Thessaloniki

The Celebrity Infinity pulled into port in Thessaloniki and after breakfast and waiting for our excursion to be called, we headed off the ship to our tour of the ruins of Dion near Mount Olympus.

Dion

We drove first to the archaeological site of Dion, in the shadow of Mount Olympus. Rebecca was particularly excited about this site as it was important under Macedonian authority, notably Philip II and Alexander the Great. Both kings celebrated victories here, and it was at this sanctuary that Alexander conducted sacrifices before his campaign into Asia in 334 BCE. Our guide was also a student of Alexander The Great and shared many stories about him during our visit, most of which Becca already knew. We started our tour by walking past the odeum. The Roman Odeum was built in the late 2nd century CE as part of the large Great Thermal Baths complex. An attached series of shops and a public latrine separated the Odeum from the main street. The small, covered theatre was used for concerts, plays, pantomimes, poetry, and musical performances. It had seating for around 400 spectators.

Great Thermal Baths

The Great Thermal Baths were the largest and most lavish baths built in Roman Dion in Macedonia. They were built in the late 2nd century CE and abutted the southern city wall. The extensive underfloor hypocaust heating system and false walls made of terracotta pipes allowed hot air to circulate throughout the rooms.

Dragonflies

As we walked through a swampy area, we found ourselves surrounded by dozens of small dragonflies.

Sanctuary of Isis

We arrived at the sanctuary of Isis, which was originally dedicated to Aphrodite and Artemis, but later rededicated to Isis after Alexander's successful campaigns into Egypt. The sanctuary was destroyed by flood in the 4th century CE following an earthquake. It remained undisturbed and buried in mud until its recent excavation. A large number of artefacts and statues have been conserved. The sacred springs continue to flow inside the shrines dedicated to Isis Tyche and Aphrodite. The rising water table means the entire sanctuary is partially filled with water. The temples and northern buildings all remain standing to several metres in height. Several columns lie visible in the water or have been raised. Replicas of the statues of Isis Tyche and Aphrodite stand on their pedestals within the curved apse and the nymphaeum.

Archaiothiki

We traveled a short distance to the town of Dion to visit the Archaiothiki and museum. The Dionysus mosaic is exhibited in the Archaiothiki, which is located west of the museum and was completed in 2007. From a gallery the mosaic can be viewed from all sides. In showcases the visitor is presented the latest finds from excavations from Dion and surrounding ancient sites. A video informs about the dismantling of the mosaic at its site, the transport to the Archaiothiki and the subsequent restoration. The building was built especially for the exhibition of the Dionysus mosaic. Here we had one of those funny encounters with tourists as someone on our tour asked if the giant mosiac, which fills most of the floor of the building was transported intact from the archaeological site. They were disappointed to find out it had been found in pieces and reassembled on site.

Archaeological Museum

We did a quick tour of the archaeological museum and had an opportunity to use the restrooms, since the ones at the site were small and took a long time to visit. The ladies were unimpressed with the toilets, which were essentially holes in the ground.

Town of Dion

We had a little spare time at the museum and to look at the area around it.

Litochoro

We were back on the bus for a short ride to the town of Litochoro, where we had free time to shop or get a snack. We grabbed coffees and soda from a surly employee at a chain coffee shop and wandered the town, where Becca finally found the small bust of Alexander The Great she had been looking for.

Riverside

Having finished the shops, and with lunch promised soon, we walked down the stone steps to the river side and the bridge to take in some scenic views.

Lunch

After our town visit, we took the bus to Kalyvia Varikou where we had a great lunch outdoors with our group and Rebecca befriended a local cat who kept coming back to her for more attention.

Back on the Infinity

The bus returned us to the dock and we changed into our evening clothes. J. R. decided to skip the evening show and go to the martini bar. Janie and Becca joined him shortly after when they realized the show was the cruise director, Ernest, doing a Vegas caberet. We have had many cruise directors and never had one stroke their own ego by taking over the stage. We would have preferred a caberet by the production singers. Our dinner tonight was in Tuscan Grille and the food was very good as always there.

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