Our Amazing Grecian Odyssey
Jun 16th, 2022, 12:51 PM
#101
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2014
Posts: 4,424
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Travelerjan, in my post #91 I explain what we did the day we visited Epidaurus. We did not visit it to or from Nafplio. We visited Epidaurus when we were staying in Nafplio. When we left Epidaurus, we drove down the Argolis Peninsula to Porto Heli and Ermioni.
And we did miss the Corinth Canal on our way to Nafplio!
But we did see it on our way back to the Athens Airport to return our rental car, and then continued on to Athens.
And we did miss the Corinth Canal on our way to Nafplio!
But we did see it on our way back to the Athens Airport to return our rental car, and then continued on to Athens.
Jun 16th, 2022, 05:09 PM
#102
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2014
Posts: 4,424
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
MAY 24, 2022 – PALAMIDI FORTRESS, RELAXING ON ARVANITA BEACH AND A FABULOUS DINNER
This morning we drove to the top of the Palamidi Fortress in Nafplio. Notice I said we drove there; we did not climb the 999 steps!!! I would have collapsed after a couple hundred steps. 😊
The fortress is on a very high hill with spectacular views of Nafplio and the Argolic Gulf. It was built by the Venetians in the 1700’s. According to my guidebook, it is regarded as a masterpiece of military architecture even though it was successfully stormed in one night by Greek troops in 1822, causing the Turkish garrison within to surrender without a fight. There are remains of bastions. One of the bastions was used as a prison for condemned prisoners.
I wore my sturdy SAS sandals, but I found the walking difficult at times and wished I had worn my sneakers. There is also a rampart walk around the castle but we didn’t do that because the steps down to get there seemed treacherous to me. Maybe not, in reality, but I was getting tired from all the walking and the heat and the sun. I would have felt more sure-footed if I was wearing my sneakers.
We enjoyed the fort and were glad we saw it. I would like to reiterate again to make sure you have good walking shoes/sneakers, a hat, sunscreen, and water when you are visiting ruins.
We drove back to the parking lot by the marina that we have been using since we arrived. I should mention that we usually parked in the smaller lot closer to our hotel. It was usually quite full but there were at least 1 or 2 available parking spaces every time. Once we had to park in the larger lot further away from us.
We then walked to Arvanita Beach where we spent 3 hours lounging on the sunbeds and cooling off in the Aegean. It was so pretty and very relaxing. We intended to have lunch here but because it was early in the season the café and bar was only serving drinks, ice cream and some snacks, like chips, I think. So we had a very unhealthy lunch: beer and ice cream! 😊
We met Yestravel and Gottravel for dinner tonight! They are the first Fodorites we have met! We had so much fun sharing travel stories and talking about our families. We had dinner at Bounos Psarosavouras. That’s the restaurant we ate at the first day we arrived in Nafplio. The food is delicious! Because we were busy talking, I didn’t write down what we had for meals. I know I had fish, maybe sea bass. We shared stuffed peppers and stuffed tomatoes for appetizers. What a wonderful way to end another perfect day in Greece!
This morning we drove to the top of the Palamidi Fortress in Nafplio. Notice I said we drove there; we did not climb the 999 steps!!! I would have collapsed after a couple hundred steps. 😊
The fortress is on a very high hill with spectacular views of Nafplio and the Argolic Gulf. It was built by the Venetians in the 1700’s. According to my guidebook, it is regarded as a masterpiece of military architecture even though it was successfully stormed in one night by Greek troops in 1822, causing the Turkish garrison within to surrender without a fight. There are remains of bastions. One of the bastions was used as a prison for condemned prisoners.
I wore my sturdy SAS sandals, but I found the walking difficult at times and wished I had worn my sneakers. There is also a rampart walk around the castle but we didn’t do that because the steps down to get there seemed treacherous to me. Maybe not, in reality, but I was getting tired from all the walking and the heat and the sun. I would have felt more sure-footed if I was wearing my sneakers.
