Blogs from Pelopennese, Greece, Europe - page 6

This morning I drove from Nafplio to the site of the ancient city of Mycenae. You may know that, according to Homer, Agamemnon was king of Mycenae when he set out to fight the Trojan War around 1250 B.C. Whether that is true or not, Mycenae was certainly a prosperous city/fortress in Bronze Age Greece and I had done some reading about it, so it was satisfying to actually see the site. The most famous feature is the Lion Gate which has carv of two lions over the entrance e. I was there early in the morning and a group of dogs was hanging around and followed me around the ruins. I unintentionally included one of them in my attempt to take a timed picture with my iPad. Another impressive ancient structure is the tholos tomb ... read more

This morning I rented a little black Peugeot car from Hertz and drove to the Peloponnese peninsula. It is located west and a little south of Athens. I have not been to this part of Greece before and it is a hilly, mostly rural area. The soil looks rocky, but there are places with active agriculture. I saw quite a number of olive trees, which I expected, and many groves of orange trees, which I did not expect. Using the car’s navigation system, I made it to the town of Nafplio which was buzzing with Greek visitors. It is a weekend seaside getaway for Athenians, I’m told. I visited their archeological museum and was impressed by the bronze sheet body armor from the 1400s BC. Then I wandered around this very photogenic town and took a ... read more

Agréable visite de ce site commencée à la fraîche le plus tot possible Pour une fois il y a quelques bus de touristes mais en nombre raisonnable Nous profitons de chaque recoin du site, du grand stade, des musées où se trouvent quelques statues et vestiges des accessoires sportifs Les descriptions des épreuves sont un peu effrayantes en particulier le pancrace : un combat ou tous les coups sont permis et où le vainqueur est celui qui n’abandonne pas Après midi farniente au bord de la piscine de l’hotel... read more

Après avoir écumé les’ sites archéologiques de l’Argolide, nous avons pris une route magnifique - bord de mer, gorges, montagne - pour atteindre un petit village sur un rocher: Monemvasia Tout cela toujours bien loin de la foule, avec des pauses baignade et salades grecques toutes plus agréables les unes que les autres La dernière étape nous a menés dans le Magne, ou nous avons une vue magnifique depuis le balcon : nous étions aux premières loges pour l’eclipse de lune !... read more

The first port of call on our cruise is Nafplion, Greece. Nafplion was the first capital of Greece, now a charming seaport. I braced my ankle and jumped on the tour bus with Jack to the ruins of Mycenae and Epidaurus. At Mycenae we saw a replica of the gold mask of Agamemnon. King Agamemnon had a complicated history including leading the Greek army in the Trojan War. Once his tomb was excavated, the Golden Mask used at his funeral was discovered by Heinrich Schliemann, a German, in 1876. Present day archeologists have begun to doubt that Herr Schliemann was completely honest and accurate on his supposed discovery. The archeological site in Mycenae we visited has been more recently dated a century or two earlier than Agamemnon’s death. History and controversy.... read more