Ancient Greece 8th to 10th May

Wednesday 8^th May, Mycenae and Nafplio

We were on the road early heading for yet another ancient Greek site Mycenae.  It was an overcast morning so it was looking good for sight-seeing.  When we arrived Jacqui decided after looking at a lot of scattered stones on a hillside that she would miss this one out and Mike set off on his own.  It is believed that the site was occupied from 1950BC to 1100BC.  It was excavated by a German archaeologist Heinrich Schlieman in 1874.  The site is entered via the Lion Gate and contains the remains of tombs, palaces, merchants’ houses and other dwellings. Mike has always had an interest in Greek mythology and spent about 2 hours there whilst Jacqui spent time organising our photo files as well as doing some Keele work.  This site was where Agamemnon and his followers were murdered on their triumphant return from Troy. Once Mike returned we had lunch and then set off for Nafplio.

  

Nafplio was a lovely place. It has a large harbour where we could comfortably park the van. Nafplio’s main claim to fame was that it was once the first capital of Greece. It contained three forts, one in the sea at the entrance to the harbour: Bourtzi, the Acronafplia, which was only a ruin and the Palamidhi. To reach the latter the guide book recommended getting a taxi to the top and then walking down the 999 steps.  Of course, in the melting sun, we walked both up and down! On the way down a massive thunderstorm unleashed heavy rain but it literally stopped 50 yards in front of us. Jacqui was really hoping she would get soaked to cool herself down but it was not to be so we went for an iced coffee, known locally as ‘freddo’ or ‘freddocino’ in one of the cafes in a very pretty street that was decked throughout with vibrant pink bougainvillae. Not content with walking up a big hill we then set off to walk a coastal route that took us right round the town. It was very pretty. Later on that evening we went to one of the tavernas at the harbour ( Jacqui was too tired to cook) and had a beer and pork gyros (Jacqui) and fish and chips (Mike).  We went to bed feeling very full.

Thursday 9^th May Epidaurus

We left Nafplio after attending to some e mails and visiting the ruined fortress. We then set the Sat Nav for Epidaurus – yet another ancient site.  Greece does have a lot of them!  Epidaurus was a major religious centre and healing Spa around 400BC.  Primarily it was dedicated to Asclepius the God of healing and people would travel many miles to be cleansed, give sacrifice and worship their gods and hope to be cured. This normally happened after they fell asleep where they would then dream of the God visiting them.  When they awoke they were cured.  Jacqui was a bit cynical about one of the miracles of a women who could not have children. When she slept she dreamt that the God ‘visited’ her and 9 months later she had a child with her husband. (No DNA testing then!).  The site is also famous for its well preserved 14000 seated theatre. It is reported to have been built with great mathematical precision and to have excellent acoustics. We tried this out.  Mike went up to the top row (54) and Jacqui dropped a coin in the centre.  We think there was too much background noise or maybe age has destroyed the acoustics but Mike could not hear anything.

Two hours later we were back in the van which thankfully we had parked in the shade (another 30C plus day). We had lunch and then set off on a scenic route towards Corinth and were rewarded with some impressive views as a thunderstorm swept across the bay. We ended up camping just a few metres from the Corinth Canal. We spent the evening watching pilot boats and tugs escort mainly tankers through the narrow canal. What was more fascinating though was watching the road bridge disappear under water every time a ship needed to pass.

Friday 10^th May, Corinth

A bad start to the day. It had rained heavily in the night but Mike could also smell urine which was keeping him awake. It turned out that the loo had been leaking into the cupboard under the bed. We spent the first part of the morning clearing out and bleaching everything while Mike tried to think of a solution to the problem. It came down to “Duck tape” again. Mike seals around the toilet and the compartment that holds the toilet cassette to create a water tight seal. So far this is working well. Having re-packed everything we then set off for the ancient site of Corinth. As we approached we could see the fortress high on the hill. We were able to drive the van right up and were rewarded with wonderful views over Corinth, the surrounding countryside, across towards the northern mainland of Greece and down to the sea. The fortress was very imposing. The walls and entrances were still in good order but the rest, excluding a rebuilt church were in ruins. After a thorough exploration we decided to move back down to the town to the site of ancient Corinth here there is a Roman Agora but the main focus in the 5C BC Temple of Apollo. This is an important building becasue it still has standing 7 huge (575m) Doric columns. The site also housed a small but very interesting museum. We could only spend an hour here as the whole site closed down at 3pm.