We enjoyed the fort and were glad we saw it. I would like to reiterate again to make sure you have good walking shoes/sneakers, a hat, sunscreen, and water when you are visiting ruins.
We drove back to the parking lot by the marina that we have been using since we arrived. I should mention that we usually parked in the smaller lot closer to our hotel. It was usually quite full but there were at least 1 or 2 available parking spaces every time. Once we had to park in the larger lot further away from us.
We then walked to Arvanita Beach where we spent 3 hours lounging on the sunbeds and cooling off in the Aegean. It was so pretty and very relaxing. We intended to have lunch here but because it was early in the season the café and bar was only serving drinks, ice cream and some snacks, like chips, I think. So we had a very unhealthy lunch: beer and ice cream! 😊
We met Yestravel and Gottravel for dinner tonight! They are the first Fodorites we have met! We had so much fun sharing travel stories and talking about our families. We had dinner at Bounos Psarosavouras. That’s the restaurant we ate at the first day we arrived in Nafplio. The food is delicious! Because we were busy talking, I didn’t write down what we had for meals. I know I had fish, maybe sea bass. We shared stuffed peppers and stuffed tomatoes for appetizers. What a wonderful way to end another perfect day in Greece!
Jun 16th, 2022, 05:18 PM
#103
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2014
Posts: 4,424
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Palamidi Fortress in Nafplio
Palamidi Fortress
Rocky terrain
Part of the prison for "lifers"
View from the top of the fortress
Palamidi Fortress
View into a prison cell
Close-up view of prison cell
Prison at Palamidi Fortress
Jun 17th, 2022, 05:18 AM
#105
Indeed! It was such fun to meet up with you. We really enjoyed chatting and getting to know you. Hope we were the 1st of many GTG to come. I'm sorry we skipped seeing that beach.
Last edited by yestravel; Jun 17th, 2022 at 06:02 AM.
Jun 17th, 2022, 07:19 AM
#107
Join Date: Jan 2006
Posts: 4,205
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Wow! Arvanita has become even more "organized" in past couple of years! ... I can remember having to spread a beach towel and lie on the flat concrete platform, not too many years back! All to the good ...
Jun 17th, 2022, 03:12 PM
#109
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2014
Posts: 4,424
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Thank you everyone for your comments!
Travelerjan, that's very interesting that Arvanita Beach didn't have the sunbeds, etc. when you were there. I imagine laying on the concrete platform could not have been very comfortable!
Travelerjan, that's very interesting that Arvanita Beach didn't have the sunbeds, etc. when you were there. I imagine laying on the concrete platform could not have been very comfortable!
Jun 18th, 2022, 07:35 AM
#110
Join Date: Jan 2006
Posts: 4,205
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
That was earlier... on 2 recent visits (2015 & 2019) there were chairs & sunbrellas (tho not as many) and cafe service. Between 2005 - 2012, there were "ups and downs" at Arvanita, AND elsewhere. Nafplio city govt was having quarrels with concessionaires, and so services would come/go... many years the cafe was totally shut, and several years, no WC & changing-booths were unusable. One year, the "peak Park" atop the Peninsula on the point was not maintained because of fight w. cleaning company. I think the increased tourism has inspired better service all around. One thing never seems to improve - tourist information services in town (because that's a GOvt office ... no-show jobs for party hacks).
Jun 18th, 2022, 10:05 AM
#111
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2014
Posts: 4,424
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
MAY 25, 2022 – FROM MYCENAE TO ATHENS
After checking out of our hotel, we drove to the ancient site of Mycenae. It’s about a 30-minute drive from Nafplion. Mycenae is located on a hilltop, aren’t they all??? It is the home of legendary Agamemnon. I had just finished reading The Song of Achilles, and knew I had to visit ancient Mycenae.
