NAFPLIO AND MYCENAE AND EPIDAVROS
We arrived in Nafpio and got checked in at Marianna Pension by the Zoto brothers. The 3 of them hustled our luggage to our rooms and made us feel like old friends. Our room was gorgeous and outside we had a little sitting area with some nice views. We were offered fresh lemonade and it was delicious! We drank this on a wonderful breakfast terrace with more good views!
Nafplio was a nice looking city and seemed to be a happening place. It had tremendous views of the water and of the mountains. The city was once the first capital of Greece. Nafpiio's location indicates it was great as a defensive place with the water in front and the mountains in back. The harbor is guarded by three different fortresses. The city is close to 2 major attractions: Ancient Mycenae and Epidavros which is one of the reasons it gets a fair amount of tourist traffic.
After we got situated at the hotel, David took us on a short tour of the city and then we went for some wine and ouzo tasting at the Karonis Wine Shop which was fun. Dinner was on our own and we hooked up with Mary Ann and Rich and found a nice outdoor restaurant where we enjoyed our dinner and then headed to the famous Antica Gelateria de Roma for some tasty gelato.
The next morning Anestis drove us to the fortified city of Mycenae where we met our informed, local tour guide, Patti. The Mycenaean Age dates from around 1600 BC to 1200 BC and followed the Minoan Period. Historians have tried to figure out truth from fiction without a lot of written records. The people of Mycenae were here 1000 years before the people of the Athen's Acropolis. This was the capital of the Mycenaean civilization. The remains of a palace were found here. The quality and quantity of the items found near the graves indicate that the Mycenaeans had prosperity and affluence. Stonework was used to construct the impressive buildings and the entrances were made of huge stones! Amazingly, these structures were built without the benefit of machinery which only makes them more astonishing. It was interesting to see the citadel, with its Lion Gate and the tholos tombs, Grave Circle A and the museum. View the slideshow below of Mycenae to see more.
The next morning Anestis drove us to the fortified city of Mycenae where we met our informed, local tour guide, Patti. The Mycenaean Age dates from around 1600 BC to 1200 BC and followed the Minoan Period. Historians have tried to figure out truth from fiction without a lot of written records. The people of Mycenae were here 1000 years before the people of the Athen's Acropolis. This was the capital of the Mycenaean civilization. The remains of a palace were found here. The quality and quantity of the items found near the graves indicate that the Mycenaeans had prosperity and affluence. Stonework was used to construct the impressive buildings and the entrances were made of huge stones! Amazingly, these structures were built without the benefit of machinery which only makes them more astonishing. It was interesting to see the citadel, with its Lion Gate and the tholos tombs, Grave Circle A and the museum. View the slideshow below of Mycenae to see more.
After our tour of Mycenae, the rest of the afternoon was free time. We went to a local restaurant to sample the Greek version of what we call gyros in the United States. There was a field trip of many high schoolers in town for the day and the place was packed. We managed to get served and had fun watching the kids who seem to be very much the same no matter what country! After lunch, we went to an outdoor market and enjoyed looking at the people and food. We also did a little "retail therapy" and bought some souvenirs and talked to some of the store owners. We found many of the locals in Greece spoke English also.
As is the case on all of the Rick Steves' tours I have been on so far, there is usually a time when the tour group is provided entertainment representing aspects of the local culture. Tonight was the night when David led us to a local restaurant and we were treated to live music and also some dance and a wonderful Greek dinner! There was some audience participation and that was fun to see some of our tour members making fools of themselves! Check out the slideshow below of Nafplio!
As is the case on all of the Rick Steves' tours I have been on so far, there is usually a time when the tour group is provided entertainment representing aspects of the local culture. Tonight was the night when David led us to a local restaurant and we were treated to live music and also some dance and a wonderful Greek dinner! There was some audience participation and that was fun to see some of our tour members making fools of themselves! Check out the slideshow below of Nafplio!
Theater at Epidavros
The next day our bus headed the 18 miles to Epidavros. This place was once the most famous healing center in Greece. Since pilgrims prayed to the son of Apollo, Asklepios, for health here, a sanctuary needed to be built with altars, statues and a temple. The place was at its height of popularity during the fourth and third centuries B.C. when it had many medical facilities and even a theater. There is not much left remaining here except the theater. The theater is still used today!!
One of our tour members, Elaine, is a retired drama teacher out of California. She had been teaching about the theater at Epidavros for a long time and now she was ecstatic to be here! Though a long dissertation is forbidden at the theater, Elaine took a few minutes to deliver a soliloquy to demonstrate to us the perfect natural acoustics at this theater. It was a very emotional moment for Elaine and it made it more fun for us also. For an exciting slideshow of Elaine and Epidavros, click on the arrow below.
One of our tour members, Elaine, is a retired drama teacher out of California. She had been teaching about the theater at Epidavros for a long time and now she was ecstatic to be here! Though a long dissertation is forbidden at the theater, Elaine took a few minutes to deliver a soliloquy to demonstrate to us the perfect natural acoustics at this theater. It was a very emotional moment for Elaine and it made it more fun for us also. For an exciting slideshow of Elaine and Epidavros, click on the arrow below.
After Epidavros, Anestis drove us on our final journey with him to catch the boat to the scenic island of Hydra. Check out happy Hydra.