Leg 33 Skiathos, Greece with a detour into Bulgaria to Alexandroupoli, Greece
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Greece is amazing, great mountains to fly through and lots of history
9-24 Alexandros Papadiamandis LGSK 5:01 AM
9-24 Stefanovikion Army LGSV 5:18 AM
9-24 Larisa LGTE 5:29 AM Meteora Unesco site monastry West then Mount Olympus North-East
9-24 Alexandria Army LGAX 6:35 AM
9-24 Makedonia (Thessaloniki) LGTS 6:54 AM
9-24 Silata Airfield LGNA 7:03 AM Extremely short ‘runway’, Mount Athos on Eastern most peninsula
9-24 Amigdhaleon AB LGKM 8:04 AM
9-24 Megas Alexandros LGKV 8:22 AM
9-24 Plovdiv LBPD 8:56 AM
9-24 Plovdiv LBPD 10:08 AM
9-24 Stryama Airfield LBST 10:27 AM
9-24 Kamenets LB42 10:56 AM
9-24 Gorna Oryahovitsa LBGO 11:21 AM
9-24 Burgas LBBG 11:48 AM
9-24 Dimokritos LGAL 12:56 PM
Flight time 6:43 13 stops
Not a lot of airports on the way, thus some big detours for sight seeing in between
First to Kalabaka and Kastraki where the Meteora monastries are located
The 6 Eastern Orthodox monasteries, listed as a World Heritage site, are built on top of rock pillars, which are sadly melted in the game. Still a pretty site for monastries.
The real deal
Maybe not all that tranquil anymore now it’s a tourist attraction
On to Mount Olympus, highest mountain in greece, home of the ancient gods and and goddesses.
Odd bunch of trees clinging to the side
A real picture, looks like a very mystic place.
Thessaloniki next
Home of the white tower, in the bottom of the picture above.
It has been a Byzantine fortification then a notorious prison and nowadays a museum.
Landing at Silata, one of the shortest runways I’ve seen
Too short to comfortably take off from, luckily the bit of gentle downhill at the end of the runway help to get out over the trees.
Mount Athos, important center of Eastern Orthodox monasticism
Impressive rock at the end of a long peninsula
One of the 20 monasteries around the mountain
Beautiful inside as well as outside
They remind me of Spirited away, the bath house
Back inland, Rodopi mountain range national park
Approaching Plovdiv in Bulgaria
This looked like a giant runway from the sky, it’s actually for rowing competitions
2019 world cup rowing in Plovdiv
Plovdiv is also home of the theater of Philippopolis
A Roman theater constructed in the 90s, first century and still in use.
Central Balkan national park, amazing to fly through
Crossing the Rositsa river near Resen
Gorna Oryahovitsa. I saw lightning in the distance, only one discharge though.
Burgas, the sun is already setting
A shame since I hoped to get this view
Apparently you can swim in those red/pink salt pools
Great city known for its sand festival, sand castles!
The sea garden is very nice as well
Sunset on the way back to Greece
Arrival at Alexandroupoli in the dark
(Btw I got the city light reflections on the plane back by turning TAA off, render scale 200)
Great flight, tomorrow on to Istanbul, Turkey. I’ll be back to Greece later, much more to see here.