Magnesia - the summer residence of the Olympian gods
A light white cloud, brought by the north wind, caught on the top of Mount Pelion for several minutes. It was as if the nymph Nefeli herself (which means “cloud” in Greek) looked around, then smoothly slid into the valley and disappeared just before our eyes. She probably flew to Olympus to report to the gods that the summer season had begun.
Volos greeted us with a fantastically blue sky, against which rested the emerald-green peaks of the legendary Pelion Mountains, the birthplace of the centaurs. The city of Jason and the Argonauts is today the capital of the Magnesia region and is located 200 km south of Thessaloniki and 300 km north of Athens, on the coast of the Pagasian Gulf. It is the third largest port in the country. The Pelion Peninsula, curving, goes into the sea for 60 km, closing the bay from winds and currents and therefore there are never storms or high waves in it.
It is rightly said that everything new is the well-forgotten old.
Having visited Greece 8 times, starting with Paralia Katerinis and Halkidiki, which you will immediately be offered in any travel agency, we finally found the most-most place in Greece in all respects. And why not read ancient Greek mythology yourself? Thank God, good Greek people suggested: according to the legends, the gods of Olympus built their summer residences in Pelion, apparently already then they knew that Paralia Katerinis, although located close to Olympus, was completely unsuitable for a good rest.
Representatives of the modern Greek Olympus - movie and pop stars, ministers and deputies of the Greek parliament, bankers and everyone who allows a wallet and good taste to relax and enjoy (including citizens of Germany, Austria, Scandinavian and other countries), have already followed the example of the gods and built their own "huts".
And interestingly, local building regulations strictly forbid all new residential buildings outside the city to be built exclusively in the traditional architectural style. Therefore, looking at some mansion, it is almost impossible to understand how old it is and to whom it belongs. People quietly rest, trying not to boast.
We stayed in the city for a few days. Protected from the north and east by a mountain range, it is located on the coast of the Pagasian Gulf.
How to get from Athens to Volos by bus KTEL 4 hours (324 km)
From Thessaloniki to Volos by KTEL bus 2.5 hours (216km)
From Athens to Volos by train 4.5 hours.
From Thessaloniki by train 3.5 hours.
From Athens to the island of Schiafo by plane 35 minutes.
From Skiathos to Volos by air 1 hour 30 minutes, by ferry 2.5 hours.
By car 4 hours.
Reference phone numbers of transport
Volos railway station 2421028555.2421024056.
Bus station 2421033253.2421025527.
Ferry timetable 2421021626.2421031059, 2421023400.
Flight schedule 2421021626.2421031060, 2421023400.
Taxi 2421027777.2421037880.
Walk first.
Embankment. During the day, in complete tranquility, you can admire the Argonauts Embankment, because it is not for nothing that it takes first place in the national competition in the category of urban embankments. The Argonauts Embankment is a pedestrian zone almost throughout its entire length. Private yachts are parked on one side, restaurants, taverns and cafes lined up one after another on the other. Volos is famous throughout Greece for its uzeri and tsipouradiko, in the city of their approx. 400. Ouzo (anise-flavoured grape vodka) and tsipuro (grape-bunch drink, first made by monks in the 14th century) are best ordered here in small, factory-bottled bottles that you open yourself. Otherwise, they may bring draft, the quality of which may be questionable. Perfectly cooked seafood can be ordered from the menu, and if your eyes run wide and don't know where to start, order ouzo.
With each next bottle, new snacks will be brought to you.
Before sunset, pay attention to the Church of Saints Constantine and Helena, the golden mosaic above the entrance lights up. On Saturdays and Sundays, they get married here and when the newlyweds leave the church, they are greeted with fireworks, the bright lights of which are reflected in the waters of the bay. For the young holiday, for tourists an additional romantic spectacle. Further behind the church, Anavros Park begins, where kids can have plenty of fun on the playgrounds, and adults can relax in numerous cafes and restaurants. At the end of the park, next to the city hospital, there is a small church of the Holy Trinity, built in the Byzantine style. Even if you are not too devout, take a look inside: the walls, dome and iconostasis by the artist George Gounaropoulos present an unforgettable sight.
