From a great week on Crete, we flew to Athens where we had two very busy sight-seeing days planned. On day one we strolled central Athens and the neighbourhoods that surround it (Monastiraki, Plaka, Thissio and the Central Market and Syntagma Square areas). We accidentally caught the changing of the guard by the Evzones (light infantry) at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
We pass through the Arch of Hadrian (Hadrian's Gate) that honours the Roman Emperor Hadrian, but no one is quite sure if there was another purpose to it.
... and on to stroll the ruins of the Temple of Olympian Zeus
… and a nearby park, other monuments and buildings:
Late in the afternoon as we were climbing up to the Acropolis we both were victims of pick-pockets. Our last day then was spent replacing a cell phone and finding replacement eyeglasses. Bummer.
We rented a car and got out of Athens as quickly as possible. Perhaps we will give her a second chance on our way out of the country.
An hour out of Athens the first stop on the way to the Peloponnese is to view the 6.4 kilometres long Corinth Canal which connects the Gulf of Corinth with the Saronic Gulf in the Aegean Sea. Because the canal completely bisects the narrow Isthmus of Corinth, some people claim that the Peloponnese is actually an island now and no longer a peninsula of Greece. Its supposed value lies in ships being able to avoid a 700 km sail around the Peloponnese.
The canal was first proposed in the 7th. century BC; the soil was broken on the project in 67 AD and with many problems ranging from curses and deaths, financial issues to geological issues such as the wake of ships undercutting the canal and rock falling into the canal, it wasn't completed until 1893. Since then there have been closures on and off, especially during World War II when it was a target of the bombing. Today, due to its narrow width the canal is mostly used by tourist ships and personal boats.
Onward to Nafplio, one of the most beautiful port towns in the Peloponnese and not yet on the big tourist circuits. This area has been inhabited since ancient times, so it has been ruled by many nations over the years.
Today its also known as "the proposal capital of Greece"
because so many men propose to their sweethearts here.
Nafplio was one of the first places in Greece that won its independence by over-powering the ruling Turks.
The first thing to do is to walk the seawall.
We pass the boat that takes tourists on a five-minute ride to explore the Venetian "castle in the sea" (Bourtzi Castle). As you can imagine, it has served many purposes over the centuries, including a prison.
No matter where you are in Nafplio the enormous Castle of Palamidi is looking down at you. There are 999 stairs from the old town to the castle, plus more to climb when you get there, so we drive. This is a fascinating ruin and we spend about two-and-a-half hours hiking in it. Lights shine on the castle after dark, beautiful. It appears to float above the town and perhaps it does at 216 meters above sea level.
There is a little church here and we see some church elders leading a group of young people through the ruins into the church.
There are water tanks inside the fortress that still today contribute to Nafplio's water supply.
The beaches here are pebbles and the waves can really crash in. At one time someone built a couple of natural sea pools by throwing up some breakwater structures. Inside, the sea is calm but not many people choose to use it. Bottom right photo in the collage below,
Nafplio has one of the cleanest, well-preserved and repaired old towns that we've seen. It's lovely strolling the narrow streets here. For a small city, its main square (Syntagma) is huge, filled with cafes, play areas for children, a mosque, beautiful neoclassical buildings and a general gathering space for citizens.
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| Random Photos Nafplio |
A short drive away from Nafplio is a day worth of immersion in history with the archaeological sites and museums of both Mycenae and Nemea.
Below is the Lion Gate of Mycenae (built-in ~1250 BC), the main entrance to the Bronze Age citadel. The Lions lost their heads some time ago.
It's not agreed on the purpose of the small figures below: perhaps toys for children to accompany them to the next world … or something else?
The ruins of Mycenae are mostly rocks. It takes a great deal of imagination to get a sense of what it was like, so in some ways, it is surprising to walk into the archaeological museum and see such well-preserved artifacts. The site of Nemea is somewhat more built.
On Panagitsa Hill near Mycenae is the Treasury (tomb) of Atreus ... well, no one is really sure who is buried here. This tomb was the tallest and widest beehive tomb in the world for over 1,000 years. The lintel over the door weighs 120 tons. It's fascinating to read how this was built (advanced geometry and physics were definitely involved). The walls leading into it are huge and all dry stone stacking. In its day it was richly decorated, but little remains of that today. It's deceptively large inside. Many treasures were stored here.
In Ancient Greece, five sites were considered sanctuaries where festivals were held under the protection of the gods to celebrate and honour the gods, and to celebrate the physical and mental aspects of well-rounded human beings. These sites (Olympia, Delphi, Nemea, Isthmia and Athens) had both stadiums for games and theatres for plays and/or musical contests.
The tradition of an Olympic "truce" started as far back as 776 BC to ensure that the host city was not attacked and that spectators and participants could travel unharmed to the games.
There are a couple of myths about the origins of the pan-Hellenic games in Nemea. While these may have faded with time, Nemea is remembered for its Temple of Zeus, the king of gods and the supreme god of the Olympians who could hurl lightning bolts when displeased. Two original columns from ancient times are still standing and the site shows the fascinating process of how fallen columns can be restored and the equipment used today to do so.
