THE NOSTOS PROJECT
Day 1 (Thessaloniki) – Free Guide:
A brief guide of highlights (Rotunda, markets, walls) with practical travel tips (walking routes and local foods).
A simple question or theme to reflect on.
Day 1 (Thessaloniki) – Deep Dive for Subscribers:
A detailed description of what it feels like to walk through Ano Poli’s cobbled streets in the morning hours with sunlight filtering through the leaves of plane trees and the scent of freshly baked bread wafting from a nearby bakery.
An overview of the historical context which illustrates how Thessaloniki has been a crossroads for many different empires (Roman, Byzantine, Ottoman) and how this has impacted the development of a unique spirit for our city.
The significance of myths from Macedonia and Thessaloniki as a means to create a connection between place and story.
My deep personal reflections and letters about how I define "Home," Resilience, and Passage of Time based on my experience living in Thessaloniki.
Additional recommended reading or playlists that correspond with the journey to Thessaloniki.
A prompt to help you start journaling about your roots and the transformation you have experienced along the way.
When Cape Sounion (Greece) is encountered, many people think of it simply as a temple at the end of the earth. A sunset. A picture to take home. When approaching Cape Sounion from this perspective, it is easy to miss the grandeur of the place. As I drove along the Attic coast south from Athens, what stood out most to me was how different the landscape began to evolve as I approached Sounion. The landscape started off looking much like a bustling urban environment but gradually thinned to small bushes and rock. When I finally arrived at Cape Sounion, I had already been prepared to experience its vastness and beauty.
The Temple of Poseidon was located at the point where the land gave way to water and where sailors used to check their positions and distances—not symbolically but literally. The temple’s columns are not as important as their location and placement.
At this location, Poseidon was not just lord of the sea; he was "Ennosigaios", the "Earth-Shaker". For people living in a seismically active land, the temple was both symbol and real-world proof of Poseidon’s authority. In order for one to take the time to simply spend at Cape Sounion, one must look at the multiple ways that this location is connected to human history, both through maritime networks (trade routes, shipping routes) and through the silver of nearby Laurion, which provided the funding needed to maintain maritime fleets, as well as through seasonal winds that directed maritime movement between different geographical locations and finally, by living in a maritime society that depends on what it does not have complete control over.
Mythology in this context is much more than simply a creative interpretation of human interaction with the sea; it is a means for negotiating risk and the return of sailors.
When you linger at Cape Sounion, you will be able to identify other layers of meaning associated with this geographical site. Just as ancient mariners utilized Cape Sounion for multiple purposes, so do we today. The ancient mariners did not arrive at the cape via their automobiles; they came on sailing vessels. To this date, visitors arriving by automobile will continue to encounter the meeting point between intention and uncertainty that has existed there for thousands of years.
Those who subscribe to the above content will also receive further notes on experiences to be had while exploring each of the layers mentioned above.