Thassos - Travel Journal

VERONICA CONSTANTINESCU

In the first half of 2008 I didn't think I would go back to Greece, but at the end of July I received a visit from my friend, eager to spend our vacation together. It seems that Greece was calling me again. In a few days the reservations were made, and in less than a month we were already in the port of Keramoti, in order to embark on the ferry to Thassos, the emerald island of the northern Aegean Sea.

Ferry boarding, Keramoti, Greece.

Accompanied by seagulls, the group no longer feels tired from the night spent on the bus and arrives smiling in Limenas, the island's capital.

The hotel where we are staying is small and intimate, in fact a family guest house with a bar and a beautiful swimming pool. It takes only 10-15 minutes from here to the shopping center of the city and the beach.

Guest house, Limenas, Thassos, Greece.

After the first swim in the sea, in the evening we have a meeting with the rest of the group and the representatives of the agency from Romania. The leisure options presented to us are:

• Greek evening - 33 Euros / person
• Kavala - Filipi - St. Lydia Baptistery - 33 Euros / person
• Tour of the island by bus - 29 Euros / person
• Boat trip - 29 Euros / person

There are two areas where you can sunbathe. For one of them, it is recommended to wear special shoes that will protect you in case of accidentally step on the sea urchins. From day one we had discovered the good beach near Mythos Restaurant.

Beach, Limenas, Thassos, Greece.

A few meters from the shore, the sun creates a fine rainbow net in the sea water, in the links of which 5-10 cm long fish can be seen swimming. Where humans do not disturb their space, the two species can pass, in the water, one on top of the other in a somewhat strange interweaving by the naturalness of their coexistence.

For me seeing Greece for the third time, the landscape is familiar, but, in addition to the previous locations, it has a slight exoticism.

Limenas, Thassos, Greece.

Local architecture, Limenas, Thassos, Greece.

There are two nightclubs, both in the vicinity of the police building, and we discover them in a solitary raid a few hours later. I still can't miss the meeting with the Greek parties. So, the next day, Friday night, we'll head to the mountain village of Theologos.

Augustos Restaurant, Theologos, Thassos, Greece.

Dinner is buffet style (Greek salads, lamb and chicken dishes, Thassos wines), evening attractions - bouzuki music and various moments with sirtaki dancers - culminating in a game of young women invited to dance over the grapes in the large barrel next to the stage. And at the end of the party, the guests break the plates…

Dancers, Theologos, Thassos, Greece.

On Saturday morning we set off from the island to visit other sights: from Keramoti, we took the bus to Kavala, the third largest city in Greece.

The port of Kavala, Greece.

With only three hours to go, I'm in a hurry to finish shopping and try to see at least some of the city's attractions.

Kavala, Greece. On the left you can see the aqueduct, on the top right the fortress.

Only physical condition helps me walk in an hour through some of the streets of the amphitheater city, so that during the climb I can see the Church of St. Nicholas and the house and statue of Mehmet Ali, the founder of modern Egypt.

Monument of Apostle Paul - Church St. Nicholas, Kavala, Greece.

Statue of Mehmet Ali, Kavala, Greece.

I even reach the gates of the fortress ... but I find that I don't have time to visit it entirely and I am satisfied with the joy of being able to capture the port’s panoramic view from such a height, after which I’m hurrying down to the port, just allowing me to have a juice there.

Panoramic view of Kavala port, Greece.

I’m not sure whether at least 2-3 persons from my group managed to approach the historical side of the city, for the others the shopping rush being more important…

Philippi is the next stop and from now on the pace of the visit is not so fast: everything is done together with the group, receiving the detailed explanations of the guide. Named after Macedonian King Philip II, the father of Alexander the Great, the ancient city is quite well preserved.

Remains of the ancient city of Philippi, Greece.

There are still performances on the theater stage, supported mainly by children.

Philippi is also a place connected to the memory of the Apostle Paul, who preached here the Bible, opening the way for the practice of Christianity in Europe, and to the pilgrimages on the Via Egnatia (the road that connected the Christian centers in the East and the West).

