Leaving Sochos and Back to Thessaloniki
Ancient Pella and Aigai and the Acropolis of Thessaloniki – Sans Photos!
Today, I will return to Thessaloniki for a couple of days. I finished the tedious chore of packing and then headed out to take one last walk around Sochos village. The contrast between the craziness of the Clean Monday festivities and this morning was stark. The only signs of life were the team of street cleaners busily trying to restore the place back to normality. This was no mean feat – every soggy fake euro note had to be peeled from the ground. One man was diligently sweeping sequins and glitter from the gaps between the cobblestones.
Taking a side street up into the higher part of the village, washing lines bent under the weight of rows of Koudounouforoi costumes hanging out to dry. Maybe they were hanging out to be aired, as I can’t imagine the fur pants and jackets are easy to launder. The Kalpaki headwear hung upside down, still exuding an eerie presence despite having no head inside.
Back in the lower part of the village, a small traditional bakery tempted me in with the smell of its freshly baked wares. A couple of sugar-covered doughy sweet treats made for the perfect breakfast with a cup of tea back at the apartment.
Vicky had kindly arranged a local taxi for me back to Thessaloniki. I’d been determined to catch the buses back out of sheer pig-headedness more than anything, but I was still suffering the after effects of the lurgy. In the end, I thought to hell with it – keep it easy.
The taxi driver wasn’t available until after 11 am. I don’t know whether he had an earlier job or was suffering the effects of a late night, but I arranged to be picked up at midday. Vicky came to say goodbye and to translate instructions to the driver. I was so grateful for Vicky’s kindness during my stay and I really do hope to come back one day. I was leaving with so many questions about what I’d observed during this unique carnival, and my eternal curiosity is not one to let things lie.
It was a pleasant journey back to Thessaloniki, passing through the neighbouring villages and then skimming the town of Langadas just north of the lakes. After an hour we were in the thick of the metropolis of Thessaloniki. I enjoyed my stay at the Maroon Bottle Luxury Suites so much last week that I booked another stay. As a travel agent, I’m always curious to try a range of different hotels, but the Maroon bottle offered me everything I needed (and more), so I’ve come back.
Located on a corner position on Philippou Street, it’s in the perfect location to explore Thessaloniki. It’s a traditional building that has been fully modernised whilst keeping many of its original features. The owner, Mr Socrates had told me that the sympathetic refurbishment was an important part of his business strategy.
The entrance is one of the few remaining in this style of building in the city. The entrance is indeed impressive, as are the original geometric floor tiles. The breakfast here is pretty great too. There is a choice of 3 set options or you can pick and mix as you choose. Breakfast is served in line with the hotel’s modern approach to style i.e. yoghurt and muesli in a jar and the rest on a wooden board. This may have the We Want Plates society groaning, but I liked it! During the day, the breakfast area becomes a lively cafe and a popular haunt for the elderly and metropolitan locals alike. Parasol-covered tables on the tree-lined street outside give the place a little touch of the Parisiennes!
I highly recommend the Maroon Bottle Luxury Suites as a place to stay in Thessaloniki centre. It’s quiet and yet central location is ideally placed but the hospitality and the hotel itself is exceptional!
I will be staying in Thessaloniki for 2 nights before flying to Athens . This practically gives me one full day in the city. During my stay in Thessaloniki just over a week ago, I’d booked a trip to Vergina and Pella which I had to cancel due to a lingering bout of the lurgies. However, the agency that I’d booked it with was kind enough to reschedule it for me.
The following morning, I took the 5 minute walk to the meeting spot at the statue of Eleftherios Venizelos. Gradually others arrived – just a small group of 16 people. Our two guides Yiannis and Niko arrived in two minivans and split us between them.
And this is when this post in my ‘photo diary’ gets difficult. I know it’s boring to keep going on about the theft of my phone. It wasn’t the loss of the phone because that was easily replaced but the loss of the photographs. Part of my stay in Sochos and the days that I was in Thessaloniki up until the time my phone got swiped are now confined to the recesses of my ever-decreasing brain cells. I use the photographs as my notes for the blog. They prompt me to recall the experiences, including the sights, sounds and smells of a place. Without them, I can only hope the fine detail isn’t completely lost.
Our first stop was the ancient city of Pella, about 45 minutes NW of Thessaloniki. Located in the suburbs of Pella town, this sprawling archaeological site was once the capital of the ancient kingdom of Macedon. It is more famously known as the ruling seat of Philip II and the birthplace of Alexander the Great. Our guide Yiannis talked us through the map at the entrance, giving us the context we needed to get the most out of the visit. We were then given an hour to explore this expansive site, which is a mere 70,000 square metres in size.
It is thought that Pella was established in the 4th century BC by King Archelaus when he moved the capital of Macedon from Aigai (now modern day Vergina) to Pella. Another school of thought says it was Amyntus III, father of Philip II that was the founder. Whatever the truth, Pella became the largest city in Macedon and one that thrived both economically, culturally and socially due to its strategic location.
The magnificent city was built in a grid-like formation with a large agora in the centre and a royal palace that also served as the administrative centre for the kingdom. It was one of the earliest cities to have a domestic supply of piped water and a waste water system. The grand houses of the city were built with elaborate mosaic floors, some of which are still in-situ, and others can be found in the Archaeological Museum of Pella. After a devastating earthquake in 90 BC, most of the city was destroyed. However, what we see today after years of excavations is still an impressive site to visit.
