We departed Thessaloniki sharp at 8:00am, first making the 1 hour drive to Veria.
Veria is mentioned in Acts as being a location where St. Paul stopped twice on his way from Macedonia south towards Athens & Corinth. The modern city has very little to see for pilgrims of Paul but there is a modern mosaic 'altar' in the location that has historically been believed to be the spot where the synagogue that Paul, Timothy & Silas visited so we made a stop there to read the scripture, discuss & contemplate his visits.
Next we continued to the nearby village of Vergina, where royal tombs including those of Phillip II & Alexander IV were found in the late 1970s. We picked-up a superb local guide as we entered the tomb museum & were not prepared for the splendor of the tomb treasures & the awesome history inside. A fantastic visit that everyone agreed is a highlight of an already wonderful tour.
After free time for lunch we rebounded our bus & continued south towards Meteora, 'Rocks in the Sky'.
These incredible rock formations, & the mind-boggling monsters that cling precariously to their summits, are better-known around the world than Veria & Vergina. However the beauty of both the landscape & the monasteries & their painted churches far exceed anything most visitor expect. Our excellent guides helped bring the area to life.
A great day was topped off with another wonderful group dinner, enjoyed 'al fresco' in the main square of Kalambaka, before a stroll back to our hotel.
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