Beroea and Vergina

Today, we headed back to Athens, but with stops along the way.

First stop was Veria, sometimes translated as Veroia. It appears as Beroea in the Bible. St. Paul fled here from Thessaloniki and found a more receptive audience. In Acts 17:10-12, the Berea's are praised for receiving the word eagerly and studying the Scriptures daily. A beautiful mosaic commemorates St. Paul's preaching at the Bema (judgement seat in Veria. According to historical resources, St. Paul visited Beria at least twice between 50 AD and 57 AD to teach the life of Jesus to the people of the region.

Today, at the spot where St. Paul preached the Christian faith, there is a religious monument, the so-called "St. Paul's Tribune" - it is located near the centre of the town. In this spot, according to tradition, St. Paul stood while preaching. We had another outdoor mass - these masses are deeply meaningful to everyone. As it was the anniversary of the 9-11 tragedy, we prayed in a special way for all victims and their families of that horrific event.

Our next stop was at the Tombs of the Macedonian Kings in Vergina. Vergina is best known as the site of ancient Aigai, the first capital of Macedon. In 336 BC, King Philip II was assassinated in Aigai's theatre, and his son, Alexander the Great, was proclaimed king. Alexander's resting place is unknown, but in 1977, archaelogists discovered the untouched tomb of King Philip II.

The first of three tombs contained Philip II; the second tomb belonged to Philip III, Alexander's half brother, and the third tomb contained Alexander IV, Alexander the Great's son. The first tomb had been looted, but the second two were intact and contained a vast array of burial goods. The archaeological museum of Vergina was built to house all the artifacts to one site and is one of the most important museums in Greece.

We had a very long drive back to Athens, and without a stop at the hotel for a shower and clean clothes (we were all grubby from the heat and humidity), we went straight to a cooking demonstration and dinner. I have to admit that this is where I hit the wall.

A lady (not wearing a hair net, as noted by all of us CWL ladies), demonstrated how to make tzatziki, dolmadakia (stuffed grape leaves), spinach pie in puffed pastry (spanikopida), and moussaka (Greek shepherd's pie). I tried some things, but the things that should have been hot weren't and I wasn't really hungry. 10:00 p.m. is way too late for dinner for me. There was I was past the point of caring, longing only for a bed and many hours of uninterrupted sleep.Read more