You enter the citadel of Mycenae through the Lion Gate. The lion motif is believed to be the insignia of the Royal House of Atreus. To the right is Grave Circle A, which is the royal cemetery that contained six grave shafts. Five of these grave shafts were excavated by Heinrich Schliemann, who discovered Mycenae in the 1870’s. He found the gold Death Mask of Agamemnon which is now in the National Archaeological Museum in Athens.
As you walk uphill, there are remains of buildings; some might have been churches. And the remains of a palace. There is a lot of walking, and it was hot when we were there. No shade. So after walking around, we took refuge in the air-conditioned museum, which is very interesting.
After leaving Mycenae, we drove back to Athens Airport to return our rental car. We took a taxi into Athens to our hotel, Airotel Parthenon. The taxi ride was about 44 euros. Worth it to us. We don’t like using public transportation when we have luggage with us! 😊
So, now this is the sad part of our trip. I am only going to give a brief summary of Athens. When we checked into our hotel room, I got a message from my mom’s caregiver agency to call them ASAP. I knew right away it was bad news. My mom passed away that morning in her home. The caregiver who came to make her breakfast found her. I called my mom’s house to talk to the caregiver, who was crying uncontrollably, and to talk to the police. I am heartbroken. I really expected her to be around a few more years. She would have been 92 this month and was doing quite well, all things considered. Now the dilemma was “do we try to return home early?” We only had a few more days left. The police and funeral director thought we should stay as we would get home only a day or two early. And I know that trying to change our airline reservations and getting a Covid test sooner would be stressful for me. So we decided to fly home as planned on the 29th. But I basically threw our Athens sightseeing plans out the window. And writing this report has been a good distraction for me.
HOTEL:
The Airotel Parthenon is in an excellent location. It’s right around the corner from the Plaka, and about 5-10 minutes from the Acropolis. There are tons of restaurants nearby. Our room was small but clean. My only complaint is that the included breakfast buffet is mediocre.
SIGHTSEEING:
I had purchased tickets for a guided tour of the Acropolis and Parthenon in advance from Athens Walks, so we decided to still do that. I recommend Athens Walks. Their office is about a 5-minute walk from our hotel, so very convenient. There were 10 people on our tour. Our guide, Anna, is very knowledgeable and warm and friendly. The Acropolis and Parthenon are amazing. I love the Erectheion with the Caryatids (reproductions). And it is a beautiful sight at night when illuminated. But it was hot, sunny, and very crowded with large tour groups when we were there. We needed frozen lemonade at the end of the tour.
We also visited the Acropolis Museum, which I highly recommend. The original Caryatids are in this museum. That was a highlight for me. I was disappointed the museum doesn’t rent audioguides. We did see lots of people with tour guides, either private tours or larger tours. This seems to be very common in the museum.
Then we just did a lot of walking around. We explored the Monastiraki neighborhood, the Athens Flea Market and the Athens Central Market. The flea market surprisingly was much less crowded than the Plaka/Acropolis area. It was also shady, and we enjoyed browsing and shopping for our grandchildren. So a good place for a respite from the heat and crowds. The Central Market is fascinating with its fish market and meat market. I had seen a video by Mark Felice from Eurotrotters who leads small tour groups. He highly recommended the Central Market but warned you have to wear closed shoes while in the fish market. And he is right!!! The fish were laid out on ice but of course the ice is melting, and the vendors would also hose down their fish. So the floor is covered in fishy water. No way I would want that on my feet! There are several restaurants in the Central Market, and we had a delicious lunch of fresh fish, mussels saganaki, and calamari at one of the restaurants.
We also walked through Hadrian’s Arch, through a lovely park, and saw the Changing of the Guard at the Parliament building. We walked to everything from our hotel, so it really is in a good location.
RESTAURANTS:
The only two restaurants that I remember are The Old Tavern of Psarras (recommended by Santorinidave) and Geros Tou Moria (recommended by Santorinidave and Mark Felice) both located in the Plaka neighborhood. We had good food at both. No complaints.
