Our Amazing Grecian Odyssey
Jun 12th, 2022 | 04:05 PM
#62
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Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 6,222
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MAY 19, 2022 - OUR BEACH DAY THAT WASN’T
I had allocated today as our beach day at Ag. Georgios Beach. I envisioned us lounging on the sunbeds drinking fancy cocktails and cooling off in the Aegean. However the weather did not cooperate. Temps were in the 60’s and it was very windy. We also decided not to have breakfast on our balcony today. We wanted to try one of the restaurants in the Main Square. We had a delicious breakfast at Soulatski. There were lots of Greek locals here, people who obviously knew each other, and some tourists. A great place for people watching.
We decided to explore more of Naxos Old Town and the marketplace. We found nooks and crannies and alleyways and stores we didn’t see the other day. Bought some more gifts and took lots of photos.
Because it was too cold to swim at Ag. Georgios Beach, we walked over there for drinks and appetizers at one of the beachside cafes, Yialos. Ed had fish soup, and we shared spinach pie and the best stuffed vine leaves I’ve ever had.
For dinner, we went to Elizabeth’s Garden. We had walked by there this morning, and talked with the owner who was outside puttering around. He was very friendly and talked about using only fresh local ingredients, including produce from his gardens, nothing from the grocery store, and convinced us to return that evening for dinner. We liked our red wine and the delicious Greek salad, but we were disappointed in our entrees. My falafel was hard and dry and Ed’s lamb was tough. Oh well, you win some, you lose some, right?
I had allocated today as our beach day at Ag. Georgios Beach. I envisioned us lounging on the sunbeds drinking fancy cocktails and cooling off in the Aegean. However the weather did not cooperate. Temps were in the 60’s and it was very windy. We also decided not to have breakfast on our balcony today. We wanted to try one of the restaurants in the Main Square. We had a delicious breakfast at Soulatski. There were lots of Greek locals here, people who obviously knew each other, and some tourists. A great place for people watching.
We decided to explore more of Naxos Old Town and the marketplace. We found nooks and crannies and alleyways and stores we didn’t see the other day. Bought some more gifts and took lots of photos.
Because it was too cold to swim at Ag. Georgios Beach, we walked over there for drinks and appetizers at one of the beachside cafes, Yialos. Ed had fish soup, and we shared spinach pie and the best stuffed vine leaves I’ve ever had.
For dinner, we went to Elizabeth’s Garden. We had walked by there this morning, and talked with the owner who was outside puttering around. He was very friendly and talked about using only fresh local ingredients, including produce from his gardens, nothing from the grocery store, and convinced us to return that evening for dinner. We liked our red wine and the delicious Greek salad, but we were disappointed in our entrees. My falafel was hard and dry and Ed’s lamb was tough. Oh well, you win some, you lose some, right?
Jun 13th, 2022 | 04:23 PM
#67
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Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 6,222
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MAY 20, 2022 - A TRAVEL DAY - FROM NAXOS TO NAFPLIO
Manos made arrangements for a taxi to pick us up at 9AM for our 10:35AM flight to Athens. So we had pastry and juice in our room for a quick breakfast. The Naxos Airport is either the smallest airport or one of the smallest airports we have flown from. It’s a short flight, took only about 30 minutes, but our plane was late, so we arrived in Athens around noon.
I had reserved a rental car through Kemwel/Auto Europe, whom I have used for years. Maybe I could have gotten a lower price with a local rental agency, but I feel comfortable and confident using Kemwel. It was easy finding the National Car Rental desk at the airport. And then it was a 5-10 minute walk to get our car. Very easy process. By the way, none of our rental cars in Greece had GPS, so we used our phone. Not a problem but I thought it was strange that none of them have GPS.
Two hours after leaving the airport, we arrived in beautiful Nafplio on the Peloponnesus Peninsula. It was actually very crowded and chaotic when we arrived because there were what had to be hundreds of young students all over the city, riding on the tourist trains and the “Cinderella” coaches. We found out from our hotel owner that all Greek children visit Nafplio, the former capital of Greece, at least once in their lifetime. This is their end of May school trip.
We checked into the Omorfi Poli Pension in the pedestrianized neighborhood and in an excellent location. Because we would be in Nafplio for 5 nights, I booked the family room so we would have more space. The room was spacious, with a balcony, and lovely views in either direction. We had breakfast at the pension every morning on their patio. Such a wonderful place for breakfast. Breakfast is 6 euros per person for guests of the pension. It’s a buffet but the staff serve you (I assume because of Covid.) When we checked out of the Omorfi Poli, they did not charge us for breakfast. They told us breakfast was our gift from them!!! How nice and generous! Everyone was so welcoming wherever we went in Greece.
