Thessaloniki

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JTh

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Re: Thessaloniki
« Reply #15 on: June 07, 2017, 02:55:12 PM »
I highly recommend a visit to Thessaloniki, although the city is not exactly famous for its parks or gardens, there a very few. But you should take a walk along the seafront, which has been redeveloped recently, from the White Tower to the concert hall, the walk is 5 km long and consists of 13 different garden ‘rooms’.

There is also a tiny botanic garden in Stavroupolis, I haven’t seen it myself, but I’ll try to do so soon.

The Aristotle University of Thessaloniki has a Forest Botanic Garden a few kilometres east of the city. According to their web site (https://www.auth.gr/en/units/8162), it covers an area of about 6.2 hectares with trees and shrubs that grow in Greece, as well as a small number of foreign plant species which are suitable for reforestation and are also grown for aesthetic purposes. As far as I can see it’s not open to the public.
 
Although there are not many green lungs in the city, Thessaloniki has its own suburban forest v called Sheik Sou, north of the city.
Retired veterinary surgeon by training with a PhD in parasitology,  but worked as a virologist since 1992.
Member of the MGS  since 2004. Gardening in Oslo and to a limited extent in Halkidiki, Greece.

Hilary

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Re: Thessaloniki
« Reply #16 on: June 07, 2017, 04:55:17 PM »

JTh thanks fr the extra information about Thessaloniki and the botanic gardens.

We had intended visiting this botanic gardens which I suppose is the one you mention as being near Stavroupolis, unfortunately neither the time nor the weather helped 

https://www.bgci.org/resources/article/0020/

Lakes Kerkini and Doirani were also on our list.
We will just have to go up north again
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Living in Korinthos, Greece.
No garden but two balconies, one facing south and the other north.
Most of my plants are succulents which need little care

Hilary

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Re: Thessaloniki
« Reply #17 on: June 07, 2017, 05:08:48 PM »
Aghia Sophia
No photographic evidence of the environs of this church. A man was energetically trying to dig up the roots of a Canary Island Palm which is all too depressing to record.

I first visited this church in 1967 and I quote from the Fodor guide book I had with me at the time.

Quote
Besides the Madonna and Child in the apse, the great work is the Ascension in the cupola, showing Our Lord seated on a rainbow, surrounded by a ring of angels and apostles alternating decoratively with olive trees.

I just love the apostles in their white Roman togas and the Olive trees.
No photo but scans from a very old leaflet.

It would be a good idea to take binoculars to all these churches as the mosaics are usually very high up.
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Living in Korinthos, Greece.
No garden but two balconies, one facing south and the other north.
Most of my plants are succulents which need little care

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JTh

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Re: Thessaloniki
« Reply #18 on: June 07, 2017, 06:51:26 PM »
We tried to visit The Balkan Botanic Garden in the Kroussia Mountains (Kilkis region) a few years ago, but arrived just a ferw minutes after closing time, the announced schedules were not updated. Lake Kerkini is definitely worth seeing, especially in spring when it is full of  migrating birds.

Yes, there are so many beautiful mosaics in Thessaloniki; by the way, there is a book called The Rotunda in Thessaloniki and Its Mosaics
by Bente Kiilerich (Author), Hjalmar Torp (Author), whic was published in English and Greek last year.
Retired veterinary surgeon by training with a PhD in parasitology,  but worked as a virologist since 1992.
Member of the MGS  since 2004. Gardening in Oslo and to a limited extent in Halkidiki, Greece.

Hilary

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Re: Thessaloniki
« Reply #19 on: June 11, 2017, 05:03:33 PM »
Plants in Thessaloniki in the rain near
The Museum of Byzantine Culture and
The New Town Hall
An Olive tree
A Cypress tree
Santolina and Hypericum
Oleander and Santolina rosmarinifolia
Santolina rosmarinifolia , identified by the MGS Forum
Smoke trees
Smoke tree, wet
Smoke tree, drenched
MGS member
Living in Korinthos, Greece.
No garden but two balconies, one facing south and the other north.
Most of my plants are succulents which need little care

Hilary

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Re: Thessaloniki
« Reply #20 on: June 12, 2017, 03:27:23 PM »
Municipal planting between the Archaeological Museum of Thessaloniki and Thessaloniki International Exhibition Center.
The OTE Tower presiding over all.

It was raining so much I didn't see the huge SAW in the garden of the Museum

Pansies, in the rain and Perovskia, identified by this Forum
MGS member
Living in Korinthos, Greece.
No garden but two balconies, one facing south and the other north.
Most of my plants are succulents which need little care

