the ancient pillars is supposed to be Apostle Paul’s footprint, left there from the time that he first visited Macedonia.

Finding the shade at Philippi!

 From Lydia's shrine we make our way to  Philippi, then capital of this region, founded 360 BC, fortified and named by Philip II of Macedon, father of Alexander the Great. Gold mining in the area would have enabled the accumulation of wealth and the spread of the civilization here and this potential was not lost on Philip II.

mosaic floor above Macedonian tomb
at Philippi

the theatre at Philippi

Philippi on the Egnatian road

Then in 42 BC after the murder of Julius Caesar, two armies met at Philippi. The forces of Brutus and Cassius, both involved in Caesar's murder, met those of Mark Anthony and Octavian (who became Augustus, founder of the Roman Empire and its first Emperor, ruling from 27 BC until his death in 14 AD) - who won the great battle, marking the start of a new era with Philippi as a Roman colony. Paul's later visit to Philippi (Acts 16: 11-40) would have found a thoroughly Roman and important city - the first main stop on the Egnatian Way from Asia to the Adriatic. 

part of a Basilica Philippi

Philippi Basilicas beyond the forum

And so Philippi was the seed bed not only of the Roman Empire, but of the Christian church in Europe. 

The excavated ruins at Philippi expose the foundations of three great basilicas as well as a magnificent forum and fine theatre. 

Paul's prison cell

Philippi is hot! The shadows are black from the fierce overhead sun. Many scurry from one tiny patch of shade to the next, afforded only by the wider pillars. But the site is very well organised to cope with the tourist crowds, and is kept amazingly clean and litter free- oh how other sites in other countries could follow this example.

Roman toilet!

The baptised Lydia gave hospitality to Paul and Silas and enabled the missionaries to form a thriving Christian community here in Philippi. 

Here they also exorcised a slave girl, for which they were beaten and imprisoned. They escape during an earthquake - and the jailer and his family were converted and baptised to the faith. We see the prison ruins where Paul is said to have been confined.

Roman game in the pavement

Of course we cannot always know the precise locations of some biblical events and some are speculative from best information available, but it is important for us to be able to centre these events with specific places to make for more meaningful commemoration.

Next post I return to Kavala before we head for Thessaloniki...

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.

The end of our Caucasian Georgia Pilgrimage - and an old Georgian Myth

There is an old Georgian myth as to why this country is one of such incomparable beauty - but I am getting ahead of myself...
It is our last day, Sunday, and we all celebrate a final Eucharist together in the Tbilisi hotel - a fitting way to end our pilgrimage. Then we have the morning free to do what we will. I head to Rustaveli Street and those parts of the huge Georgian National Museum collections that are housed in the impressive building there. This museum is quite simply fabulous and really needs far more than the couple of hours which I have available. The collection of pre Christian gold and silver is totally absorbing and I spend a long time poring over the display cases, well displayed and mostly with English translations. The gold and silver work is astonishing in its craftsmanship - for example a tiny gold lion with the most intricately detailed mane dates from 2600-2300 BC, the early Bronze Age. Next door I spend some time in the sobering new Museum of Soviet Occupation, with just a little time left for the display of weaponry used in the wars with Persia and Turkey in the 19th and early 20th century. Sadly when I finally make my way to the shop hoping for some sort of guide to take home with me the door is firmly closed - the shop has shut for lunch!
Even a long weekend would be scarcely enough time to explore Tblisi to the full. It is such a shame that it is a long journey to get there from America and the UK.
Lunch is not included today, and most of us find the excellent supermarket near the hotel, where picnics are clearly big business at the deli counter. Our individual choices from a fantastic selection are then beautifully wrapped and supplied with plastic forks and spoons as necessary.
There is a hiccup on the flight home - a very large bang wakes us up out of our dozing making us all jump. It is turbulence or air pocket we are variously told when we inquire of the staff, but the captain makes no announcement at all from the cockpit - that would have been reassuring. In all my many flights over the years I have often experienced turbulence, but never like that!

arriving tired and wet and cold at Gergeti church nr. Kazbegi

If Kazbegi and the steep uphill walk to Gergeti (Trinity) Church at 2170 meters in the pouring rain was the low point of our trip, our last full day at the David Garedzha monastery complex was certainly the high point for me at least. But like the walk to the highest church, there were some of the party who for various reasons could not take part and time must have hung heavy for them on both days.

arrived at Udabno (desert) monastery, tired, hot and happy!

