The city of Thessaloniki was founded over 2300 years ago by Cassander of Macedon. It has a long and changing history with conquering empires and different peoples living here. Today, Thessaloniki is a thriving metropolis in the north of Greece with a modern face, but traces of history can be found everywhere. An example is the white tower (picture 3) from the 15th century.
Thessaloniki is in the Gulf of Therma, part of the larger Aegean Sea. Sometimes, it is also called the Gulf of Salonika or Macedonian Gulf. It is a busy body of water with many transiting container ships. Some impressions from November 2019.
The city of Salonique in Northern Greece is the ancient capital of Macedonia, best known for Alexander the Great. For many centuries, it was a melting point for different religions and ethnicities. Turks, Jews, and Greeks lived together in relative harmony. Today Salonique is part of Greece and a modern city with a vivid nightlife and busy streets. Some impressions from October 2019.
So, finally, here comes the last part of my photographic journey through Greece in September 2013. It all started in Athens, where we found a lively metropole thorn between an ancient and heroic past and a troubled but somewhat forward-looking present. Then, the road trip through the Peloponnese began, leading us through places of myths and nature. Later, we left mainland Greece and continued our road trip on the high sea, heading to the famous Cyclad islands. We experienced the young and open island of Mykonos and paid a short visit to the ancient Delos, but the highlight for me was Santorini. It is such a photogenic island it almost suspends any belief. And beyond being just photogenic, it is lovely. And the most beautiful thing about it is something I didn’t show you yet. The sunsets here are out of this world, as kitschy as they may sound. So I think that’s the way to end the series and say goodbye to Greece for now.. by showing you some of my favorite moments on Santorini at sunset.
This post is part of the so-called “Greek Series,” consisting of photographs I shot while backpacking Greece in September 2013. You’ll find a basic introduction to the series here, and the last post featuring Santorini can be accessed here.
In the previous entries, I highlighted Santorini’s blue and red tones; in this one, I will focus on shades of white and black (in color). Pictures three to five are shot at the famous black beach on the island’s eastern shore.
This post is part of the so-called “Greek Series”, consisting of photographs I shot while backpacking Greece in September 2013. You’ll find a basic introduction to the series here and the last post featuring Santorini can be accessed here.
The last entry featured the mysterious red tones of Santorini. While the color indeed is very special to the island, Santorini is also part of Greece. And so it is a blue island after all.
Michael Hoffman Photography 