Back in the van we continued our drive back to the coast, crossing the Corinth canal and stopping at a beach in a small town called Kineta. With permission we parked opposite a closed bar and set ourselves up for the night.

To and from Mystras

4th May 2013 Gytheio to Mystras

Although it had been lovely to have the company of Jay and Julie it was time to move on. We had our breakfast on the sea wall and were excited to see a dolphin/porpoise (it was too far away for us to tell) lazily circling in the bay. We packed up and said our goodbyes and headed off inland to  Mystras, a Byzantine ruined city. It was a lovely journey, we are really enjoying the Greek countryside. On the way we stopped at a couple of campsites and chose one to come back to later in the day. When we arrived at Mystras it was midday and 33C – not the best time to explore an ancient site but the site closed at 3pm and was not going to be open again for a couple of days due to the Greek Easter holidays. So it was now or never. We had a quick light salad lunch, packed lots of water and suntan lotion and set off.

Mystras is an almost complete Byzantine city that was once home to 20,000 people. On the summit was a large fortress and it was worth the climb up to see the wonderful views across the plains and up to the Taiyetos mountains. On the lower half of the city there were numerous churches, a convent and remains of other dwellings. Many of the buildings contained well preserved frescos dating from the 14C. We did well considering the heat to see as much as we had done by the time the bells rang at 3pm and we were happy to return to our campsite. The campsite was empty when we arrived but was run by a very pleasant and helpful Greek man. We used the laundry facilities and cleared all our washing.  It was good to know it was all  going to dry quickly.

5th May

As the owner of the campsite did not mind how long we stayed we decided to leave in the late afternoon.  This gave Jacqui time to do some work whilst Mike washed the van.  Although it was hot outside the van stayed reasonable cool but we were both pleased to have a shower before we set off at 4pm. I left with a load of oranges picked from the campsite and a kilo of Greek honey which I thought was a good price at 8 euros. 

We travelled from Mystras back into Sparta to get some cash and then drove to Geraki. From there the sat nav threw a wobbly that took us on a very convoluted route towards Mario. I cant believe it was the fastest or the shortest route (as she is set) but it was a most stunning drive. We saw about 500 goats and 3 tortoises on the road. The scenery started off as scrubland but became more wooded as we rose higher. Eventually our route took us down to the coast and we stopped just outside Lakos. We actually drove into Lakos as Mike had identified an overnight stop but it was full of motorhomes parked side by side and we could not face it after all our secluded spots. We found a wide layby overlooking the coast and pulled in. it turned out to be a bad choice as the road was busy even after 2.00am. I wonder if this was because it was Easter Sunday. Anyway we had very little sleep that night.

Monday 6^th May

Today we had planned to head north towards Nafpolio. But after an hours drive we came to a quiet little bay called Paralio Astros. It was so lovely that when a Dutch couple asked if we were staying the night as they did not want to be alone with their camper and we said yes. We spent most of the day reading in the sun/shade and cooling ourselves off in the sea. It was a lovely sandy bay that stayed shallow for ages.

In the late afternoon we cycled off towards a causeway we could see. It was the small but busy town of Paralio Astros. We had a good look around resisting the bars and came home for supper and early bed but although tired Jacqui found it too hot to sleep well.

Tuesday 7^th May, Paralio Astros

We loved our most recent location so we decided we would stay for another day. This is one of the great benefits of travelling in a motorhome at your own pace. More reading and swimming. After lunch we moved the van towards the town. However in the late afternoon the sun went behind the clouds and the wind got up. So after another walk through the town we decided to spend the night back at our original camping spot which was more sheltered.

