PIERIA
:THE BLESSED LAND
PIERIA
Our blessed land, Pieria, is famous far and wide
With many springs and forests where laughing waters ride.
Great heights we have in plenty, small villages are rife,
The mountainsides rise gracefully mid scenes of rustic life.
The flora and the fauna which grace our blessed land
We must preserve with zeal to keep alive this strand.
Virginia-Maria Markoviti. 11 (trans.
JF)
In Northern
Greece, not far from Thessaloniki, the country’s second largest city, lies an
area kissed by the sun and blessed by God. This area is Pieria.
Pieria
combines legend, spirit and reality. An important place, visited by thousands
of tourists every year, is Dion, a place of worship where ancient Macedonians
used to gather to sacrifice to Zeus and to celebrate the victories of Alexander
the Great in Asia. Its beauty and its magnificence has remained almost intact
through the centuries, reminding us of the glory of a nation that managed to
unite so many tribes into one immense empire.
The most
famous plays of the ancient tragedians are performed during the summer in the
ancient theatre of Dion under the moonlight. If you ever visit one of these
plays you will be overwhelmed with enthusiasm and you will feel as if the
actors bring back to life the ancient Greek spirit.
A venetian
castle dominates the scenery of Southern Pieria where Olympus bends and kisses
the sea. The vast iron gates and battlements create an occult atmosphere full
of figments of the past.
Many small
villages welcome you as you travel through Pieria. Their white houses bear
striking resemblances to flocks of sheep scrawnily climbing up the fertile
hills. The peasants, whose life is interwoven with generosity and hospitality,
will be eager to offer you Grecian coffee and traditional Greek pie, and share
their beliefs and their cosmos theories with you.
For those
of you who love the sea, Pieria is an earthly paradise. The sea stretches from
one end of Pieria to the other, and offers you a wide range of beaches. Sandy
or rocky, with deep blue and emerald waters, they are bound to fascinate you
and captivate your mind and memory forever.
No visit to
Pieria is complete when it does not include the ascent of Mount Olympus, the
mythical residence of the Olympian Gods, whose peak, Mytikas, is covered with
snow all year long. The landscapes are breathtaking and the steep gradients
challenge you to prove that you have guts. Those who have read Greek mythology
will still hear the siren song of the muses who dwell among the untrodden paths
of the mountain.
The scenery
of unrivalled beauty is present wherever you turn your eyes. But Pieria won’t
leave the MTV generation unsatisfied, as it’s got a reputation for being the
omphalos of nightlife in Northern Greece, especially during the summer season.
Bars and clubs are there to show you what the word "entertainment"
means for a nation whose destiny and life are ruled by the sun and whose hearts
carry the sun itself.
Pieria will
be attracting visitors from all over the world "till all the seas gone dry
and the rocks melt with the sun." Is Pieria a gift of the Gods ? Oh yes,
By Jove ! You cannot describe it : you can only devote yourself to it !!!
Nancy
Yfanti, when she wrote this article, was a 15 year old student at the
Polykladiko secondary school in Katerini. She started learning English with
John Foss at the age of nine, passing her Cambridge Proficiency Examination
with a grade B at the age of 14. This year she came first equal in the
Panhellinic exams in Pieria and is now at the Aristotelous University of
Salonika studying law.
Pictures : 1) The Ancient City of
Dion. 2) Pieria 3) Riakia 4) Mount Olympus from
Pieria
Photos by John Foss