Thessaloniki and Volos, Greece

April 20, 2025
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We are back in Greece now, where we had a nice walking tour of Thessaloniki, Greece’s second largest city (after Athens).  

Fishermen in Thessaloniki

Again, tons of history in this city, some reflected in its archeology museum, and much in the monuments all over the city (including Alexander the Great ).  

Wall of the Old City in Thessaloniki

We spent a good deal of time in the Church of St. Dimitrios, learning about the Greek Orthodox church, and some of the ways it differs from the Roman Catholic church.  

St Dimitrios Greek Orthodox Church

Workers in churches all over Greece were busy on Holy Thursday preparing for Easter rituals and proceedings.   Lucky for us, Holy Thursday was the day for our visit to Thessaloniki.  We saw many Epitaphios (the embroidered or iconographic cloth depicting Christ after his removal from the cross).  A wooden canopy, decorated with flowers, carries the epitaphios in a solemn procession on Good Friday evening.  

Volos

After Thessaloniki we headed to Volos, a much smaller town with lots of history (of course).  Another visit to the archeological museum in Volos, and then a trip to the nearby village of Milies.  

Archeological Museum in Volos
Gate through the Wall in Milies

Milies means “apple trees” in Greek, and the region produces beautiful, tasty apples, along with flowers and many other crops. 

Milies is one of 24 small towns on the Pelion Peninsula in the Thessaly region of central Greece.  These small old towns are hidden high in the hills, because it did not make sense to live on the coast in the days when pirates were attacking coastal cities.

Bell Tower in Milies, Volos

The Church of the Holy Archangels, a Greek Orthodox church, is located in Milies.  It is very small but the interior is ornately decorated with many frescoes. 

Church of the Archangeles

There is a beautiful entry to the church where candles may be lit for special offerings. When we visited the church on Good Friday, the church had another Epitaphios on display. Holy Week is a special time to be in Greece and learn about the Greek Orthodox church.  This year is the first time in 1700 years that the Roman Catholic and Greek Orthodox churches will celebrate Easter on the same day. 

We plan to go to a Mass on Easter in Athens to be concelebrated by the ship’s chaplain. 

MAM & JFB

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