My birthplace was Thessaloniki, but Melbourne is the city my family chose for its new beginning. Here, among hundreds of thousands of fellow Greeks, we found our second homeland. We timidly built our lives, and often, when nostalgia gnawed at us, we’d open our suitcase of memories and make peace with our new reality.
At this point in my life, with three children and five grandchildren, I’m preparing to leave behind a long and demanding career. I often worked two jobs at once just to make ends meet. I feel a deep sense of gratitude and thanks toward this vast country that hosted us. I consider Australia a generous land that shaped me into a reasonable person, rewarded my hard work, and provided to me without reservation. For me and my family, our love and appreciation for it will always live on.
But what can I do about the limitless love I also feel for my birthplace, the place I left so young and always wanted to know up close?
I decided that October, with its gentle autumn light and ideal temperatures, was the perfect time for a unique cycling adventure on the Greek mainland. I worry when I see our villages emptying out, our monuments marred by decay, and our native people suffering. So, I decided to begin this journey without hesitation. I’m alone on a trip that will connect the modern with the historical within me. This pilgrimage isn’t just a physical challenge or a tour of historical sites; it’s a deep, personal quest—an attempt to get to know Greece again, the place that bore me, but which I left behind more than fifty years ago.
I love every corner, every alley, every mountain, every port, every river, every stone. With each turn of my bicycle’s pedals, I’ll be one step closer to reconnecting with a people and a country I carry within me, wherever I am. I have a strong desire to be photographed with the ancient monuments that whisper stories of millennia, to become one with the heroic Greek countryside that I remember faintly from my childhood. To feel the Aegean air buzzing in my ears, to hear the melodies of the Greek language in the places I pass through, to taste the flavours of my land, and to discover the imprint that time has left on this stunning, historical landscape.
This cycling pilgrimage is my return—a search for the beautiful images of a lost time, far from my vibrant homeland. It is a renewed embrace of our ancestors and of a place that always belonged to me, and to which I always belonged. In essence, it’s a soul-uplifting journey, a bridge between a past and a present that are over fifty years apart for me, and one that will bring me closer to my roots and ideals. It is the best way to satisfy the sacred standards of my inner, thirsty world for Greece. I’ve made up my mind; nothing can stop me.
I will start in Thessaloniki, specifically from Sindos. Wherever I stop and to whomever I speak, I will bring a message of support from the Greeks of Melbourne, the Thessaloniki Association, and the organizations supporting my effort. I have created a Whatsapp group where anyone interested can follow.
The intersection of Komninon and Megalou Alexandrou streets in Sindos will be my starting point. The road will take me southwest, with my first stop in Chalastra, followed by Malgara, Kleidi, Platano, Prasinada, and Niselloudi. There, I’ll turn south towards Kypseli and hope to reach Agathoupoli or Methoni for the night. The next day, I wish to cross Kitros and reach the magnificent archaeological park of Pieria, the historic Dion, passing through Katerini and Nea Efeso.
On the third day, I’ll head south for Litochoro, Leptokarya, after which I’ll make a turn southeast towards the Archaeological Site of Leivithra and try to reach the national highway to the east. Once I see the national hwy, I will follow it south without using it, as bicycles are prohibited on it.
My next stop will be Platamonas, then Tempi via the old Athens-Thessaloniki road. I hope to reach Sykourio for an overnight stay. Sykourio is to the left of the national road, after Tempi and Elateia, a little before Larissa. The distance is about 70 kilometres.
The next day, I’ll start with the goal of reaching Farsala for some halva. Immediately after Sykourio and Ossa, is the Chapel of Saint Irene which I would like to visit, even though the uphill roads will make it difficult. However, I will pass by the Chapel of the Transfiguration of the Savior after Cheimadio. Then, Galini, Karyes, Zappeio, and Chalkiades. I will try to visit the Paipai factory where the famous Farsala halva is made, if I have time.
On the fifth day, the goal is to reach the historic Gorgopotamos and the area where in 1821, Athanasios Diakos fought Omer Vryonis, while in 1942, the British, in collaboration with EDES and ELAS, blew up the bridge to obstruct the Italian-German invading forces.
The sixth day of the cycling trip will probably be the most important. The goal is to reach Delphi. However, the route won’t be easy. This is because I’ll have to dedicate time to the heroic Gravia. I want to find the famous Inn and see the area with my own eyes, remember the battles of the revolutionaries in May 1821 against Vryonis, and shout with all my might, “Long live the 1821 Revolution!” and “Long live Greece!”
After Gravia, I’ll continue south through gorges and mountains to reach the most important stop of my trip, Delphi. I want to be photographed next to the Temple of Apollo, visit the Museum, and remember the Castalian Spring, which I believe still has running water. What could be more beautiful than to quench my thirst with the gurgling water that also quenched the thirst of our ancient ancestors? Those whom we still exploit because we can’t measure up to them.
I must reach this point; it’s a personal vow. Whether by bike, on foot, or by crawling if I have to, I will get there. This place on earth has inspired millions of people, just as it has inspired me, and it will continue to inspire forever. This place on earth is my heritage, it is yours, it is our children’s. This place on earth symbolizes our progress, tradition, civilization, sciences, and culture. There should be no Greek who has not visited it.
If I am well and have the necessary courage after this ride, I will continue. I want to continue to Olympia, Epidaurus, and all the heroic villages of Mani. But time, nature, and circumstances always have their own agenda. At every stop, I promise to send photos to those who will follow me. And I thank those who will follow me from the bottom of my heart now.
I’ll stop here, because we can write so much, but sometimes we do so little. Let’s embrace the “Know Thyself” that I will mentally read at the entrance of the Oracle of Delphi and take life as it comes, with hope, with pride for our origin, and always with our heads held high.