A week in the beautiful Mani peninsula

 The beautiful Mani peninsula

Saturday 27^th April, Agnios Nikolaos,

Our plan today was to find a campsite as we needed water. We did not pass many and those we did were closed. We later found that the Greek Easter is next week and that most campsites open then for the summer season. The drive down the coast was beautiful. Perhaps the best scenery we had seen so far. The air was heavy scented. Kardamili was especially pretty and idyllic but difficult for the van so we moved onto Agnios Nikolaos. There we found a rough parking area between the bars that lined the road and the sea. We spoke to a couple of locals who said they had no objection to us parking overnight. We generally lazed, read and enjoyed the sun. Later Jacqui agreed to cut my hair as it was now too long and really looked out of control. As always she did a good job and I am happier with my shorter style.

We enquired at the bar whether we could collect water anywhere. The local barman pointed us to a water pipe, said it was available for anyone to use, so we were able to fill up with water and the need for a campsite became unnecessary. We had our second BBQ on the beach and then we returned to the bar again that evening for a nice end to a lovely hot sunny day (30 degrees).

Sunday 28^th April. Diros Cavern,

We started the morning with a cycle ride along the coast partly to see if we could get Buster further along the coast road and partly because we had not ridden for so long. We came across some glorious scenery and ended up in a tiny village called Trahila. The road came to a stop here so we had the answer we needed for the van. Back in Agnios Nikolaos we took advantage again of the internet, though it was of poor quality, and had a toasty at the local bar. We were starting to become regulars and that’s when you know it’s time to move on. Satisfied we then drove off on a high road towards Areopoli. This was a smaller town than we had envisaged, there was not much for us to see here  so we continued onto Diros which is famous for its caves. We found a very pleasant secluded beach and parked up for the night. We were the only ones there – lovely. The sea was beautiful, calm, blue and warm. We both manoeuvred ourselves over the large pebbles that lined the bay and jumped in to enjoy the water.

Monday 29^th April, Diros Cavern,

We decided to stay here for another day. We both got up and did our daily exercises and Jacqui swam across our bay and back which must have been 800m. Most impressed!! We had breakfast on the beach, cereal and toast and then prepared the kayak for its maiden European voyage. It was the first time we had the location, weather and time to use it. We paddled out along the coast for an hour and a half. As Jacqui is left handed when she paddled hard the kayak moved to the left and when I paddled hard it moved to the right. The coordination was good but the boat did move from side to side which created a bit of fun. Came back, had lunch and then lazed for the rest of the day. After all our recent sightseeing and travelling this started to feel like a holiday. The only people we saw all day was the odd fisherman or dog walker. In the afternoon a couple of kids and dad came down and played in the sea. Two more cars came down at sunset but really the place was ours.

Tuesday 30^th April, Port Kagio,

We reluctantly left our little piece of paradise only to find a more perfect spot at Port Kagio which is next to the tip of the Mani peninsula and the ‘gateway to the underworld’ according to Greek  mythology. Jacqui said she would be happy to wait here for ever  to be let in. The drive over was relatively easy, narrow, but with good surfaces, roads that undulated around and over the hills that followed the coast. No crash barriers at all so we really needed to keep or wits about us as the drops would have proved final. The scenery was mainly scrubland but dotted with flowers. It smelt hot and peppery. Our destination was the end of the road along an unmade stretch along a stony beach to a makeshift car park. We were met by a Greek woman who advised us there was free parking for campervans but no water. She agreed to fill our large 6.5 litre drinking water bottle three times but could not fill the van as the tiny village, only 20 houses, only had a well and water was limited. We sat in this beautiful cove and had a drink at her bar thinking how lucky we were. That afternoon I went off on my bike to find the entrance to the underworld, Neptune’s cove, the Oracle and the remains of a roman outpost. While Jacqui went for a short walk and long swim. When I arrived at the underworld I saw a motorhome with GB plates and “OurTour” website printed on the side of their van. I introduced myself to the couple, Julie and Jason Buckley who invited me in for a drink and we talked about our travels. After a long chat I asked if they would like to come over to our cove (note how possessive we are getting!). They came just as the sun was setting. We had a drink together and then decided to pull our resources and have supper together. It was a long boozy night. They left at 1.00am having emptied cans of beer, a bottle wine, bottle of Ouzo, both Jason and I felt a little worse for wear the following morning. The girls were fine and obviously are much better at managing their alcohol intake.