Hilary

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Re: Thessaloniki
« Reply #21 on: June 20, 2017, 06:25:41 PM »
On our last day in Thessaloniki we took a taxi to the Ano Poli, upper city, to visit the church of Osios David, Monastery of Latomou to see its mosaic.
Although the church is one of the 15 monuments of Thessaloniki listed as UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITES there is no helpful notice to explain the details of the mosaic and I had not done my homework. However, the young man, who was looking after the church, gave us an explanation of all the symbols depicted in the mosaic, the Dream of Ezekiel, the symbol of Saint Mark, a lion, the symbol of Saint Luke an ox and a beardless Christ sitting on a rainbow.
 In GREEK MOSAICS OF THE BYZANTINE PERIOD, a book issued in 1964 by FONTANA UNESCO ART BOOKS, I found this photo of part of the mosaic. I like that Ezekiel is standing among some, what looks like, grass and has a river at his feet.
I quote from the book
Quote
“The reproductions show us, first, two important details from one of the loveliest mosaics of the earliest period, a composition which occupies the apse of a modest chapel known as Hosios David, or Christ Latomos, and situated on the heights of Thessaloniki.This mosaic, which dates from the fifth century, depicts Christ surrounded by the attributes of the Evangelists and encircled by a large aureole of light, appearing in a vision to two prophets. One of them is seated placidly in the midst of a rocky landscape , recording the miracle in a book ,while the other [Ezekiel] is standing before the theophany with both hands raised in an attitude of fear , gazing with awe at the miraculous apparition”

Some of the history of this small church can be read here,
ttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Church_of_Hosios_David

There are a few plants in pots in the small church yard and a very handy Fig Tree, just ready for a photo opportunity.

A good view is to be had over the red tiled houses of the Ano Poli down to the grey buildings of central Thessaloniki and on to the waters of the Thermaikos Gulf

The new seafront walk, mentioned by Jorun on June 7th in this thread, can be seen as a green area on the left of the photo and now we know the pink building at the end of the new walk, hardly visible in the photo, is the Thessaloniki Concert Hall.


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Living in Korinthos, Greece.
No garden but two balconies, one facing south and the other north.
Most of my plants are succulents which need little care

Hilary

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Re: Thessaloniki
« Reply #22 on: June 27, 2017, 04:54:06 PM »
The Ano Poli of Thessaloniki is encircled by the old walls.
Here is the North Wall.
Apparently this area had once housed refugees from the Asia Minor catastrophe  and when they were rehoused, many years later this area was cleared and is now partly planted
Some poppies in the wild area and olive trees among grass nearer the tower.
MGS member
Living in Korinthos, Greece.
No garden but two balconies, one facing south and the other north.
Most of my plants are succulents which need little care

Hilary

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Re: Thessaloniki
« Reply #23 on: June 28, 2017, 01:07:32 PM »
There are steps with useful hand rails and gently sloping roads to help you descend from the Ano Polis to Central Thessaloniki, a good bus service too if you don't have the time. Quite by accident we came across the Church of Saint Nicholas Orphanos and its quiet garden.
I tried to get a photo of a tortoise which seemed to be in a great hurry another was sleeping in the shade of some plants.
There was a small collection of containers and flowers near the church door.
Of course there was also the inevitable rose bush in this quiet area and thankfully benches to sit on,
Here I learned if you come across a church with its door open go in before  it closes.
Apparently this is another church on the UNESCO list, information  can be found here.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Church_of_Saint_Nicholas_Orphanos
I see there are no mosaics   so not on my list
MGS member
Living in Korinthos, Greece.
No garden but two balconies, one facing south and the other north.
Most of my plants are succulents which need little care

Hilary

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Re: Thessaloniki
« Reply #24 on: June 03, 2022, 04:15:40 AM »
An olive tree and some poppies in front of the Thessaloniki City Hall, in May
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Living in Korinthos, Greece.
No garden but two balconies, one facing south and the other north.
Most of my plants are succulents which need little care

Hilary

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Re: Thessaloniki
« Reply #25 on: June 04, 2022, 05:50:35 AM »
Ginko biloba , one of a row, on a stretch of Manoli Andronikou road next to the Archaeological Museum Thessaloniki, in May

Not to mention the ubiquitous Oenethera speciosa 
MGS member
Living in Korinthos, Greece.
No garden but two balconies, one facing south and the other north.
Most of my plants are succulents which need little care

Hilary

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Re: Thessaloniki
« Reply #26 on: June 05, 2022, 05:14:08 AM »
Agia Sophia, Thessaloniki
Roses in bloom in front of the church
The wonderful mosaics inside the church were in darkness.
I am so pleased to have a book about Byzantine mosaics where I can see the details
MGS member
Living in Korinthos, Greece.
No garden but two balconies, one facing south and the other north.
Most of my plants are succulents which need little care

Hilary

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Re: Thessaloniki
« Reply #27 on: June 10, 2022, 06:17:19 AM »
CHURCH OF THE HOLY APOSTLES, THESSALONIKI

A dark red Oleander in the foreground and the 14th century church behind.
Again, the famous mosaics are hardly visible in the darkness
MGS member
Living in Korinthos, Greece.
No garden but two balconies, one facing south and the other north.
Most of my plants are succulents which need little care

Hilary

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Re: Thessaloniki
« Reply #28 on: June 11, 2022, 05:12:45 AM »
THE CHURCH OF THE HOLY APOSTLES, THESSALONIKI
The Pomegranate tree in the church yard was in full flower in May
MGS member
Living in Korinthos, Greece.
No garden but two balconies, one facing south and the other north.
Most of my plants are succulents which need little care

Hilary

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Re: Thessaloniki
« Reply #29 on: June 12, 2022, 05:43:01 AM »
PLANTING NEAR THE CHURCH OF THE HOLY APOSTLES, THESSALONIKI
A row of roses and grass
MGS member
Living in Korinthos, Greece.
No garden but two balconies, one facing south and the other north.
Most of my plants are succulents which need little care