Semi-weekly herald. [volume] (Durango, Colo.) 1907-1917, 1910-06-27
COAST OF THESSALY,
HOME OF THE GODS,
AN ETERNAL GARDEN
(By William Il. Curtis, Correspondent
of the Chicago Record-Herald.)

SALONIkI, Macedonia, May live
took a small Greek steamer from Ath.
ems to Saloniki in order that we might
see the coast of Thessaly, whose eter-
nal beauties have been celebrated in
verse since the first Greek poet learn
ed to sing The large steamers of the
French, Austrian and German lines,
which are the best, take the outside
the Greek boats coast along the main
land through the narrow channels
made by Eubaea and other islands.
They give "A closer view of Olympus,
tains. the Pass of Thermopylae and a
continuous performance of scenery
history and mythology. and the places
described in the verses of the ancient
poets are mixed in until the interest
surpasses that attached to any other
land. The Greek steamers are not
noted either for comfort or cleanli
ness, but we were comfortable and had
nothing to complain of, and l should
advise everybody to go that way.
The coast of Thessaly is much more
beautiful than that of Dalmatia, which
is on the opposite side of the peninsula
that separates the Adriatic and the
Aegean seas, although the towns and
the people of Greece are less interest
ing than those of Malmatia and less
picturesque in appearance. The east
coast of Greece, however, is a contin-
uous garden of serene and refined ap-
pearance-a garden of the gods who
used TO live and love and quarrel here
very much like the present population
The hillsldes along the coast are coy
cred with groves and vineyards and
cultivated fields. while Malmatia pre-
sents to the spectator most unat.
tractive front OF gray. barren, desolate
rocks.
The bow of our steamer was always
pointed toward Olympus. where Joye
every name upon the coast recalls
some incident in mythology or some
event in the classic days of Greece
Unfortunately Olympus, by right OF
conquest, is a part of Turkey, which
does not seem fair; but we all ought
TO be thankful that Ossa and Pelion.
those other classic mountains, still
remain in Greece and are as beauti
ful today as they were when the an
cient poets expended so many enthu-
siastic words to describe their mystic.
ries and charms.
Olympus is perhaps the most inter
esting of all mountains, and 1t is al.
ways within sight of Saloniki, on the
Turkish side of the classic Vale of
Tempe, which lies along the boundary
between the two countries that hate
each other with an everlasting and
irreconcilable hatred. The Vale OF
Tempe has been famed for its beauty
from the earliest times. In one of
its glades once stood an altar to APP
polio. to which the priests of the ora
Gle at Delphi sent an embassy to make
sacrifice every eight years In expia-
ton for the slaughter of the dragon
pychon, which the Far Darling" Apol
10 slew five days after his birth in the
Island of Dclos
Mount Pelion Is only little more
than half as high as Olympus, the
latter rising 1854 feet above the level
of the sea. while Pelion is only 5,3OS
feet; but Pelion is much more attrac-
tive, because 1t lies directly along the
bay. with the waters washing Its feet
and is cultivated almost to the very
top. 1t Is long mountain. with q