Wednesday 1^st May, Porto Kagio,

It was another lovely day and lazy morning due to the feelings of the men. Jacqui went for a swim and read for a bit then chatted to Julie in the sun.  It was a hot day but there was a pleasant breeze so it was easy to get sunburnt despite our array of suntan lotions; factors 15, 25 and 50! By the afternoon we were ready to drive onto Kotronas. It was another beautiful drive through the stone villages.  We stopped at one when Julie, our new found friend and leading scout saw a hosepipe by the roadside. This was jolly useful  as we were desperate for water. The owner of the house let us fill our tank and refused any payment for her kindness.  Later on in another village we stopped at a small Greek shop to get some sausages for a BBQ tonight and a mini ice cream each. The shop was run by a woman who had two young girls. One very shyly tried out some English words and the other was delighted to ring up our goods on the till  - later to be corrected by Mum.

We arrived at a small harbour in Kotronas where we would park. There was already a small German camper there and we were later joined by a Dutch van, Julie and Jay and another British couple called John & Marion -  they have been using campers for 35 years. It also turned out that they came from Barton Under Needwood. A village 6 miles from Mike’s house. It was amazing to meet someone from so close in such a remote part of the world. We had a BBQ that night with Julie, Jay and their lovely King Charles, Charlie. No alcohol this time. It was a very social evening!

Thursday 2^nd May, Kotronas to Gytheio,

There was nothing to keep us in Kotronus as it was a tiny village but in the morning Mike and I walked through it. Mike went to examine in more detail a house he had spied from the harbour jetty and I wlaked down a lane that appeared to have a stream flowing through it.  I saw dozens of tiny frogs, butterflies (mainly swallowtails) and some blue dragonflies. Mike and I met up again at the mini supermarket where the sum of our purchases was a tub of margarine and another mini icecream for Mike.

Back on the quayside we said goodbye to both couples. We planned to meet up with Ju and Jay in a couple of days at Gytheio but John and Marion were travelling the Mani in the opposite direction. Having solved our water shortage we now needed to get food and some LPG. We arrived in gytheio with the intention of using a campsite but then decided it was an expensive way to get the internet and the washing would have to wait. We sourced LPG at Vlahiotis and found a Lidl.  Stocked up we headed back to Gytheio. Gytheio was Sparta’s ancient port and is the gateway to the Mani peninsula. From Gytheio there is a narrow causeway to the islet of Marathonissi where Paris and Helen of Troy spent their first night after her abduction from Sparta.  We walked around the islet which only had a small chapel and tower to note and then found one of the many waterfront cafes to sit down with a drink  and frozen yoghurt.  We also used their wifi to skype Millie. Later on we moved to a beachside carpark, it wasn’t the noise from the bars that kept us awake but the sound of the sea as the wind had strengthened considerably.

Friday 2^nd May – Gytheio

We had not got much planned for today. After breakfast we moved our van down the beach to a more suitable place for relaxing on the beach.  It was only 2Km from the centre of town. We sent information to Jay and Ju about the LPG station and Lidl (they are ardent Lidl shoppers) and told them that there planned Port stop was not going to happen as the Port was being redeveloped.  The other bad news was that we had not been able to find out much about any planned Easter celebrations.  Yes, today was Good Friday in Greece. It is a month later than in western Europe due to use the use of the Julian (as opposed to the Gregorian) calendar. Mike and I lazed in the very hot sun (33C) and I finished my book ‘Silent Witness’.

In the late afternoon we were joined by our new friends.  We had another BBQ together and a sensible amount of alcohol. Then we walked into the town to see what was going on.  It was quite exciting.  The church we went to was packed out leaving many people standing in the streets holding candles ready to be lit. Around 9.15pm the Epitaphios, representing the body of Christ wrapped in the burial shroud, decorated with flowers left the church  and was carried around the streets, led by priests reciting prayers and followed by the faithful (and some less faithful – us) holding lighted candles. The throng grew larger as two other churches joined the procession which continued down to the water front. Here the churches split and returned to their home setting again followed by their congregation.  We turned off here to return to another bar that had very comfortable cushions. We relaxed here awhile (apart from Charlie who was terrified by the bangers that were being let off) and then returned to our van under the cover of a beautiful starlit sky.