Reflections: I would love to go back to Georgia and allow more time to further explore many of the places we visited. There were also many other churches and monasteries for which we had no time at all. This is always going to be the way with a large group, many different interests and so much to see.
It didn't always feel as much like a pilgrimage as did our previous trips last year, to the Holy Land and then to South East Turkey. But then in Turkey we stayed for several days in two different monasteries which enabled us to really get into the spirit of the liturgy and the mystery of the Orthodox religion. And of course the Holy Land is a very special place for followers of all three Abrahamic faiths, with so many of the significant places to visit within a small area. The long distances we had of necessity to travel in Georgia, tempted us at every turn into becoming tourists rather than pilgrims. I have covered the Holy Land and South East Turkey pilgrimages in previous blogs on this site.

I would like to express heartfelt thanks here to both Rosemary Nutt and her team at McCabe Pilgrimages, who organised such a splendid trip for us, and Southwark Diocese, particularly The Very Revd. Andrew Nunn, Dean of Southwark Cathedral, and his supporting team, who so ably led us with such good humor throughout. And of course thanks to our two wonderful tour guides from Visit Georgia, Maka and Levan.
My guidebook throughout the trip was Georgia, in the Bradt guide series, this one by Tim Burford, updated by Laurence Mitchell, fourth edition published June 2011, and I am grateful for much superb information supplied therein which enriched my visit to Georgia.

I think it appropriate that we should let God have the last word, and so I return to that old Georgian myth that I found on the comtourist website:

"When the God divided the Earth among the people, Georgians were late because of their traditional feast, and by the moment of their arrival the entire world had already been divided. When the God asked them to what they had drunk Georgians just answered: "To you, oh Lord, to us, to peace". The God liked their answer. So told them that although all lands were taken, he reserved a small plot for himself and now he decided to give it to Georgians. According to the God the land was incomparable in its beauty and all people would admire and cherish it forever." 

I say Amen to that!

The Davit-Gareja Monasteries - the highlight of our pilgrimage to Georgia

the entrance to Davitis Lavra

This visit to the David Gareja complex of monasteries is for me the highlight of our pilgrimage, organised by McCabe Pilgrimages and led by Southwark Diocese.

dramatic monks' cells in the rock face!

Bronze Age tombs and pottery found in this area show that it was populated at least 4 millennia ago. In the 1st millennium BC iron smelting led to the eventual deforestation of the area and its gradual desertification. When we are there in May the area is transformed by the bursting into bloom of the many wild flowers which are simply wonderful, and often covered with clouds of beautiful butterflies. We are warned to watch out for the poisonous vipers, on the walk to the top caves and within the caves themselves, but fortunately we see none. The heat is intense and bottles of water are an essential part of the kit. But we are rewarded for our strenuous climb by the most stunning views and some very beautiful frescoes in the various cave churches and other cave chambers at the top.

inside the Church of Transfiguration at Lavra

The Lonely Planet website has a very good description of the two main sites which we visited, the lower Davitis Lavra monastery, founded by one of the Syrian Fathers, St David, in the 6th century, and the Udabno or Desert Monastery constructed between the 8th and 10th centuries, to which we climbed. As with much that we have seen in Georgia, these monasteries have had a turbulent history, their worst moment being when the Persian Shah Abbas' soldiers killed 6000 monks and destroyed the artistic treasures, which they had amassed in their role as an important center for the development and teaching of the techniques of fresco painting.

the lower courtyard, looking up to
church of St Nicholas

In the Lavra Monastery we visit the Church of the Transfiguration or Rock Church, where David and Lukian are buried. In the lower court here there is a spring of water known as the Tears of David.

looking down on the Lavra monastery 

gazing out at the top towards Azerbaijan

Tragically this whole area was used as a Soviet artillery training range in the late 20th century, and the monasteries often became the direct targets for their firing, sustaining bad damage. The practice ceased after the end of the Soviet war with Afghanistan in 1989, and after nationalist protests, but ironically the Georgians themselves used the area for similar training in the late 1990's until this was stopped after protests from civilians in Tbilisi.
This is now one of Georgia's most popular tourist and pilgrim sites and we are told that there will be many Russian, Ukrainian and local tourists here. There are certainly many people, and the car park is soon full of dozens of coaches and minibuses. But the climb to the top gets us away from the crowds!!

the monastery is now a long way below us!!

