Giannitsa to Pella to Chalkidona – July 22nd
Distance: 22.6 km – Elevation +230 m -280 m
Weather: Sunny. Temperature: High 31 degrees
Before I started this pilgrimaģe a young Italian man who had read one of my Facebook posts made contact and told me he was walking from Antalya in Turkey to Florence and that our paths might cross one day. This morning I was one hour out of Giannitsa and saw in the distance a walker approaching and yes it was Alessio – what a chance and remarkable meeting! It was all too brief a meeting but we talked a little about each other’s journey before saying goodbye and going in different directions.
I continued on passing through the small villages of Archontiko, Mesiano, and Nea Pella. Mostly fertile agricultural land with a mixture of crops and also small vineyards. I reached the outskirts of Pella just before midday passing the excavations of the ancient hellenic city. This was where Alexander the Great was born and it was his playground during his formative years.
My stay in Pella was short and I hope to return one day to explore more of this once great city. I took and enjoyed a light lunch served from a mobile bar in the town centre. Everywhere was very quiet and the streets were empty. The museum was closed. I passed the statue of Alexander the Great on leaving the town via a long wide avenue that leads into the town.
There is no accommodation in Pella so I decided to walk to Chalkidona where I knew there were at least two hotels. A few kilometres out of Pella I passed by a Macedonian tomb constructed between the fourth and second centuries BC. Unfortunately, the site was not open so I could only view it from a distance. I arrived in Chalkidona just after 4.00 pm and booked into the Filippos Hotel.
