Updated w/pics: Exploring Epidaurus and Nafplio

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UPDATE: added pictures on 14-January.

The move to the Domatia was very wise - even though it's more expensive, we had a good night's sleep and a somewhat warm shower. It seems that the hot water supplies are very low, so we'll try to space our showers out to odd times in the day, in hopes of getting a hot shower! The showers we've found in Greece are generally a very small square space maybe about 3 feet square that only rises up a couple of inches, a shower curtain to pull around yourself, and a faucet with a hand-held hose.

Mark attended conference events while Lynne took a daytrip with the families of other conference members. The bus took them past the Corinth canal area, but they stayed in the Peloponnese and headed to Epidaurus. Epidaurus is an ancient site for both theater and thereaputic healing. It took about 3.5 hours to get there by bus from Kalavrita.

The sanctuaries at Epidaurus date from the 6th century B.C. through at least the 2nd Century A.D.

First, they visited the museum, seeing several relics from the area. Many of the original statues are stored in the National Archaeological Museum in Athens, with replicas stored in the Epidaurus museum.

Next, they went to the ampitheater, which was designed in the 4th century B.C. THis impressive ampitheater held over 12,000 people, and was the site for many Greek plays. The acoustics are astonishing: if you stand on one particular spot in the middle of the stage area, you can whisper or drop a coin, and someone even in the top row (row 55) can hear it as if you are sitting right next to them. The stage is 66 ft. in diameter, and the theater is 374 feet across. In ancient times, it was a four-day journey from Athens to this theater, so it must have held amazing events for so many people to take the difficult trek to Epidaurus.

The Asklepieion, or healing center, is where the first applications of psychology were practiced. Unfortunately, it is still under a decades-long excavation project, so they were unable to see any sites there.

Next, the group went to Nafplio, a city that was once the capital of Greece. This beautiful port city has been occupied by the Venetians and Turks on several different occasions, as its location was so important for shipping. We viewed the Bourtzi, a small island fortress build during the second Venetian occupation, as well as the impressive Palamidi, a hilltop complex that contains seven different forts. The Palamidi was built between 1711-1714, and was designed to withstand the best artillery of the era. However, the Ottomans were able to conquer it in just week by setting up a blockade to starve out the Venetians. Later, in 1822 a group of Greek rebels were able to liberate Nafplio.

They had lunch - an authentic Greek salad (no lettuce - just tomatoes, vegetables, olives, dressing, topped with a huge slab of delicious feta cheese) and had a short time to admire this beautiful city.

They loaded the bus and took a somewhat nervewracking mountainous journey back to Kalavrita. The bus driver was veyr skilled at negotiating the haripin curves while talking on his cellphone and using his hands to gesture, which made many passengers quite anxious! This is apparently very common for Greeks, as anyone who drives in the Peloponnese knows how to handle the winding roads.

The group arrived back in Kalavrita safely, albeit a little stressed out and affected by the constant turning motion of 7 hours in a bus on mountain roads. They all enjoyed Greek drinks (Lynne had wine, while others went for ouzo) after the evening concert. It was definitely worth the harrowing and tiring trip to see these wonderful sites.

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Photos

Entering the Epidaurus Ampitheater
The Ampitheater at Epidaurus was where ancient plays were performed to crowds of 12,000 Greeks. This theater was used from the 4th century B.C. until at least the 2nd century A.D.

statue in the Epidaurus museum
this replica statue is displayed in the small Epidaurus musuem. We later saw the original statue at the National Archaeological Museum in Athens.

Lynne in the ampitheater
Lynne sits in one of the "luxury seats", reserved for royalty or other important people, in the ampitheater at Epidaurus.

the Palamidi in Nafplio
This Veneitan citidel with seven forts towers over the port city of Nafplio.

Tower of Aglios Gerogios
The tower from the Agios Georgios cathedral (originally a mosque, converted to a Catholic cathedral after the Ottomans were ousted in 1686), as seen from the Plateia Syntagmatos in Nafplio.

Nafplio street scene
The port town of Nafplio is a beautiful mediterranean-style city.