Latomou is a modest-looking place with a remarkable secret. Tucked in the upper part of Thessaloniki, the monastery is also known as Osios David, after a hermit who is said to have lived in a tree nearby, and its small church holds a mosaic of the fifth or sixth century that ranks among the oldest and loveliest in the city. The apse shows Christ in a vision of the prophet Ezekiel, seated on a rainbow, beardless and youthful in a landscape of rivers and trees, with the four living creatures around him and two prophets in the corners. The style is closer to ancient Roman painting than to the stern icons of later Byzantium, and the colours are still fresh.
The mosaic was hidden for centuries. After the Ottoman conquest of 1430 the church became a mosque, and the mosaic was covered with plaster, and only in the early twentieth century was it uncovered, almost by chance, while the building was being repaired. This is the Thessaloniki story in a nutshell: a city that was Roman, Byzantine, Ottoman and Greek, and has layers of each, concealed and revealed by fires, earthquakes and politics. The monuments of early Christian and Byzantine Thessaloniki are collectively listed by UNESCO, and Latomou is among them.
The ride into the upper town is a steep and complicated business. Narrow one-way lanes climb the hill, some of them cobbled, and parking is scarce, with cars crammed against every wall. A motorcycle is far better than a car here, but the gradients and surface can be tricky after rain. Ágios Pávlos and Sykiés are the districts around, both busy, residential and full of small bakeries, and you should expect to ask for directions, since street names are often confusing. The views over the Thermaic Gulf from the hillside are fine, particularly at dusk.
Fuel and food are easy to find in Thessaloniki, a large city with every supply. For a snack, try a bougatsa, the creamy or cheese pastry, or a koulouri, the sesame bread ring that locals eat for breakfast. Visit in spring or autumn, as summer heat in the city can be overwhelming, and check the opening hours of the church, which are limited. The upper town cafes offer cold drinks and good views for a rest.