We also stopped a lot for ice cream or gelato. It was so hot that we needed our ice cream fix. I found lemon gelato to be very refreshing.
Returning home:
We flew home on a Sunday, and there happened to be a bike marathon that day in Athens. Apparently, they are held about once a month on a Sunday. This means the streets are closed off by 9AM. Our hotel called a taxi for us, which picked us up at 8:15AM even though our flight didn’t leave until 2PM. The Athens Airport was a nightmare. Not sure if it is always like this or because of the bike race. Obviously, there were tons of other tourists who had to leave Athens early to get to the airport. So everybody was there at the same time, regardless of what time their flights departed. The only other way out of Athens was by metro. So try to avoid leaving Athens on bike marathon day!
Thank you to everyone who has been following along. Writing my report and posting photos was a good distraction for me.
After checking out of our hotel, we drove to the ancient site of Mycenae. It’s about a 30-minute drive from Nafplion. Mycenae is located on a hilltop, aren’t they all??? It is the home of legendary Agamemnon. I had just finished reading The Song of Achilles, and knew I had to visit ancient Mycenae.
You enter the citadel of Mycenae through the Lion Gate. The lion motif is believed to be the insignia of the Royal House of Atreus. To the right is Grave Circle A, which is the royal cemetery that contained six grave shafts. Five of these grave shafts were excavated by Heinrich Schliemann, who discovered Mycenae in the 1870’s. He found the gold Death Mask of Agamemnon which is now in the National Archaeological Museum in Athens.
As you walk uphill, there are remains of buildings; some might have been churches. And the remains of a palace. There is a lot of walking, and it was hot when we were there. No shade. So after walking around, we took refuge in the air-conditioned museum, which is very interesting.
After leaving Mycenae, we drove back to Athens Airport to return our rental car. We took a taxi into Athens to our hotel, Airotel Parthenon. The taxi ride was about 44 euros. Worth it to us. We don’t like using public transportation when we have luggage with us! 😊
So, now this is the sad part of our trip. I am only going to give a brief summary of Athens. When we checked into our hotel room, I got a message from my mom’s caregiver agency to call them ASAP. I knew right away it was bad news. My mom passed away that morning in her home. The caregiver who came to make her breakfast found her. I called my mom’s house to talk to the caregiver, who was crying uncontrollably, and to talk to the police. I am heartbroken. I really expected her to be around a few more years. She would have been 92 this month and was doing quite well, all things considered. Now the dilemma was “do we try to return home early?” We only had a few more days left. The police and funeral director thought we should stay as we would get home only a day or two early. And I know that trying to change our airline reservations and getting a Covid test sooner would be stressful for me. So we decided to fly home as planned on the 29th. But I basically threw our Athens sightseeing plans out the window. And writing this report has been a good distraction for me.
HOTEL:
The Airotel Parthenon is in an excellent location. It’s right around the corner from the Plaka, and about 5-10 minutes from the Acropolis. There are tons of restaurants nearby. Our room was small but clean. My only complaint is that the included breakfast buffet is mediocre.
SIGHTSEEING:
I had purchased tickets for a guided tour of the Acropolis and Parthenon in advance from Athens Walks, so we decided to still do that. I recommend Athens Walks. Their office is about a 5-minute walk from our hotel, so very convenient. There were 10 people on our tour. Our guide, Anna, is very knowledgeable and warm and friendly. The Acropolis and Parthenon are amazing. I love the Erectheion with the Caryatids (reproductions). And it is a beautiful sight at night when illuminated. But it was hot, sunny, and very crowded with large tour groups when we were there. We needed frozen lemonade at the end of the tour.
We also visited the Acropolis Museum, which I highly recommend. The original Caryatids are in this museum. That was a highlight for me. I was disappointed the museum doesn’t rent audioguides. We did see lots of people with tour guides, either private tours or larger tours. This seems to be very common in the museum.
