Grecian Getaway – Day 4: Water, Water, Everywhere…

The following day saw us headed north-west, to the city of Edessa, known as “the City of Waters”, and famous for its waterfalls.

The city is close to the border between Greece and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (or, as it is now officially called, to the chagrin of many Greeks, the Republic of North Macedonia). This being the case, our guide, Natalie, whiled away the journey by telling us a little about the history of the region and the dispute between Greece and North Macedonia, especially regarding the use of the name.  As this is intended to be a photo-journal of my trip to Greece, I won’t regale you with the details. If you are interested, just follow the link.

Rivers run through Edessa, and tumble over the cliffs surrounding the town to form two waterfalls, the highest of which is a spectacular 70 metres.

The waterfalls are situated in a beautiful park,  where the visitor descends, by degrees, from the head of the main waterfall, to its foot, by means of paved stairways, with viewing platforms at each level:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As one descends, one is exposed to magnificent vistas of the surrounding countryside:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And all around is the ever-present sound of rushing water:

 

 

 

 

 

 

As you can see from the photograph above, as well as the film below, it is also possible to walk behind the main waterfall, where the rush of the water grows to a mighty roar:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

See how droplets of water from the spray of the waterfall, are caught in a spider’s web spun between the foliage:

 

 

 

Returning to the head of the main waterfall, there was plenty of time for coffee and a stroll in the park, which contains a small museum and agricultural implements, such as this waterwheel, strategically placed between many smaller water channels:

 

 

 

 

Here is one last, magnificent view of the countryside around Edessa:

 

 

 

 

It was now time to head for the thermal springs of Pozar, also known as Loutraki Aridaias.
Here, where cold streams meet hot springs, besides the usual indoor facilities to be found in a spa, there are outdoor pools fed by minerals, in the midst of verdant nature.  For the price of a mere 2 Euros, you can bathe in the soothing waters (37 degrees Celsius), and you even get a locker to store your clothes.

 

There are both warm and cold pools, fed by warm and cold waterfalls, respectively:

 

 

 

 

In the foreground, you can see one of the warm pools. The waterfall in the background feeds one of the cold pools.

I mentioned the availability of lockers. Just be careful. When I emerged from my lovely, warm bathe (which did my aching neck and shoulders a world of good, I have to admit), my key got stuck in the lock and would not turn and I endured an anxious twenty minutes or so (or so it seemed – it might have been less. My wristwatch was in the locker with my clothes!) before the young man in the ticket office managed to open it and I was reunited with my belongings.

From Loutraki Aridaias, we drove to a delightful restaurant in the middle of the countryside, whose name, alas, I did not write down, where, for a very reasonable 15 Euros, we had a very late lunch (or early supper) consisting of a first course (salad or tzadziki), main course (I had trout, but I could have had chicken or meat – including lamb) and dessert (water-melon) as well as a cold drink during the meal and tea or coffee afterwards.

Then it was back to Thessaloniki, at the end of a very satisfying – and relaxing – day.

TO BE CONTINUED…..