After an early breakfast we will travel to Philippi.  Philip II, father of Alexander the Great, named  the ancient city after himself.  In the early years of Christianity, the Apostle Paul made at least two visits to Philippi and wrote his Epistle to the Philippians.  Among the excavated remains are a Greek acropolis, a Roman forum, an early Christian church, and St. Paul's Prison.  In the afternoon we will return to Thessalonica and visit the Archaeological Museum, which houses priceless collections from all over Macedonia.  Following dinner we will enjoy a lecture and overnight at the Electra Palace in Thessalonica.

Click on the small picture to see a larger one.

This map shows today's travel path.

	We arrived at the port of Philippi, and imagined what it must have been like 2000 years ago, when a ship carrying Paul and Silas came ashore.  Very few people get to Philippi, because it is so far out of the way from normal vacation traffic in the modern age.  However, it was a fairly large city years ago.
	Two stained glass windows in the Church of Lydia.  That's her on the right, with Paul on the left.  In Acts, we are told that she was a "seller of purple," which means that she was probably a very successful business woman.
	Here is our family picture at the stream that flows past the church here.   When Paul met Lydia, as described in Acts, she was worshipping "by a river side, where prayer was wont to be made" - it is a very nice area, even today - it reminds me of a place where my family had a picnic once, when I was a very small boy.
	This is the exterior of the Church of Lydia.
	As we look over the ruins of Philippi, Michael spots a gecko and chases it under this stone.
	Michael and Sara pose at two large columns.  They are only two of what used to be a string of columns that ran on each side of an area larger than a modern day football field.
	These red poppys are all over the hills here.  They add brilliant color to the area.
	Here is Dr. Welch finding just the right angle for a picture.
	At Philippi, Paul was thrown into prison when complaints were filed against him for casting an evil spirit from a young woman.  An earthquake brought freedom, and the embarrassment of local officials when they discovered that Paul was a Roman citizen, with rights they had not protected.  This is the traditional spot of the prison.
	Here is the library in Philippi.  Well, now we've found a library in worse shape than that which our kids' school provided the first year!
	The Theatre build by Philip II, king of Macedonia, around 350 B.C.   It is still used today by the community for plays.
	Sara takes a rest from all the walking we've done today.

NOTES:

Here's some good information about Philippi.