Because we didn’t have lunch, we were very hungry, so we walked down to the marina around 4PM. We stopped at Bounos Psarosavouras on Boumpoulinas Street for appetizers and drinks. We shared a bottle of delicious Retsina wine, and shared mussels saganaki and a huge Greek salad. Everything was delicious! We walked back to the hotel and were exhausted from the long day, and I’m sure from the bottle of wine! We took a nap and slept all night. Didn’t wake up until the next morning!
Manos made arrangements for a taxi to pick us up at 9AM for our 10:35AM flight to Athens. So we had pastry and juice in our room for a quick breakfast. The Naxos Airport is either the smallest airport or one of the smallest airports we have flown from. It’s a short flight, took only about 30 minutes, but our plane was late, so we arrived in Athens around noon.
I had reserved a rental car through Kemwel/Auto Europe, whom I have used for years. Maybe I could have gotten a lower price with a local rental agency, but I feel comfortable and confident using Kemwel. It was easy finding the National Car Rental desk at the airport. And then it was a 5-10 minute walk to get our car. Very easy process. By the way, none of our rental cars in Greece had GPS, so we used our phone. Not a problem but I thought it was strange that none of them have GPS.
Two hours after leaving the airport, we arrived in beautiful Nafplio on the Peloponnesus Peninsula. It was actually very crowded and chaotic when we arrived because there were what had to be hundreds of young students all over the city, riding on the tourist trains and the “Cinderella” coaches. We found out from our hotel owner that all Greek children visit Nafplio, the former capital of Greece, at least once in their lifetime. This is their end of May school trip.
We checked into the Omorfi Poli Pension in the pedestrianized neighborhood and in an excellent location. Because we would be in Nafplio for 5 nights, I booked the family room so we would have more space. The room was spacious, with a balcony, and lovely views in either direction. We had breakfast at the pension every morning on their patio. Such a wonderful place for breakfast. Breakfast is 6 euros per person for guests of the pension. It’s a buffet but the staff serve you (I assume because of Covid.) When we checked out of the Omorfi Poli, they did not charge us for breakfast. They told us breakfast was our gift from them!!! How nice and generous! Everyone was so welcoming wherever we went in Greece.
Because we didn’t have lunch, we were very hungry, so we walked down to the marina around 4PM. We stopped at Bounos Psarosavouras on Boumpoulinas Street for appetizers and drinks. We shared a bottle of delicious Retsina wine, and shared mussels saganaki and a huge Greek salad. Everything was delicious! We walked back to the hotel and were exhausted from the long day, and I’m sure from the bottle of wine! We took a nap and slept all night. Didn’t wake up until the next morning!
Jun 14th, 2022 | 07:04 AM
#70
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 4,259
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Ah ... what joy ... you go from one of my very favorite places to another. Reminds me of first (glorious) Discovery Trip to Greece.. 29 days, on a true shoestring. I was ready to return to mainland from Angela's Rooms on Mykonos (ANgela = American painter, married to a Greek). I said, i have 4 days left, I'll stay in Athens & do daytrips. She said, no, you'll get there & take a KTEL Bus to Nafplio for 3 days & just return at the end. I said "Nafplio? Never heard of it. Why?" She said, take my word for it, you'll thank me. I found a tiny room at top of town, met lovely Brits, explored ancient sites, gazed at sunsets, gloried in architecture, vowed to return. On every visit to Nafplio (6? 7?), I've said aloud, Thank you Angela!
In 1999, my camera was primitive, so my friend "stanbr" kindly lends me his views -
In 1999, my camera was primitive, so my friend "stanbr" kindly lends me his views -
Jun 15th, 2022 | 08:15 AM
#73
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Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 6,222
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MAY 21, 2022 – EXPLORING THE PRETTY AND FLOWER-BEDECKED TOWN OF NAFPLIO
After a filling breakfast at our hotel, we decided to explore Nafplio by following the walking tour of Old Town in my Michelin Green Guide. Nafplio is a very pretty town with beautiful Venetian architecture, narrow lanes, and many restaurants, shops and hotels, and a stunning seaside location. It was the first capital of Greece. And a great base for exploring the numerous nearby ruins, pretty countryside, and seaside villages.
