May 19, 2025

May 19, 2025

Crete and Santorini had some very strong winds after we left. The news said that the dolphin fresco at Knossos Palace we just visited had collapsed. Thankfully we saw it but if the Greek government doesn't do something the rest of the reconstructions are also going to fail.

After a quick breakfast, we left Athens early for another adventure, this time into the Peloponnese Peninsula. Our path followed the coastline passing the site of the Battle of Salamis. This 480 BC naval battle took place right after the Greek infantry loss at Thermopylae. As predicted by the enigmatic Oracle at Delphi, Athens was victorious behind a "wooden wall" (of ships), forcing the Persians to retreat back to Asia.

After an hour we reached the modern city of Corinth. Here a 4-mile-wide isthmus once connected the peninsula to the mainland. Merchants had long dreamed of cutting a canal through this isthmus. In 1893, after digging the Suez Canal, engineers turned their attention to Corinth. It was dug to sea level avoiding the need for locks.

In olden times, Corinthians helped sailors haul their boats or cargo across the isthmus as a shortcut avoiding the long and hazardous route around the south coast. Our driver showed us how the Diolkos (portage) ruts are still visible in the pavement two thousand years later. In return Corinth charged a toll making them wealthy.

From the canal we drove to the nearby site of ancient Corinth. The ruins of the Temple of Apollo dominate the site. Across the Agora is the Bema or podium from which St Paul preached his message to the Corinthians.

Short on time we skipped ahead to the ruins of Mycenae. This World Heritage site is the home of the legendary King Agamemnon who led the Greeks in the Trojan War. The Myceneans inherited (or seized) the trading empire of the Minoans after the eruption of Santorini. While Knossos was built for luxury, Mycenae was built for defense. It has stout walls with an easily defensible front gate. A pair of headless lions adorn the top of the lintel.

We walked up into the steep hilltop fortress passing a large grave circle where they found the solid gold Mask of Agamemnon. Farther up we find the great hall of the palace. Near the back exit, we find the hidden water source of the city down a long dark passage. We left the citadel through the back gate passing a roofless grave circle.

We ran through the site’s small artifact museum. The finest specimens are now in Athens but I am always curious about the anthropomorphic doll-like figures found in most early cultures throughout the world.

Our last stop at Mycenae is down the hill outside the old walls at the Treasury of Atreus. This round domed structure built into a small hill contains a surprisingly-large corbelled ceiling. It was the largest dome for a thousand years until the Romans engineered the large-scale use of the structural arch. It is thought this could be the grave of Agamemnon’s father.

The citadel of Mycenae and the long entrance path of this grave is built using massive stones. It is hard to imagine how this prehistoric culture could shape and move these boulders so long ago without modern technology. The Golden Age Greeks a thousand years later in 500 BC had the same thoughts. They believed the only answer involved an extinct race of giants or Cyclops, hence the name Cyclopean Walls.

We drove down the valley to where the seashore once reached. There we made a brief stop at the ruins of another Mycenaean-era hill-fort known as Tiryns. This citadel and legendary home of Hercules has similarly massive walls.

We finished just down the road in the seaside town of Nafplio. We stop at a restaurant facing the harbor for a quick lunch of Fried Calamari and salad. We started with bread garnished with a Baba Ganoush type of eggplant puree.

After checking into our accommodations, we walked around this cute town. We made a quick stop in the old Venetian arsenal to visit the Archeological Museum and see its famous bronze-age suit of armor. This early attempt looks like the Michelin Man. Interestingly it is topped with a helmet adorned with dozens of Boar’s Teeth. We also stepped inside the very ornate Greek Orthodox Church of Panaghia (All Holy).

I spent the next couple hours following Aimee around while she pops in shops. I find a particularly colorful street off Syntagma Square lined with Bougainvillea flowers.

The Greek War of Independence started here in 1821 and Nafplio became the first capital of Greece. We pass a statue of Ioannis Kapodistrias, the first governor. Unfortunately he was assassinated during the ensuing Civil War. The European establishment then installed a Bavarian prince as ruler, King Otto. We see his statue too. Humorously Greece went from Ottoman rule to Otto rule.

After resting at the hotel we had dinner at a seaside restaurant. We did Meze tonight. That is the Greek version of Spanish Tapas. The several appetizers while small and expensive were very tasty and beautifully presented. We had to follow it up with two desserts.

On our walk back along the shore, we see the old Venetian port castle lit up, while street musicians play some kind of Roma music. We finish at the Gelato shop.