Back in the minibus, our next stop is the Archaeological Museum of Pella, just a 5 minute drive away. This allowed us to see many of the restored mosaic floors along with some incredible artifacts that denoted the wealth and unique culture of the kingdom at that time.
I always use my own media content in my blog, but since I have nothing to share from my visit, I’ve included a short video from Discover Greece. Hopefully, this gives you a flavour of the magnificence of this archaeological site and what you can expect to see at the Pella Archaeological Museum.
Less than an hours drive away is the Museum of the Royal Tombs of Aigai. We headed southwest of Pella towards Veria, re-tracing the bus journey I’d taken from Edessa to Thessaloniki – I recognised the intersection surrounded by endless acres of peach trees. Although it was just over a week since I’d passed through this area, the peach trees were now beginning to come into blossom. I think Yiannis picked up on my interest in the orchards and suggested that we could stop on the way back to take a closer look. Yes please!
We arrived in Vergina, the modern name of Aigai, on the outskirts of a quiet residential area. The royal tombs were a fairly modern discovery. Aigai was the first kingdom of Macedon before it was moved to Pella, so the expectation was that any archaeological finds here would be significant. Archaeological digs took place intermittently in the early 20th century and began to uncover the ancient palace of Aigai. Archaeologists had identified the large earth mounds as possible burial tombs in the 1850’s. It wasn’t until 1977 that Greek archaeologist Manolis Andronikos began an archaeological dig which resulted in many remarkable finds. He discovered several tombs, two of which hadn’t been plundered. He was convinced that they were royal tombs and one was that of Philip II, father of Alexander the Great. This was challenged by other archaeologists. However, in 2023, modern-day technology was able to confirm his theory and also identify the other members of the family.
The museum is a magnificent feat of engineering in its own right. The tombs remained in situ while the museum was constructed above them, preserving the original shape of the burial mound. Its grass-covered roof now blends seamlessly into the surrounding landscape as it would have appeared in the 4th century BC.
A tunnelled entrance leads into the museum. The lighting is low, giving reverence to the fact that this was the resting place of ancient Macedonian royalty. The museum houses three royal tombs and a shrine, along with significant exhibits that denoted the royal status of the deceased. This includes the 24-carat Golden Larnax decorated with the 6-rayed sun, the symbol of Macedonia, and was the funerary urn for Philip II ashes. The elaborate golden oak wreath worn by Philip II during his funeral pire and his military armour were just some of the interesting exhibits.
The remaining tombs belonged to Euridice, mother of Philip II and Alexander IV, son of Alexander the Great. Alexander Junior never took his rightful place as heir after meeting with an early death in his teens. King Philip II himself met his demise on the site at Aigai when he was assassinated whilst celebrating the wedding of his daughter Cleopatra. The circumstances of this assassination would make fine content for a Greek tragedy, threaded with tales of illicit affairs, power and scorned lovers. As we know, the search for the resting place of Alexander the Great goes on.
You can find further information including opening times of the Museum of the Royal Tombs along with other nearby sites of interest in the following link.
Our final stop of the day is a short drive away to the New Museum of Aigai (Vergina). This beautiful museum located outside of Vergina and set amongst the vast acreage of fruit trees, is just two years old. It strategically links with the Museum of the Royal Tombs and the archaeological site of the Royal Palace.
The museum is truly impressive (I know I use that word a lot but I call a spade a spade!). Not only in size but the design and how the exhibits have been beautifully curated is incredible. I won’t say much more about this museum – I will leave it for you to explore when you come yourself. You won’t regret it!
Before we left Vergina, Yianni, true to his word, stopped by the peach orchards for us to take photographs. The blossoms on the trees were just in the initial throws of bursting forth. The vibrant pink petals contrasted beautifully with the bright blue sky that decided to make an appearance yesterday.
As we left Vergina and headed onto the main highway, we passed a field to the left of us fully ablaze. These are rice fields. It’s the time of year when they burn the stubble of last year’s crop in preparation for the next season. This area is also known for growing cotton, which was once a big industry in this region.
Back in the city, I made a last minute decision to go up to the Acropolis of Thessaloniki. It’s a fair old hike, so I found a taxi to take me there. Once at the top, the views across the city of Thessaloniki out over the bay were magnificent. It’s now late afternoon, and a small group of locals have gathered under the tower of Trigonio to take in the view. We are finally seeing the first signs of spring weather since I embarked on this trip nearly a month ago.
The Trigoni Tower was part of a substantial defensive wall and is the point where the Ottomans invaded in 1430. There is a lot to explore here. Although I feel obliged to make up for the time lost when I was sick, I know that I’ll be back in Thessaloniki soon and will give it more time then.
One thing that I really wanted to get out of this visit was to engross myself in the stunning Balkan-style architecture of the old houses in Ano Polis (upper town). I went into a photo frenzy, capturing these atmospheric houses, all with a view to putting them to paper and paint when I returned home (Sigh!). Oh well, I’ll definitely need to come back to Thessaloniki now!
Later that evening, I dined at a restaurant just a few doors down from the Maroon Bottle called L’Albero. It was a fantastic meal and a great way to spend my final evening in Thessaloniki. Now to get ready to leave for Athens.
If you’d like to visit Pella and Vergina next time you’re in Thessaloniki, you can book this trip through Get Your Guide using the link below. The tour company that delivered this tour were very professional and helpful, especially when I had to reschedule it due to illness. I’ve used Get Your Guide many times over the years and I’ve never had a disappointing trip yet.