After wandering around Syntagma Square, we walked down Odos Konstandinou, a busy shopping street filled with bougainvillea, and took tons of photos and browsed in shops. I bought myself a great sun hat that I wore almost every day after that. Did I mention that we had beautiful sunny weather almost every day? And the temps got hotter as the month wore on. It was definitely hotter in Nafplio than Naxos and Santorini. So a good hat is a must, along with good walking shoes, water, and sunscreen, especially when you are visiting the ruins.
We visited Agios Georgios and Agios Spiridonas, where the first governor of Greece, John Kapodistrias, was assassinated in 1831. After finishing our explorations of Old Town, we walked down to the waterfront and spent some time there. Stopped at one of the cafes on the “point” for drinks, Greek salad and ice cream.
We were disappointed in our dinner this evening. I forgot to write down the name of the restaurant but it’s located on one of the streets that are parallel to Syntagma Square. Could have been on Odos Konstandinou. My lamb was tough, fatty and poor quality, and Ed’s rabbit stew was tough.
But we compensated with more delicious ice cream! And then we had a wonderful time in Syntagma Square. This was Saturday night and it was like a block party! Many families were here socializing with little children riding their bikes and scooters, playing ball, blowing bubbles, and playing with glow in the dark toys. There was a small band playing music. It was very festive and so much fun!
After a filling breakfast at our hotel, we decided to explore Nafplio by following the walking tour of Old Town in my Michelin Green Guide. Nafplio is a very pretty town with beautiful Venetian architecture, narrow lanes, and many restaurants, shops and hotels, and a stunning seaside location. It was the first capital of Greece. And a great base for exploring the numerous nearby ruins, pretty countryside, and seaside villages.
After wandering around Syntagma Square, we walked down Odos Konstandinou, a busy shopping street filled with bougainvillea, and took tons of photos and browsed in shops. I bought myself a great sun hat that I wore almost every day after that. Did I mention that we had beautiful sunny weather almost every day? And the temps got hotter as the month wore on. It was definitely hotter in Nafplio than Naxos and Santorini. So a good hat is a must, along with good walking shoes, water, and sunscreen, especially when you are visiting the ruins.
We visited Agios Georgios and Agios Spiridonas, where the first governor of Greece, John Kapodistrias, was assassinated in 1831. After finishing our explorations of Old Town, we walked down to the waterfront and spent some time there. Stopped at one of the cafes on the “point” for drinks, Greek salad and ice cream.
We were disappointed in our dinner this evening. I forgot to write down the name of the restaurant but it’s located on one of the streets that are parallel to Syntagma Square. Could have been on Odos Konstandinou. My lamb was tough, fatty and poor quality, and Ed’s rabbit stew was tough.
But we compensated with more delicious ice cream! And then we had a wonderful time in Syntagma Square. This was Saturday night and it was like a block party! Many families were here socializing with little children riding their bikes and scooters, playing ball, blowing bubbles, and playing with glow in the dark toys. There was a small band playing music. It was very festive and so much fun!
Jun 15th, 2022 | 11:04 AM
#78
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Joined: Mar 2003
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MAY 22, 2022 – MAGNIFICENT MISTRAS!!!
Today we drove to Mistras, about a one hour and 45 minute drive from Nafplio. Mistras is absolutely worth the drive! It is my favorite of all the ruins we visited. Just spectacular! Mistras is Byzantine ruins spread across a mountainside. It consists of two levels: Upper Town and Lower Town. There are castle, church, and palace ruins and remains of houses. The Upper Town is smaller and consists primarily of the castle, Agia Sofia, a small palace and another church. The Lower Town (the village) is much larger with more churches, monasteries, palace ruins, homes, etc. The setting on the mountainside is spectacular! Many of the buildings are just remains and unrestored. Some buildings are more intact, and some are in the process of being restored.
We drove to the car park at the Upper Town. We first visited the castle ruins which are at the very top. The path is steep and winding. There are places where the path is quite rough with loose rocks. It was also very hot. I wore my very sturdy Brooks Adrenaline sneakers but there were times when I wish I had my hiking boots! But the views from the top are worth the hike up there! There is very little left of the castle but I love these types of ruins. You have to use your imagination.
From the castle, we made our way down to Agia Sofia. On the way down, we talked to a family who were starting their hike up to the castle. The mom wore a lovely white dress, a blue hat, nice jewelry, and dressy sandals!!!
