Friday 13th June 2008 – Kavala, Greece

This morning, on our way out of the site we found out how they managed to fill the site. They have regular music events and there was one this weekend. Tonight is a major DJ night and tomorrow there is a Greek band. The band would have been good but I don't mind missing the DJ. The receptionist said that they currently had 50 guests but tonight this will be 500 and tomorrow it will be over 1,000!
We headed towards our next stop of Kavala and, as lunchtime approached, we came to signs to Ancient Stageira. The guidebook suggested that this wasn't always open and, although subject to annual excavations, wasn't particularly geared up for tourists. However, it was open and had received an EU grant, so it had been much improved. After having a quick lunch we walked the site and I can recommend it just for the walk but the site was also very interesting. Like Olynthos, there are two hills occupied at different times (the north hill in the 7th century BC and the south in the early 5th century BC) but this time they are on a short peninsular that juts out into the sea. The views are excellent, up and down the coast and over to Athos, although that view is even hazier than yesterday. It is very unusual, possibly unique, in that it is constructed in granite rather than the limestone or marble that was used in other sites in Greece. The defensive walls have been consolidated, paths improved, information boards and wooden steps erected – and the site is free. However, what they haven't done is put signs up to direct people round the suggested route and this meant that we had to find things by exploration. Most of the site is scrub and woodland on fairly steep hills, so low-level remains are difficult to see. Close to the acropolis of the south hill were two recently excavated kilns or furnaces, one large and one small, with very obvious signs of burning and colouration of the rock due to the effect of the heat.
As we passed right by it, we stopped briefly to admire the wonderful Lion of Amphipolis but by-passing the main site of Amphipolis.
We arrived at the campsite just outside Kavala, which has the very unromantic name of Vatis Multiplex. It is another large site with an excellent beach, swimming pool, restaurant and two bars. We discovered that this site too is having a DJ on Saturday so we wait with trepidation to see what that is like.
Photos: The walls of Stageira; Stageira kilns / furnaces; A colourful lizard at Stageira; The Lion of Amphipolis.