What a great day! It's just after 10:00 and Rob and I are having a drink on our patio overlooking the harbour lights of lovely Nafplion.This is the first day of our Classical Greece Tour. Our hotel, the Xenia Palace sits high atop the hill, right inside one of the two Venitian acropolis'.
We left Athens this morning and travelled first to the Corinth Canal.
Quite an impressive sight and we were lucky - a boat was just coming through. I got some pictures from the bus, but Rob was the one who ventured out on the bridge on foot to get the best shot. For me, just getting a little over the edge was more than enough.
After Corinth, we travelled through the Peleponnese and the Argolis region to Mycenae. I got a bit teary when I saw the lion gate - it took me right back to my grade 11 Ancient History class with Mrs. Weiss. I know I'm a nerd, but this is why and when I met Colleen, and the beginning of what would become some fabulous fun and friendships.
The Lion Gate at MycenaeIt amazes me how accessible the sights are. We were able to go everywhere - Agamemnon's tomb (although we now know it's too early to have been Aggie's), the omphalos 'beehive' tombs and right up to the top of the Acropolis.
We are starting to feel a bit like mountain goats - although not quite enough to contemplate the 999 steep steps up to Palamidi - the Nafplio acropolis.
The Argolis region smells beautiful (in greek = poli oRea) - orange trees, lemon trees, pistachio and olive trees as well as wildflowers everywhere you look. Everything is so lush - and the poppies, which seem to grow out of barren rock are the most beautiful shade of a deep blood red. It seems somehow symbolic of the heros and 'legends' that once lived amongst these bricks and looked out at these hills. After Mycenae, we travelled to the theatre at Epidaurus which was also incredible.Reports have the seating capacity somewhere between 6 and 30 thousand, although I tend to believe it's more realistic at around 14-16,000. You can almost imagine what it would have been like in ancient times with the lively festivals. Disappointing to see that some people treated it with such disrespect as to pitch their garbage anywhere they liked - where's Dracos when you need him?
Theatre at EpidaurusIf you're visiting Greece in the summer months, you can take in a show at Epidaurus in July and August, which I would imagine would be quite special.
The view of the mountains is magical and tomorrow we have a long journey through them to reach Olympia. I can hardly wait.
If this trip continues to get better and better, as I suspect it will, the only way anything could be improved upon is if we come for six months next time.
Lovely view of tomorrow's destinationOur tour guide, Effie, is very well informed and paints a very good picture of the history and the love and passion that the Greeks have for their nation.
Before I go for the evening - I should mention that Athens is one wild town. After napping well into the evening yesterday I was awake to hear that the Plaka was partying well into the night, singing, dancing and general celebration of life until after 3 a.m.
We'll have to find that place when we go back in a few days.
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