Lazy hazy daze of summer

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Marika, Will and Kim recently became Greek citizens and yesterday had a lovely drive through their second country (they of course maintain their Canadian citizenship).

We drove from Athens over the Corinth Canal and diagonally across the Peloponnese peninsula.

We stopped at Mycenae – Agamemmon’s citadel. While the area had Neolithic settlements about 5,000 years ago, the Mycenean civilisation about 3,500 years ago. In Homer’s Odyssey, Mycenae was founded by Perseus who slayed Medusa. This is where the classic tragedy of Elektra and Orestes and Klytemnestra took place.

We drove down and peeked at Greece’s former capital,. Nafplio then drove through rain and wind through the Peloponnese mountains through Tripoli and then down to the South West corner of Greece sticking out into the Mediterranean.

Our resort is the jewel of the region. We were greeted by Zoe (the hotel is named after her yaya – grandmother). It is lovely – flowers and gardens everywhere and many small buildings. We are in a palatial family apartment built last year with a huge covered terrace which overlooks the resort’s organic olive, fig and lemon trees and beyond those is their mini banana plantation. The beach goes on forever and from our taverna on the beach we watch bottlenose dolphins frolic in Navarino Bay. The Bay witnessed a classic battle between Spartans and Athenians during the Peloponnese War.

Much of the food they serve in their destination restaurant is from their organic gardens and all of the food is locally sourced. Al seafood is caught fresh daily. The resort mutt Nestor keeps us all safe from scooters and is rewarded with the occasional piece of grilled octopus from me and others. Netsor is Marika and Will’s best friend.

Our first peek in the water from a mini-quay sported views of crabs, sea urchins, anemones and feasts of small fish.

This afternoon we walked endlessly and aimlessly on the lovely beaches seeking cool stones and shells. Marika, Will and I snorkelled in the Mediterranean.

We strolled along the bay and picked a picturesque taverna for dinner then scooted back to the pastry shop to pick the honeyest drippiest baklava and are taking it back to our terrace to indulge.

Gnight...

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