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| Random photos of Nemea |
If you go to Nafplio take a little more time than we did so that you can also see Epidavros, known in its day as a healing centre, but most famous today for its huge, symmetrical ancient theatre, where plays are still performed. Its a half-hour drive from Nafplio.
Now we are off to Kardamili. There are two ways to get there and Google maps refused to take us on the route with fewer kilometres. Perhaps it warns everyone away to the longer but faster and safer highway route. We over-ride Google and take highway 82 from Sparta to Kalamata. I think this road has more hairpin and switchback curves than the Amalfi coast ... and it certainly goes on for much longer. Rolling under rock overhangs is an interesting experience and tunnels accentuate the wildness of this mountainous area. What a ride! It's probably the most beautiful road we've ever travelled. A dream road for motorcyclists. Double-clicking on the photo below will open it more. The yellow line on the map is the highway.
Kardimili is a picturesque seaside town that again is off the tourist path. The beaches are rocky - well, stoney! But the water is that colour of blue that you only see in some of these gorgeous seas ... and the temperature ... just enough to be a bit of a relief from the 30 degrees plus air temperature ... a very slight coolness, but warm enough to stay in for hours at a time. Heaven.
I came across this lovely piece that describes Kardimili and the surrounding area. Worth the read if you plan to go: Kardamili
Our Airbnb is the long-time summer home of a Greek family that lives in Athens. It's right on the main street, so everyone knows where we're at.
At Ritsa beach, we find a great local guy and his wife, who if you arrive after 12 noon, give you a beach lounger for free. For 2.50 Euro you get a paper coffee cup full of wine delivered to your chair and a cup full of peanuts. His meal prices are lower than anywhere we've been and they serve food from 9 am to 9 pm. We become his regulars every afternoon.
The old town of Kardamili can be explored in a couple of hours. They have done a nice job of putting things on display and telling a bit of the history...all for 2 Euro admission.
Clay roof tiles have been used for generations and long ago provided an outlet for artistic expression as people decorated them.
We did one nice hike up into the mountains to the ancient Byzantine church of Agia Sophia, then a goat trail detour down into a gorge to the Likaki Monastery, then back to our Airbnb ... about 3 hours in all.
The history of Agia Sophia is hard to find. Perhaps the church served a village long ago that is no longer here.
In the top left photo below, the camera is looking back down over Kardamili. A couple of photos of the path to the church. Bottom row, second photo in is a shot across the valley and the last two photos are of the gate to the graveyard and the small graveyard.
As we admire the church a shepherd and his dog lead their sheep out of a mountainside corral and into pastures for grazing. It's a minimalist lifestyle.
Likaki Monastery just up from the bottom of the Vigos Gorge was built in 1570 and the frescoes inside and out were painted in 1783. The building is closed for renovations. Apparently, the frescoes inside have suffered damage from humans carving their names into them.
We are enjoying these small villages, so we decide to stay in a couple more. Our next two stops Nafpaktos and Nidri on Lefkada (an Ionian) Island are off of the Peloponnese so we'll cover them in another post. Before leaving the peninsula we spend a few hours in Ancient Olympia.
I don't consider myself a sports fan and considered skipping the Olympia Archaeological site and Museum and am so glad that we didn't. I do value all of the positive things that sport and competition can bring to a person and the Olympics is the ultimate sports event. To walk where the Olympians got ready for the games and competed 3,000 years ago is an amazing experience. The site is huge, it could hold 45,000 spectators.
Below is the Krypte, the entrance to the stadium used by athletes and judges. Spectators sat on the grassy slopes, while the judges got the stone seats.
Lining both sides leading up to the entrance was "a walk of shame". Here were statues of the mighty Zeus, each one paid for by those found cheating at the games and the base inscribed with the name of the one who cheated. As the athletes passed these statues on their way through the arch, it was a reminder of what could happen, should they cheat. Ancient cheating involved things like bribery (usually between athletes trying to influence the outcome); lying and claiming another nation-state as their own; or starting early in a footrace.
Below is the Monumental Fountain (or Fountain of Herodes Atticus) that provided fresh water to the site. Atticus, an Athenian millionaire AD 153, first had to build an aqua duct to bring water to the sanctuary, distribute it throughout the site, with one distribution branch leading to this magnificent fountain.
Below is the Palaistra, a training ground for athletes who compete in wrestling events. It also served as their living quarters during training.
This portion of a triangular pedestal is all that remains of the winged statue of Victory by the famous sculptor Paeonios. It celebrated the victory of the Messenians and the Naupactins over the Spartans in 421 BC and stood 12 meters tall.
These fallen columns are remains from the Temple of Zeus. They are enormous:
Random photos from the Site:
Treasures from the archaeological site of Ancient Olympia housed in the Museum:
Random from the Museum. The photo top left is an ancient smoker used in bee-keeping. The centre photo shows the detail carved into the breast/abdominal plate of a statue.
The Peloponnese is a big landmass. There is so much to see that we didn't get to, such as Monemvasia, Gythos, Mystras and more. I think four to six weeks would give a much fuller picture of all there is here.
On to the mainland for a few stops.
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