note the deer - reflecting how close the
monks were to nature

butterflies on bush

fresco within cave church at Udabno (Desert)
monastery - note icons left by visitors/pilgrims

more beautiful cave frescoes

beautiful cactus

the trek up with Azerbaijan below us

the Last Supper fresco in the refectory in the Ubadno
monastery complex

note the indented individual places for
each monk in the refectory 

We meet and chat with a young German couple right at the top of the climb to the cave churches, looking out over towards Azerbaijan, under the half hearted gaze of a Georgian border soldier and his dog. The couple share my horror at the quantity of unsightly and polluting litter everywhere. In Germany, they tell me, there is a 25c deposit on bottles, which helps to prevent a litter problem. When life is harsh and involves a struggle for survival from day to day, then it is easy to see why litter is of no consequence to most people. But with the arrival of independence, peace and relative prosperity perhaps this wonderful country with its hospitable citizens will wake up to the importance of keeping its beautiful countryside and its towns and villages free from the ravages of litter pollution. Many tourists from overseas will come to expect this and may well be deterred unless there is a clean up. I was pleased to observe a few small indications that some citizens care about their environment - elderly women sweeping the pavements in front of their own houses, an old man picking up litter in a lay-by, for example. May this continue and develop into a wider civic pride so that Georgia may capitalize on its natural beauty and its many cultural treasures.

Holy Georgia: towards St Nino's tomb via Ananuri

view from our hotel of the Caucasian mountain range

hats for sale at Ananuri!

fine exterior of the Assumption of the
Mother of God Church, Ananuri

This is the story of our pilgrimage to Holy Georgia back in May this year, with Southwark Diocese and McCabe Pilgrimages. It is Ascension Day, Thursday 29th May, and we have our usual morning prayer on the bus as we set off south from our hotel high in the Caucasus mountains and then eastwards towards Bodbe Monastery, one of the major pilgrimage spots for Christian Georgians, where St Nino is buried. St Nino was a slave from Cappadocia. She so impressed the Georgian Queen Nana and later her husband King Mirian with her miracles that they both converted from paganism to Christianity, and this became the official state religion in AD 337, making Georgia the world's second Christian nation. St Nino's tomb is a sacred place for many Georgians. But it wasn't until the arrival in the sixth century of the so-called Syrian Fathers, missionaries from Antioch, who worked to found several monasteries here, that the religion became firmly established in Georgia. We will visit a few of these monasteries in the next day or so.

Old Georgian script? What does it say?

Our first important stop today is at the 17th century Ananuri fortress, already closed for the day when we came by in the evening two days before, on the Georgian Military Highway. We saw its stunning setting then, but up close it really is very beautiful indeed. As we climb out of the coach the warmth of the sun is welcome after the bitter chill we experienced yesterday up in the mountains. Within the protection of the crenellated stone walls here are two churches, a 12th century watch tower, a 17th century bell turret looking out over the lake, and at the top of the slope a solid tower known as "The Intrepid".

Our guide Maka has the Dean's attention!

Bell tower overlooking the reservoir

The lower of the two churches is really the jewel. It was built in 1689 and is dedicated to the Assumption of the Mother of God. Our attention is immediately drawn to the fantastic external carved decorations, particularly those on the south wall. Inside, and also on the south wall are frescoes of the Last Judgment and of various saints, including thirteen Syrian Fathers, other fine frescoes having been destroyed by fire in the 18th century during the church's turbulent history. By the bell turret I see some steps going down to what I learn was a hiding place for soldiers to lurk and take intruders by surprise in the turbulent past.

the hiding place for soldiers

The smaller of the two churches, the Hvtaeba church, is early 17th century, with frescoes badly damaged, sadly, by graffiti, mainly Russian. It is dark in there but with someone's torch we are able to make out some of that dreadful graffiti on the underside of a frescoed arch.

sad graffiti over frescoes

The tranquil setting belies the history of this site, involved as it was in many past wars. It is hugely photogenic here and we become tourists as we are anxious to take the ultimate beautiful shot!
We meet an English couple in the car park here. They have a motor home and have spent a couple of months exploring Turkey before coming into Georgia and will eventually drive back to London to see their son. I mention the shame of the litter. He shrugs; it's a fact of life, he says. Why do we all have to be so defeatist? Let's stem the flow of litter and not accept the trashing of God's beautiful planet, in Georgia or anywhere else!

view over the reservoir

It is time to say goodbye to Ananuri and move on, towards the fortified town of Sighnaghi and the Church of St Nino at the Bodbe convent…