Then we just did a lot of walking around. We explored the Monastiraki neighborhood, the Athens Flea Market and the Athens Central Market. The flea market surprisingly was much less crowded than the Plaka/Acropolis area. It was also shady, and we enjoyed browsing and shopping for our grandchildren. So a good place for a respite from the heat and crowds. The Central Market is fascinating with its fish market and meat market. I had seen a video by Mark Felice from Eurotrotters who leads small tour groups. He highly recommended the Central Market but warned you have to wear closed shoes while in the fish market. And he is right!!! The fish were laid out on ice but of course the ice is melting, and the vendors would also hose down their fish. So the floor is covered in fishy water. No way I would want that on my feet! There are several restaurants in the Central Market, and we had a delicious lunch of fresh fish, mussels saganaki, and calamari at one of the restaurants.
We also walked through Hadrian’s Arch, through a lovely park, and saw the Changing of the Guard at the Parliament building. We walked to everything from our hotel, so it really is in a good location.
RESTAURANTS:
The only two restaurants that I remember are The Old Tavern of Psarras (recommended by Santorinidave) and Geros Tou Moria (recommended by Santorinidave and Mark Felice) both located in the Plaka neighborhood. We had good food at both. No complaints.
We also stopped a lot for ice cream or gelato. It was so hot that we needed our ice cream fix. I found lemon gelato to be very refreshing.
Returning home:
We flew home on a Sunday, and there happened to be a bike marathon that day in Athens. Apparently, they are held about once a month on a Sunday. This means the streets are closed off by 9AM. Our hotel called a taxi for us, which picked us up at 8:15AM even though our flight didn’t leave until 2PM. The Athens Airport was a nightmare. Not sure if it is always like this or because of the bike race. Obviously, there were tons of other tourists who had to leave Athens early to get to the airport. So everybody was there at the same time, regardless of what time their flights departed. The only other way out of Athens was by metro. So try to avoid leaving Athens on bike marathon day!
Thank you to everyone who has been following along. Writing my report and posting photos was a good distraction for me.
Jun 18th, 2022, 10:22 AM
#113
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2014
Posts: 4,424
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
This gives you an idea of how crowded the Acropolis was. Sometimes there were logjams of people, and you had to wait for an entire tour group to pass you by.
The Parthenon
Acropolis Museum
Acropolis Museum
The original Caryatids
Another view of the Parthenon
Reproduction of the Caryatids
Caryatids on the Erechtheion
Changing of the Guard Ceremony
Athens Fish Market
Athens Fish Market - be careful of the fishy water on the floor!
A vast array of fish, octopus and squid to choose from!
Butcher at the Athens Meat Market
Athens Meat Market
You can buy anything at the Athens Flea Market
Athens Flea Market
Hadrian's Arch
Athens Park
Lovely park in Athens
Beautiful flowering trees
Jun 18th, 2022, 10:26 AM
#114
Oh, Karen,
I’m so, so sorry to read about your mother! It’s so hard to enjoy a trip after receiving that kind of news. It sounds like you did have as good a trip as possible, though, and it made sense that you didn’t go home 1-2 days earlier.
Your photos are beautiful! I love it all! The beach looks fun and so cool after gallivanting around the ruins. And so many wonderful sites! And you really had amazing weather!
I hope you and your family are doing okay. My condolences for your loss.
I’m so, so sorry to read about your mother! It’s so hard to enjoy a trip after receiving that kind of news. It sounds like you did have as good a trip as possible, though, and it made sense that you didn’t go home 1-2 days earlier.
Your photos are beautiful! I love it all! The beach looks fun and so cool after gallivanting around the ruins. And so many wonderful sites! And you really had amazing weather!
I hope you and your family are doing okay. My condolences for your loss.
Jun 18th, 2022, 10:31 AM
#115
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2014
Posts: 4,424
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Progol, thank you for your condolences. I really appreciate it.
