Experiencing Greek Culture

The day started off with a couple of unexpected surprises. The first was the weather. After a few days of not the best weather, the sun was shining and the snow started the early stages of melting. That made for a much lively group as we were able to get off the bus and makes some much needed stops. The other was running into a bus full of Calvin College students at a rest area. A few of us were even able to catch up with people that we know.

In the afternoon we spent our time in Thessaloniki Greece. You may know this as the city that had the church that Paul wrote letter to that we now call Thessalonians. This city has a rich history going back to Alexander the Great. We were able to see some ruins of the ancient city, but not many because the modern city is built over top of them. We spent sometime at the old city wall where Prof. Weima was able to explain things about the old city to us. If anyone knows anything about Prof. Weima, it is that he has written the longest commentary on the Thessalonian letters. So learning from Prof. Weima in the city of Thessaloniki is a very special treat.

The end of the day was filled with experiencing the Greek Culture. We were able to visit a Greek Orthodox Church and see how most of the people in the city worship. But just as importantly, we were able to experience the Greek food and eating culture more. We had a dinner which lasted over 2 hours and had so much food, I was more full than I have been in a long time. The Greek people really know how to eat.

Chadd H.