Whether you like it or not, you will definitely not be able to forget it, just as you will not be able to find anything like it anywhere else.
A little further is the building of the archaeological museum of Afanasakio, with a rich collection of exhibits from the Neolithic settlements of Sesklo and Dimini, ceramics, sculptures and jewelry. Entrance costs 3 euros, the schedule can be clarified by tel. 2421025285 and 2421024134.
Further on the right side begins the city beach. The water is clean, despite the proximity of the city and the port. There are not many sun loungers, but for free, like umbrellas. If you still have strength, go further: under the Goritsa hill in a cave under the road there is a church popularly called simply "Tripa", i. e. Hole. The main shrine is the icon of the Mother of God the Life-Giving Spring.
Walk second. Centre. You can start it from the railway station, built in 1882.
designed by the famous Italian Evaristo De Chirico, who also built a fantastic narrow-gauge railway from the city to the village of Milies. On the second floor of the station is the Railway Museum of Thessaly. We leave the station and through the park around the city theater we go out onto Ermou (i. e. Hermes) street. It is useful to know that in any Greek city the central shopping street is always called Ermu, it was this god who in ancient times was the patron of merchants, money changers and just deceivers. Therefore, the most expensive shops are always located on Ermu, often here you pay for air. Exactly the same goods on the outskirts can be found many times cheaper, but you need to know where which stores are located. And here everything is at once and nearby.
And if you are not too lazy to spend half a day on good purchases at ridiculous prices, ask what day and where LAIKI will be. Laiki is a mobile market.
After reviewing the guide (Volos Info Center Tourist Information Center is located opposite the bus station on the corner of Leoforo Lampraki and Sekeri, it distributes books and maps to everyone free of charge. www. magnesia. gr www. volos. gr ) we decided to go to the Kato Xenia Monastery, where the Belt is kept Mother of God, which She gave to the Apostle Thomas before her Dormition.
We left the city, an elderly woman modestly votes on the side of the road, we stop. She was apparently waiting for someone she knew and was very embarrassed when she got into the car and saw tourists. Fortunately, my broken Greek allowed me to talk somehow. She asked where we are from and how we like the rest. Hearing "Russia" she began to list abruptly: "Patriarch Alexy, Vladimir Putin, S-300. " We drove her to a neighboring village and she was pleased to invite us to her place.
It turned out that her husband was a former military pilot, so the whole family knew not only from history what role Russia played and continues to play in the liberation of Greece from the Turks. After giving us coffee, she loaded us with a whole package of cherries, said a lot of wishes and asked Russia not to allow Turkey to join the European Union. A kind of naive simplicity: as if a couple of Russian tourists manage the entire foreign policy of the country. But still nice and touching.
We go further, so as not to get lost, we decide to ask at a gas station. 3 men are sitting at a table, drinking a cold frapé , resting after work. We drove up to them, opening the map and asking if we had passed the right turn. All three of them animatedly explain to us where the turn will be, one of them shows on the map with one hand, and the other holds out 2 euros and says: "Put candles in the monastery. " I ask "For whom? What are your names? " And he answered me: "Set for all travelers. "
Another: "I'll go ahead, show you the turn and come back", gets into his jeep and waves, they say let's go. So we just couldn't get lost.
A few words about the Church. 96% of Greeks are Orthodox Christians. For God's sake don't remember the term "Greek Catholics", it has nothing to do with them. All churches are open until late in the evening, even when there is no service. Women do not need to wear headscarves. On the contrary: a woman with a covered head is perceived here exclusively as a Muslim. You can enter city churches in shorts, sleeveless blouses or transparent fabrics, this will not embarrass anyone. If you are going to a monastery, it is better to dress more decently. But in extreme cases, there are always skirts and scarves at the entrance to cover the shoulders (but NOT the HEAD, remember this). Candles lie at the entrance, take it yourself, throwing money into the box at the rate of 1 euro for 5 candles.
to be continued