And, yes, we did have awesome weather throughout our entire trip. We had that cool and windy day on Naxos when we couldn't go to the beach but it didn't stop us from doing other things. We really lucked out weather-wise.
And, yes, we did have awesome weather throughout our entire trip. We had that cool and windy day on Naxos when we couldn't go to the beach but it didn't stop us from doing other things. We really lucked out weather-wise.
Jun 18th, 2022, 11:23 AM
#116
Join Date: Apr 2010
Posts: 1,528
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Oh no Karen, am so sorry to hear about your mother, my condolences to you and yours. Remember the happy times with your mom and rejoice in them, may she RIP.
Thanks again for your TR and your fabulous pictures. When and where is your next trip, look forward to reading about it. Take care 😊
Thanks again for your TR and your fabulous pictures. When and where is your next trip, look forward to reading about it. Take care 😊
Jun 18th, 2022, 01:31 PM
#117
Join Date: Jan 2006
Posts: 4,205
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
My condolences to you, dear Karen and keep remembering that there was NO way you could have known... and it must have just been time. You were able to come back in timely fashion and do the needful, as a good daughter. I am glad y ou've done this trip report because as you have said, it has made you look back and relive the moments of delight, without an overlay of regret. The wonderful detail you supplied will enable you to go back to this narrative and recall good memories again and again. I say this from experience. God bless.
Jun 18th, 2022, 01:35 PM
#118
Your TR was wonderful -- After hearing some of the highlights when we had dinner together, it was nice to put it all together & see your great photos. So we were in Athens about a month apart--I am gobsmacked by all the crowds when you were there. Another advantage of the Peloponnese is way less crowds everywhere! Sad way to end your trip, so sorry.
I hope our paths cross again somewhere, What's up next for you all?
I hope our paths cross again somewhere, What's up next for you all?
Jun 18th, 2022, 06:34 PM
#119
Join Date: Apr 2007
Posts: 427
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I'm so sorry for your loss, that does certainly mar the end of the your trip, but I'm glad you've been able to have a positive experience writing about it.
I'm having a similar experience re-living the best parts of my trip while writing my trip report instead of thinking about how everything got thrown out the window when I contracted covid. Like you, I'm lucky in that it happened near the end of the trip.
What are your final thoughts on your itinerary? Is there anything you would change? I'm especially interested in what you thought of Santorini. It's such a "must do" for so many people, but those with experience in Greece often advise skipping it.
I'm having a similar experience re-living the best parts of my trip while writing my trip report instead of thinking about how everything got thrown out the window when I contracted covid. Like you, I'm lucky in that it happened near the end of the trip.
What are your final thoughts on your itinerary? Is there anything you would change? I'm especially interested in what you thought of Santorini. It's such a "must do" for so many people, but those with experience in Greece often advise skipping it.
Jun 18th, 2022, 06:57 PM
#120
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2014
Posts: 4,424
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Memejs, we loved Santorini and I would advise people to go there at least once in their lifetime. The views are spectacular, and I strongly recommend renting a car for the day and seeing the rest of the island. It may not be the authentic Greek experience, but I think Santorini is well worth seeing for its uniqueness and beauty. With that said, our 2 favorite places are Naxos and Nafplion.
There is nothing I would change in our itinerary. It was perfect for us. I definitely recommend visiting Greece before the weather gets too hot. Santorini and Naxos had comfortable temperatures. But it was definitely getting hotter in Nafplion and Athens as the month wore on. It was already in the low 90’s in Athens, and I think in the Nafplio region, too.
There is nothing I would change in our itinerary. It was perfect for us. I definitely recommend visiting Greece before the weather gets too hot. Santorini and Naxos had comfortable temperatures. But it was definitely getting hotter in Nafplion and Athens as the month wore on. It was already in the low 90’s in Athens, and I think in the Nafplio region, too.
