Vergina, Greece (GR)

Vergina, Greece (GR)

Picture Postcard Perfect

We are not really visiting Greece, we are now trying to make time to get back to Germany, to get over the Alps before we find ourselves snowed in and unable to cross since we are now into October. On the one hand that is true, on the other hand we do not want to scream down the highways to get to Germany. Yes, we do not dawdle but made up our minds to just stop here and there because we feel like it. Vergina was on our way and we stopped here just to get a quick overview. 

Vergina was the capital of the Macedonian Empire.This was a huge town in its time, with lots of history attached. Today it is a small village. Alexander the Great’s Father (King Phillip ll) was King here and was assassinated here. His tomb is a tourist attraction but you would not know it. This is also the spot where Alexander the Great was crowned King after his father’s assassination. Greece has so many ruins, spots to visit, history galore that this village of Vergina is just one of many spots on the schedule of history hunters; the tomb being just one more tomb for tourists to visit. 

It was not busy when we arrived on this very overcast day. We had ridden along E90 and had to stop for the night, so why not here? The Olympia Guesthouse was perfect for us. The way to find it was by asking locals. Not that easy to find but also not too difficult. Once we left the Highway we came in on very, very local roads. At one point I thought we were wrong, but no, our GPS led us and all worked out just fine. Still, do you trust your GPS explicitly? The reception we received at the Olympia Guesthouse was exceptional. Free cake and coffee, a warm smile, it is the Greek way of greeting guests. Oh, if only we could stay in Greece for awhile, I love it in Greece. Carol and I decided that this might be our goal for next year. 

Even Then They Had Great Artists

I Am Glad They Wrote In Latin Script

I learned while visiting the tomb of Phillip ll, that he was murdered because of his ambition to put a statue of himself among the statues of the gods. Someone did not like this at all and killed him, thinking him not to be godlike. He was not; he was a brutal ruler, a killer and an egomaniac. Makes me wonder what his son, Alexander the Great, was really like. Never mind the history stuff people tell me, what was Alex like as a human being? Probably not someone I would have wanted to meet, I guess.

Note The Sun Detail On Top, The Symbol of Macedonia 

The actual metropolis and the Royal Palace are just ruins today. The whole area is not even fully excavated. The locals told me that the ruins were used in years gone by as grazing grounds for sheep and goats but now the Greek Government has fenced the area in. Nobody is allowed to go inside the fenced area to protect it from further decay. Digging within the old ruins is forbidden.  The village is very small, living totally off tourists.

Pretty Urns, Love The Colors

We ate at a very local restaurant but the food was heavenly. I like the Greek kitchen. No matter what I eat, it’s great! Again, we received some small desert for free. How can you beat the  Greeks for hospitality?