Last Thursday, we set out on a 3-day road trip through the Peloponnese, the beautiful peninsula south of the Greek mainland home to Mount Olympus and some of the world’s best olive oil producers. After a 6-hour drive down the western side of Greece, we arrived in Mystras, a fortified Byzantine, then Ottoman city founded in the 1200s. The ruins are spectacularly situated on a steep hill overlooking a Laconian Valley, just a few miles from ancient Sparta. The town was designed with security in mind because of the many prospective invaders from other parts of the Mediterranean. As usual, dinner was at a local tavern, where we had chargrilled chicken souvlaki, Greek salad, and bread. The next day, we visited Mycenae, home to a society that flourished from about 1600 BC to about 1100 BC. The Mycenaeans had diversified crafts and traded extensively with civilizations across the Mediterranean; some goods reached as far as modern-day Britain and Scandinavia. In Greek mythology, it was the Mycenaen king Agamemnon who launched the siege on Troy to recover Helen, his sister-in-law. We drove to Nafplio, a town taken by French crusaders in 1212, and then ruled by the Franks, Venetians, and Turks until Greek independence in 1821, when it served as the capital for 13 years. Throughout the town, there are remnants from the European and Ottoman worlds, such as bright churches, Arabic-inscribed fountains, and medieval streets shaded by bright flowers. The Palamidi fortress, protecting the town from above, was built by the Venetians in the late 17th century. We enjoyed panoramic views of the sunset from our terrace at the Chroma Hotel, then had dinner in the street at Aiolos Tavern. The next day, we took a trip to the Epidaurus Theater, a 2,400-year-old outdoor venue with fantastic acoustics and seating for up to 14,000 spectators. From the top row of benches, we could easily hear tourists testing out the natural amplification from the theater below. We returned to Nafplio to check out the small, pebbly beach, then climbed the steps up to the Palimidi fortress, rewarding ourselves after with some wine and snacks on the balcony. On the way to the Athens airport, we visited ancient Corinth, another incredible site that was eventually incorporated into the Roman empire. We flew to Rhodes, just off the coast of Turkey, where we are spending three nights in the well-preserved medieval old town. We had a large, cheap, and delicious dinner of chicken gyros and grilled halloumi at Hermes Grill House. The friendly owner gave us ouzo and fresh watermelon on the house.
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September 2018
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