Day 6: Kalambaka to Kavalla. featuring Paul in Philippii

The day dawned grey and coolish and the overcast hung very low over the mountains. The general conversation this morning on the bus was that we were so blessed to have had such clear weather up on the mountains yesterday at the monasteries, because today we would not have seen a thing, much less would our driver Dimitri have seen the road. Today was a long long drive on the flat with a great sameness in the scenery. And so we headed off with Morning Prayer to start the day. Following Morning Prayer, Melina gave us an explanation as to why there are seemingly so many unfinished houses in Greece, especially in the more rural areas. It is because farmers cannot get loans to build because of irregular income and the government makes people who build houses commit to whether they are building a single or double story house, which can eventually become two houses. So they apply to build the two houses with a view to finishing the second part when the money becomes available perhaps to provide a secure home for children or to rent out as an investment when children are studying away from home. It gave me an insight into so of the more cultural attitudes to house building that we see in migrant families in Australia.

As we headed north we came up close and personal with Mount Olympus. It is the highest mountain in Greece and the home of the 12 gods of Olympus. What surprised me about it was how close to the coast it is. In Australia, you don’t think about snowcapped mountains next to the water, but then again, in Australia we don’t really have mountains! A stop for morning tea and then seemingly more endless driving. It was good to have seat buddy Sam to chat with and pass the time. We did pass nearby some monasteries at Mount Athos but we were not able to visit them as they do not allow visits from women!!! Driving, driving, driving… although the intricate desserts at the lunch stop were a welcome break to the routine as this pic indicates.

We finally arrive at Philippi and I admit to not knowing much about what we would find. Today’s ah ha moments did not disappoint. The first of the ruins we found was a very well preserved Greek theatre which the Romans later converted into a gladiatorial area by removing the front most lower seating. It dates back to about the 4

^th century BCE. There I was actually sitting in a real Greek theatre. I climbed to the top and sat, goose bumps on my skin as I listened to Melina speak about the features of the theatre without having to listen to the whisper technology because the acoustics were so spectacular. The Drama teacher in me was so moved by the connection to the ancient craft. It had been worth the drive! But there was more waiting, just literally around the corner.
Just beyond the theatre the remains of an early roman Basilica dating to about the 5^th or 6^th century. It is only a few columns and stones now, but Melina pointed out to us that Basilicas had the columns on the inside whereas pagan Greek temples had the columns on the outside and basilicas also had the adornment on the inside and not on the outside. It was interesting to imagine the early Christians gathering for public prayer in the early years of legalised Christianity throughout the empire in these grand buildings.

The next ruin we came across was the prison where St Paul and Silas were held in Philippi for disturbing the peace as recorded in Acts 16: 25ff. Following an earthquake the prisoners were unfettered from their chains and yet did not actually escape which caused the conversion of the jailer and his family. It is a small rock formation and the pic indicates a couple of likely escapees! We turned around from the jail to see a large vista, the remains of the roman market. This Roman Market was huge and would have been a significant trading area, and the place where Paul may have preached and cast out the spirit of the soothsayer. It is an impressive set of ruins dating back to about the 1^st century BCE. Toward the left hand end of the ruins there is a well preserved set of columns that probably delineated some kind of large shop… the Kmart of early Roman times. In the Christian era it is likely that this had been taken over as a church and the early Christians had carved a cross in the marble on the doorstoop of the building. We also saw the remains of the Egnatian Way. The “Via Egnatia” was built beginning in approx. 150 BCE and it was a connecting roadway to important ports in the Roman Empire.
 

Just around the corner from this building are the remains of the church of St Paul, built in honour of the Saint who brought Christianity to Europe. It is unknown exactly when this octagonal building was built but it probably dates to the 5^th or 6^th century of the Common Era. The excavation revealed amazing mosaics on the floor in the octagonal shaped building. Adjoining this building was the remains of a house which is assumed to have been the bishop’s house, complete with a roman bath. It was a particularly inspiring place. But yet there was still more to see and so we climbed back on the bus and drove down the road to the modern church of St Lydia.

This modern Orthodox Church, built adjoining the excavation of an old Roman cemetery, is only about 30 years old and it is truly magnificent. Unfortunately the shape of the church made it difficult to photograph, but it was a feast for the eyes, with beautiful octagonal construction and vivid icons adorning the ceiling and the walls.

Just beyond the church there is a rapidly flowing stream where Lydia, the first convert to Christianity, is said to have been baptized with all her household.  Acts 16:13ff records Paul encountering a woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, to whom he preached the risen Christ. Lydia accepted the preaching and converted to Christianity, becoming the first recorded Christian in Europe. All those years of teaching women and religion in SOR and here I am standing beside the river where Lydia was baptised. There is a beautiful Amphitheatre and grotto and Baptistery that straddles the river. We were to have Mass there in the open but the weather was inclement and so we renewed our baptismal promises beside the stream. It is such a beautiful, spiritual place. I was deeply moved by the experience. We then had to move indoors to the tiny café to celebrate Mass. It was as though we were almost like the early Christians who had to squeeze into a clandestine venue to celebrate Eucharist. 

The last leg of the trip was the short drive to Kavalla. The former name of Kavalla was Neapolis and acts 11 records Paul sailing from Troas and arriving at Neapolis, his first stop in Europe. We made a brief stop at the hotel before setting off on an expedition around the town. Daniel played tour guide very well as he led Anne, Joe, Chris and I around the town, pointing out the Cathedral of Kavala that has a beautiful mosaic outside of the landing of Paul at Neapolis, the remains of the Crusader castle which became an Ottoman bastion during the Turkish occupation, the viaduct built by Mohammed the great, and the former mosque that is now a church. We even went right to the end of the point and saw the very small lighthouse before hiking back down the hill to the town square and returning to the hotel for an interesting dinner of grilled capsicum with feta, meatballs and mash and semolina cake. This brings me to tonight and this blog. On pilgrimage you never quite know what amazing experience is hiding around the corner… I give thanks for the experiences of today.