The Roman Forum, Philippi, Greece.

The town was also involved in the Roman civil war that followed the assassination of Julius Caesar. The archeological site reveals the Roman forum, the citadel and the ancient theater, the agora, but also the cell in which the apostle Paul was imprisoned and the ruins of the Christian churches.

Mosaic, Paul's Basilica, Philippi, Greece.

Lydia, the first woman to be baptized a Christian by St. Paul in one of the nearby rivers, gives the name of the Baptistery at which we will eventually stop.

Lydia’s Baptistery, Philippi, Greece.

We also enter in the river water and, after taking pictures, we take farewell from those places and return to Limenas; in the evening we will witness the demonstration of a potter making pottery on a wheel.

A tour of the island by bus is scheduled for Sunday. We start from the northwestern part of the island, having the sea on the right, on the only existing road on the island, the one that bypasses the island. As in Limenas, where cars can be rented, drivers do not seem to pay much attention to traffic rules. The police are taking drastic measures to reduce the number of accidents.

In addition to the road, the villages have a row or two of houses, and behind them, up to the mountains, there are plantations, especially olive groves. Sometimes, the mountain seems to be crossed from top to bottom by bare strips - in Romania you might think of them being the ski slopes.

However, they emerged here as a solution for the authorities to limit the possibility of spreading the devastating fires that the island had in the past. In addition to destroying many of the older generations of olive trees, the fires at that time had the effect of devastating wildlife.
We will have the first stop at a convent of nuns built on the rocks, above the sea.

Archangel Michael's Monastery, Thassos, Greece.

Located at a distance (in straight line) of 90 km from Mount Athos, which sometimes, in clear conditions, can be seen from here, the Monastery of Archangel Michael preserves a piece of the Holy Nail - one of those used in the crucifixion of Jesus. We can't take pictures here, instead we can buy cult objects and the nuns provide us with bottles of holy water brought by them from the spring in the cave.

At Aliki, the sea water is whiter to the shore, thanks to the marble. It only takes 10 minutes to visit the ruins of the ancient temples, after which we all line up on the beach to take a few of small stones of naturally polished marble from there. We were already imagining how a flower pot would look like this decorated…

Ruins, Aliki, Thassos, Greece.

Then we go to Panagia, where we first pass by the local church, the largest on the island, which is to be worship the Virgin Mary. The church is closed, but here, next to the blue-painted towers, begin the tales of the village with the richest (and the longest-lived) people on the island.

The art of local craftsmen, Panagia, Thassos, Greece.

Further on, a little spot discovers its charms: the trees have heart-shaped hollows, lit at night, a small bridge passes over the spring from which some set their thirst. Watch out girls, the ones of you who drank from here have the chance to marry a local man! On the bridge, lovers have to meet halfway in order to spend their whole lives together.

On the paved streets, we reach the olive oil factory then. First we stop to see the old pressing system, then, after visiting the factory, we start shopping in the outlet store.

The old pressing system, olive oil factory, Panagia, Thassos, Greece.

Olive oil factory, Panagia, Thassos, Greece.

At 24 euros for the 5 liter bottle, the oil here is very good and you can even drink it easily. It is worth buying if you are interested in a first quality virgin oil. Then we are heading to the area where you can taste pine honey. In various combinations, with green walnuts, pumpkin, figs, it is on the second place of my own shopping.

Leaving behind the 600-year-old oak tree, the symbol of the town, we go on with the bus. The last stop on this tour will be at Golden Beach, where we will have about 2 hours to stay.

The beach, very long, is almost deserted now. Maybe those who are inclined to sunbathe were scared of the wind. For us, however, the big waves are just a good opportunity for fun.

Golden Beach, Thassos, Greece.

The Enavlion Batagianni Hotel, from Golden Beach, Thassos, Greece.

However, some are also thinking of eating, especially since the terrace next to the place where we parked has reasonable prices - soup: 2.50-3.50 euros; pizza: 4.50-6 euros; salad: 2.50 euros, small fried fish: 5 euros; chicken souvlaki: 5-6 euros; dessert: 3 euros; juices - 1.20 euros; a glass of white wine: 1.50 euros.

