Day 2 Naphlio, Mycenea, and Asini

Mycenaean Pottery.  The following museum pictures are from the Archeological museum at Napvlio.

Votive statues, about 4 inches tall

Mothers holding children votive statues.

Mycenaean pottery looking very much like Minoan pottery.

More beautiful Mycenaean pottery.

Mycenaean pomegranate.  Symbol of prosperity and abundance.

Armor from the time of Homer's story of the Trojan War (Mycenaean).

Main platia in Napvlio.  The museum is the stone building at the far end of the platia.  For a short time Napvlio was the capital of Greece.  The city built some lovely buildings and platias at that time.  Then the capital was switched to Athens.  At the time the residents were not likely very happy about the change.  But in the long run I think they were lucky.  They now have a stunningly lovely small city, unlike Athens.

Street in Napvlio.

Our hotel was on this street.  It was called The Filyra.

The doorway to our hotel is on the right.

A Cyclopen wall at Mycenae.  This is the city where the Greeks set out from to go to Troy.  Agamemnon was the king at this time.   This was about 1600 BC.

The Lion Gate at Mycenae with Suzanna for size.

The stone city walls with Grier for size.

Part of the grave circle at Mycenae.

The view from Mycenae.  The Mycenaeans ruled of the valley all the way to Napvlio.

Another pretty view with the palace wall.

The way down into the city cistern that was dug into the rock under the city.  It was filled from a spring outside the city walls that flowed into the cistern through underground culverts.  The spring is still producing water today.

Another city gate.

Mycenaean tholos (round) tomb.

Entry to the tomb with Suzanna for size.  I'm standing on a pedestal that once held a tall column that was part of a ceorative facade to the tomb.

From inside the tomb looking out.

Another one looking out.

Looking back at the setting of Mycenae.  It's on the low hill in front of the big mountain.

View from another ancient site called Asini.  This is just south of Napvlio.

Looking at the beach to the east from Asini.

A charming site in Asini.  I can't help but think that this must have been a site of a sanctuary.

Another view of the beach close to sunset.

Stone steps and clover Asini.

Sunset from Asini looking toward the resort village of Tolo.

Day 1 Isthmia, the Corinth Canal, Epidavros

The Corinth Canal was built from 1881 to 1893, but was first thought of in the Archaic period (700 -500 BC).    Until the canal was built the Greeks used to drag ships across the Isthmus.  We really were there, you can see our shadows on the side of the canal.

This is a view of the east coast as we drove to Epidavros.  You can see fish farms in the bay.

Here is a closer picture of the fish farms.

Pretty evergreen tree and stairs next to the theater at Epidavros.

The theater at Epidavros.

Suzanna watching the show.

The show.  There was a school group visiting the theater.

View from the front of the theater.

The theater is located at the Sanctuary of Askleplos at Epidavros.  This was a center for healing for almost 12 centuries until 426 AD when the ancient religion was prohibited.

A partial reconstruction of a building at the sanctuary.

This is the game stadium at Epidavros.  All of the athletic games were associated with religious centers.

Construction scaffolding at a tholos (round) building.

Partial reconstruction of the stoa (Shopping mall).

This was a two level shopping mall.

10 Days on the Peloponnese

We had a wonderful vacation over Thanksgiving.  We rented a car and spent 10 days touring the Peloponnese.  Ferry to Piraeus, taxi to Athens, rental car and then to the Corinth Canal, Isthmia, Epidavros, Napflio, Asini,  Mycenea, Nimea, Kandilia, Olympia, Vasses, Stemnitsa, Dritsana, Nestor’s Palce (tried to, it’s closed), Pylos, Methone, Koroni, Messini, Kalamata, Mystras, Sparta, Athens, Athens Air Port, drop off the rental car, taxi to Pireaus , ferry to Souda arriving in the early morning, then Suzanna to work and Grier home and to retrieve the dog!

We saw ten museums, nine archeological sites, four castles, and one byzantine city.  We bought 10 heavy books and some linens from a sweet nun that still lives at Mytras.  It was olive harvest time so we saw hundreds of harvest scenes, olive oil press factories and trucks carrying bags and bags of olives to the mills, and donkeys carrying olive, branches. 

We saw a lot but still saw very little of the Peloponnese.  We plan to go back, maybe at the end of our time here.

I think we liked the Olympia museum the best, the Messini ruins, or Epidavros, or Mycenea or Olympia, or Vasse or Mystra the best. The towns of Pylos or Npflio the best, the scenery between Kalamata and Sparta the best, the entertaining dirving at Sparta the best, and the food in Sparta the best. But maybe best of all was the spectacular weather.  It was beautiful.

We took a lot of pictures!  I would have liked to take more.  I pared them down to only 192 for the blog!  I'll be posting them in the next 9 or 10 blog posts.  Maybe one for each day of our trip.

The Animal and Nature Lover

Katya's visit was crafted around observing nature and wild life (including people).  But even so we walked a lot.  And we walked up and down many stairs with not a smooth pavement in sight.  There are not many places you can go or things you can do that don't involve stairs and rough pavement.  Katya was a great sport, although I'm afraid she was hurting a lot in her knee.

Katya is another friend that does not like to have her picture taken.  But, she was really here and we enjoyed very much spending time with her.  You will just have to imagine Katya looking at the things in the pictures, because you won't see her looking at them!

A highlight of our visit was the boat ride to the outlet of the Samaria Gorge.  We hiked up the gorge to the place where the canyon walls are the highest and come together dramatically.  Katya didn't make it all the way.  She turned back part way there and went back to the taverna along the walk and waited for us.  So she had an opportunity to observe nature and the people coming and going from the taverna.

Katya wanted to buy an every day shopping bag that Greeks might use when they go to the market.  We did not have any luck in this mission.  There are lovely shopping bags, but they are rather expensive and not necessarily the kind that Greeks use today.   Today Greeks typically use the plastic bags they get from the stores!  Katya did get one of those.

Hope you enjoy the pictures, keeping in mind that this is what Katya saw!

My camera quit working part way through Katya's visit, so I don't have many pictures and none of the Samaria Gorge:(

Hill across from the Athens Acropolis.

Bougainvillea

Athens Acropolis.

Agora Museum bird pottery.

View of the Athens Acropolis from the tallest hill in Athens.

Same view with the Port of Piraeus in the background.

Chora Sfakia south coast on the way to Samaria Gorge.

Mountains on the way to the Samaria Gorge.

Narrow walkway/street in Chania.