Agia Sofia served as the palace church and burial ground for several emperors’ wives. There are frescoes inside and ancient wall paintings, and the remains of the refectory outside. As we were leaving Agia Sofia, we met the same family again, the mom dressed in her Sunday best, and she told us she made it to the top of the castle! Amazing! I don’t know how she did it. She must be nimble like a goat!!
From here, we drove to the parking lot at the Lower Town. My husband thinks it would be more of the same and he decided to sit in the shade while I explored Lower Town. I think he was hot and tired from that strenuous climb to the castle. Lower Town is more impressive, in my opinion, than Upper Town. I spent about 45 minutes on my own wandering around, and I regret that I couldn’t convince him to come with me and spend more time here. If we ever return to the Pelopponese, I definitely want to re-visit Mistras. The Lower Town is shadier and much easier walking. The Cathedral of Agios Dimitrios is just breathtaking with a lovely courtyard with beautiful flowers, an arcaded court, and more ancient wall paintings inside. This is one of the earlier churches at Mistras.
From here I visited the church of Odigitria, part of the Brontocheion Monastery. The interior is decorated with ancient murals. We stayed at Mistras about 3.5 hours but could have used more time.
After we returned to Nafplio, we had drinks at Napoli and Romania Caf, located at the “point” to watch the sunset. This sunset was spectacular! The most impressive sunset we saw in Greece!
After sunset, we had dinner at Aiolos, recommended by Travelerjan and Santorini Dave. It’s in a great location near our hotel. This is one of the best meals of our trip. We shared grilled vegetables for an appetizer, and Ed had grilled garlic shrimp and I had oven-baked lamb. Delicious! A perfect way to end a perfect day!
Today we drove to Mistras, about a one hour and 45 minute drive from Nafplio. Mistras is absolutely worth the drive! It is my favorite of all the ruins we visited. Just spectacular! Mistras is Byzantine ruins spread across a mountainside. It consists of two levels: Upper Town and Lower Town. There are castle, church, and palace ruins and remains of houses. The Upper Town is smaller and consists primarily of the castle, Agia Sofia, a small palace and another church. The Lower Town (the village) is much larger with more churches, monasteries, palace ruins, homes, etc. The setting on the mountainside is spectacular! Many of the buildings are just remains and unrestored. Some buildings are more intact, and some are in the process of being restored.
We drove to the car park at the Upper Town. We first visited the castle ruins which are at the very top. The path is steep and winding. There are places where the path is quite rough with loose rocks. It was also very hot. I wore my very sturdy Brooks Adrenaline sneakers but there were times when I wish I had my hiking boots! But the views from the top are worth the hike up there! There is very little left of the castle but I love these types of ruins. You have to use your imagination.
From the castle, we made our way down to Agia Sofia. On the way down, we talked to a family who were starting their hike up to the castle. The mom wore a lovely white dress, a blue hat, nice jewelry, and dressy sandals!!!
Agia Sofia served as the palace church and burial ground for several emperors’ wives. There are frescoes inside and ancient wall paintings, and the remains of the refectory outside. As we were leaving Agia Sofia, we met the same family again, the mom dressed in her Sunday best, and she told us she made it to the top of the castle! Amazing! I don’t know how she did it. She must be nimble like a goat!!
From here, we drove to the parking lot at the Lower Town. My husband thinks it would be more of the same and he decided to sit in the shade while I explored Lower Town. I think he was hot and tired from that strenuous climb to the castle. Lower Town is more impressive, in my opinion, than Upper Town. I spent about 45 minutes on my own wandering around, and I regret that I couldn’t convince him to come with me and spend more time here. If we ever return to the Pelopponese, I definitely want to re-visit Mistras. The Lower Town is shadier and much easier walking. The Cathedral of Agios Dimitrios is just breathtaking with a lovely courtyard with beautiful flowers, an arcaded court, and more ancient wall paintings inside. This is one of the earlier churches at Mistras.
From here I visited the church of Odigitria, part of the Brontocheion Monastery. The interior is decorated with ancient murals. We stayed at Mistras about 3.5 hours but could have used more time.
After we returned to Nafplio, we had drinks at Napoli and Romania Caf, located at the “point” to watch the sunset. This sunset was spectacular! The most impressive sunset we saw in Greece!
After sunset, we had dinner at Aiolos, recommended by Travelerjan and Santorini Dave. It’s in a great location near our hotel. This is one of the best meals of our trip. We shared grilled vegetables for an appetizer, and Ed had grilled garlic shrimp and I had oven-baked lamb. Delicious! A perfect way to end a perfect day!