Me and my friend prefer to have lunch after 7 p.m., when we get "home" in Limenas. The day before, I discovered a nice place, where a Romanian woman who has been living here for 15 years takes the order for meal.

The portion of seafood (on the menu appears at 11.5 euros but, for any order here, you get both a 10% discount and free dessert and cognac coffee) is so generous and inviting that most tourists who arrive here, before enjoying it, rush to pose it.

The other dishes are just as good - I hardly unstick myself from the grilled fish, which, with three kinds of salads and a garnish of french fries, cost only 6 euros.

On the first day of September, at 8.30, we board on Victoria boat.

Starting point for boat trip, Limenas, Thassos, Greece.

We are greeted with a fresh bun and a glass of juice or coffee, then we start walking by sea. All passengers sit comfortably in the slow-moving boat on the waters of the Aegean Sea.

Fishing, bathing in the water over 3 meters deep, barbeque lunch ... a pleasant walk that did not lack emotions: a whirlwind of nowhere in the sea that until then was completely calm. My friend was the unlucky person who was swimming right there. Alerted, the Victoria’s crew managed to immediately get her out of the water.

One of the bays where we stopped for a swim, Thassos, Greece.

Arriving back at the port before 5 p.m., the two of us think it's time to start visiting the local sights on our own. From the center, a sign shows where to go to the ancient theater.

Sanctuary of Dionysus, Limenas, Thassos, Greece.

Leaving behind the sanctuary of Dionysus, we climb the cobbled path and arrive in a quarter of an hour at the place where, from the seats in front of the amphitheater, it’s an enjoyment to see the port from above.

Amphitheater, Limenas, Thassos, Greece.

We dedicate the next day to the sea and I have the opportunity to take some more photos. Following the movement of a fish, I suddenly reach a more secluded corner, from where, from the water, a few shells shine out for me. Shells are rare here, compared to those on the beaches of Romania, so when I pick them up from the water I am amazed by their perfection. Luckily, the fish suddenly changed course, otherwise I risked stepping on a sea urchin.

On a nearby rock, a fisherman tries his luck. Beyond it, slightly secluded from the rest of the beach, is another scenic spot. The pieces of marble on the shore here are even bigger than those we found at Aliki on the island tour.

End of Limenas beach, Thassos, Greece.

In the afternoon the two of us decided to show our friends, a couple on their honeymoon, the road to the theater. We are also determined to find the road, that seemed hidden, to the Acropolis. Last night I saw, from the distance and from below, the lights that marked the road, and so I could more easily discover, near the amphitheater, the road that otherwise looked like a mountain path.

On the top of the Acropolis hill we find the remains of two temples (that of Apollo and that of Athens), the altar of Pan, but also a medieval castle.

The ruins of Medieval castle, Acropolis, Limenas, Thassos, Greece.

Acropolis, Limenas, Thassos, Greece.

The climb seems more difficult, but the view is worth it.

Overview, Limenas port, Thassos, Greece.

We choose the descent on the other road, steeper at first, but which gives us the opportunity to admire the trees and the stone embankments.

Stone embankments and olive trees, Limenas, Thassos, Greece.

When we get down to the city, we are greeted by the sanctuary of Heracles, the gate of Zeus and the ones of Hera, and then we arrive at the hotel where we are staying.

We spend the last day only on the beach and in stores: it's time to close the shopping lists, either small souvenirs for family and friends, or the purchase of gold jewelry. And right now, before leaving, we are also testing the hotel pool.

We will say goodbye first to those we have had the accommodation at, then to our friends at the restaurant, and we will board the ferry again - this time the destination being Romania.

Dolphin statue, Limenas, Thassos, Greece.

Departure from the island of Thassos, Greece.

And Thassos, the island where we have met Serbs, Germans, Italians, Danes, is left behind, with its romantic and mysterious atmosphere. Will we come back? Probably, many of us.

Thassos - Travel Journal

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