Peloponnese & Mainland Greece

 Day #1

This morning we boarded the Gate 1 tour bus to leave Athens heading toward the Peloponnese Peninsula. Our first stop to stretch our legs was at the Corinth Canal which is a manmade canal that connects the Ionian Sea to the Aegean Sea. It was completed in 1893, but never realized the expected amount of boat traffic due to its narrow size (80 feet wide) which makes it impassable for many modern-day ships.

Next we stopped and toured the Citadel of Mycenae which is a Bronze Age fortified city. It was a major center of Mycenaean Civilization from around 1600 to 1100 BC.

The Lion's Gate at the Citadel of Mycenae

After the Citadel of Mycenae, we made a quick stop just down the road to walk through the Treasuries of Atreus (also known as the Tomb of Agamemnon). Then drove on to the scenic town of Nafplio where we had a short walking tour with Katerina before having free time on our own for lunch and to explore. We had typical Greek cuisine in an outdoor cafe in the center of the main town square and then walked out on the jetty to get a closer look at the Bourtzi Castle, a Venetian castle built in 1473, that sits out in the middle of the harbor of Nafplio.

Nafplio

Katerina telling us all about the history of the city of Nafplio.

On the jetty with the Bourtzi Castle behind me.

The Bourtzi Castle

Back on the bus, we drove a few more hours before stopping for an olive oil tasting. Then it was on to our hotel near Olympia - The Amalia Olympic Hotel.

Day #2

In the morning, Katerina took us on a walking tour of the Archaeological Site of Olympia where many of the remains exist of the sporting event structures erected for the Olympic Games which were held in Olympia every four years beginning in 776 BC. Jim and I had a chance to race each other on the track of the original Olympic Stadium.

Katerina, teaching us about Ancient Olympia.

The entrance to the Olympic Stadium

After the tour of the Olympic site, we spent some time in the Olympic Museum. Then we went to a nearby venue where we joined another Gate 1 tour group for Greek cooking and dance demonstrations, followed by a delicious lunch.

I volunteered to be the right hand for a lady on our tour who had a brace on her arm.

The Greek dance demonstration

Some of our fellow Gate 1 travelers

 Once lunch was over, we had a few hours to drive on the bus to get to our next hotel. But part way through the drive, we had a leg stretch stop in the cute town of Nafpatkos.

Jim is standing by the picturesque Venetian port in Nafpaktos.

Back on the bus, we gained elevation as we made our way to our hotel for the night - The Domotel Anemolia Mountain Resort.

Day #3

We started the day by touring the Delphi Archaeological Museum before proceeding to the Delphi Archaeological Site. We learned all about the ancient religious sanctuary dedicated to the Greek God Apollo that was home to the Oracle of Delphi. This oracle was known throughout the ancient world for predicting future events.

In the Delphi Museum

The Temple of Apollo

Jim standing in front of the Ancient Stadium of Delphi

The Temple of Athena Pronaia

Once our visit to Delphi was finished, we drove to the beachfront town of Itea for our lunch.

Then it was back on the bus for a few hours' drive to the Grand Hotel Meteora.

The front of The Grand Meteora Hotel

The view from our hotel.

Looking out from our hotel balcony.

Day #4

Our first stop of the day was in Meteora which is a series of rock formations on which 24 Eastern Orthodox monasteries were built between the 13th and 14th centuries. Today, only 6 monasteries remain, and we were able to tour the 2nd largest one - The Monastery of Varlaam. The grounds of this monastery were beautiful as were the views. It was hard to imagine how this structure was built and maintained back when the only way to access the mountaintop spire was with the use of ropes, ladders, nets, and pulleys.

Our next stop in Meteora was at the Monastery of St. Stephan.

We had lunch on our own in the town of Kalambaka at the base of Meteora before starting the long drive back to Athens where we once again stayed at the Hotel Zafolia.