As you toil uphill, you'll keep seeing the overhanging walls of the Vlatodon Monastery, founded in the 14th century. In the last few years it has been renovated and expanded, and has lost its "old" feeling. Still, the inner courtyard is a cool spot to rest for a moment. Cool, but not quiet: the resident peacocks are usually in good voice. The peacocks are here because they are an early Christian symbol of resurrection, perhaps because it was believed that their flesh did not decay after death. If the main church is locked, don't be disappointed; the Turks damaged the frescoes badly and they have not been restored. By tradition, the little chapel of Sts. Peter and Paul was built on the spot where St. Paul preached when he visited Thessaloniki in A.D. 50.
