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progol Aug 18th, 2024 06:16 AM

Palamidi Fortress
Palimidi fortress, seen from every corner of the town, sits on top of the large hill overlooking Nafplio. From the top, there are great views of the sea and mountains. There are many (many!) steps up to the top of the castle - somewhere between 850 and 1000 steps - but we did not walk up! No way can we do that (though I did it when I was an energetic 22 year old!).Fortunately, we're able to drive to the top via a road that loops around the castle.

Today is the Orthodox Good Friday, so hours were restricted. We, along with others, sat and waited till noon to be let in. Happily, the doors opened right on time. And what a place! Fantastic views, amazing remains of structures. Many times, we had to scramble up and amongst the rocks. This isn’t a place that is easy to explore if one has any physical disabilities, though there is a path near the entrance to enjoy the overviews.

A description of the fortress (copied from the website Greeka dot com):
Palamidi Fortress in Nafplion: The fortress of Palamidi is a true architectural masterpiece. This fort was built during the Venetian occupation in the early 19th century and consists of eight bastions, each was self-contained, ensuring that if one bastion was breached the others could still be separately defended. The bastions were built one on top of the other and they all connected with one wall. The Venetians named the bastions by ancient Greek names, such as Leonidas, Miltiades, Achilles, Themistocles, to give emphasis on the strength of the castle.”

Then we drove to a nearby beach though it was very windy and, since it was Good Friday, the beach restaurant was closed.

We had a great time exploring and enjoying the views!

progol Aug 18th, 2024 06:23 AM

Palamidi Fortress

https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...281525f1ff.jpg
View over Nafplio from the entrance to the fortress

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We were all waiting for the fortress to open!

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Nearby beach - very windy!

progol Aug 18th, 2024 07:39 AM

Tour of Arvinitia
There is a wonderful coastal walk, called the Tour of Arvinitia, which is about 1 km long and goes around the end of the peninsula which Nafplio sits on. Overlooking the Argolic Bay, it starts at the end of the port and goes as far the beach by the same name. Wonderful views along the way. This is the first of 2 walks we took along this stretch. This was in the late afternoon, and the light just sparkled on the water and dappled through the trees.

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Starting out

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Glorious views at every turn

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This is Cat Heaven

https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...a7603951d3.jpg
School of Funny Walks?

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francebound Aug 18th, 2024 08:09 AM

Beautiful photos, love the archway on your walk with the beautiful blues of the sea. And the cat with neatly tucked paws.

studenttobe Aug 19th, 2024 05:48 AM

Thanks for the info & tips, Progol. And the new photos and prose are inspiring. Thanks!

shelemm Aug 19th, 2024 06:08 AM

So many different shades of blue in the same photo. Breathtaking. And before that the bronze hue of the stonework of Palimidi with the backdrop of blue. I think I've gone to heaven.

progol Aug 19th, 2024 07:07 AM

francebuound, studenttobe, and shelemm, thank you for still following! I'm trying very hard to stay on top of this TR while life (and more trip planning!) goes on!

francebuound, Greece is Cat Heaven for sure!

studenttobe, hope that the tips help at some point!

shelemm, the blues were the bluesiest here! We were mesmerized on our walk and with the many views from Palamidi.

I promise more soon!!

progol Aug 19th, 2024 08:17 AM

Good Friday
It wasn’t planned, but it turned out we are in Nafplio during Holy Week for the Greek Orthodox Easter. And the most special celebration takes place on Friday evening: the Procession of the Epitaphs, the representation of Christ’s coffin. On Friday, the epitaphs in several churches are decorated with flowers, and after the evening service, the epitaphs are then paraded around the town in a procession which includes the “coffin”, the priests, the congregation, and many VIPs. The townspeople carry lit candles and follow the procession or line the streets as rhe procession passes. Each of the churches and their procession meet up in Syntagma Square, the central square.

M & I waited at the Church of Ayios Georgios to begin its procession. We arrived somewhere around 7:30 or 8:00pm, waiting as the crowd gathered. By the time the service ended around 9:15pm or 9:30pm, there was a large crowd waiting for the procession to begin. Many people carry lit candles adding to the spiritual aura of the event. I watched for a while though didn’t continue on to the central square as I was told it gets very, very packed. Still, I loved watching the beginning and seeing the people turn out to honor a long tradition in the town.

After the procession of the coffins, the priests and VIPs, there came a marching band playing very dramatic music. It almost felt like I was in The Godfather!

progol Aug 19th, 2024 08:27 AM

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The crowd waiting for the procession to begin. You can see the cross has just been carried out.

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The cross is carried out and leading the procession

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Lighting candles

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Incense bearers at the head of the procession. They stood like this for about 10 minutes while the priests were chanting. You can see the epitaph, or "coffin" between the incense bearers.

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The procession is finally starting!

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And they're moving!

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The priests

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Congregants with candles

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The procession begins!

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Lining the street and waiting for the procession to pass

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The procession moves through the street

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The epitaph, or "coffin"

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The priests follow the VIPs

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The procession - taken from a video

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The procession - taken from a video

memejs Aug 19th, 2024 08:30 AM

I'm tentatively planning on Greece for my 2026 trip, and this trip report has me wanting to get started with the planning now! Thanks for taking the time to write it up even though you're busy. I know you're planning a trip to Taiwan and back to Japan. Anything else in the works?

progol Aug 19th, 2024 08:41 AM


Originally Posted by memejs (Post 17591016)
I'm tentatively planning on Greece for my 2026 trip, and this trip report has me wanting to get started with the planning now! Thanks for taking the time to write it up even though you're busy. I know you're planning a trip to Taiwan and back to Japan. Anything else in the works?

Thanks for following, memejs! I have SO much more to post but I'll finish this before our next trip, I promise! And yes, we are off to Taiwan and back to Japan - the planning for this trip has taken up enough of my time so far the I haven't gotten around to planning another trip yet -- but I'm sure I will, though not till after we return. M & I are discussing next options but we haven't come to a decision yet.

progol Aug 19th, 2024 08:45 AM

Saturday morning walk

We are moving at a verrry slow pace today…we continued the walk we started the day before. We start at the Palamidi castle, where we notice the carving of the Venetian Lion of St. Mark. We’ve seen this carving in so many places now - it really ties many of our trips together.

We find the coastal walk that continues on to the Karathona beach. It’s not quite as glorious as the walk we took the day before, with the sun dappling through trees that are shading the path, but it’s still quite beautiful as we make each turn along the walk and take in the views. The cliffs above us look like something out of Edward Munch!

progol Aug 19th, 2024 08:52 AM

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Palamidi Fortress towering over Nafplio

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The Lion of St. Mark

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M's gorgeous photo of the Two Blues

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The cliff wall - doesn't it look like something out of Edward Munch?!!

KarenWoo Aug 19th, 2024 10:31 AM

Wow! Lucky you for being in Nafplio during Greek Orthodox Easter! The photos are fascinating! I love it when something unexpected like that happens. And it doesn't seem crazy crowded like I assume Seville would be, for example.

And I love your two walks. They are so beautiful and interesting. I have an embarrassing confession to make. We wanted to do the Arvanita walk. So, after having a light lunch by the harbor, we started walking in that direction. At a distance, we could see a gate across the pathway. Without actually going up to the gate, we stupidly assumed the gate was locked and the pathway was off limits. So we didn't go any further! Afterwards I was kicking myself for not forging ahead, which is what we would normally do. Don't know what we were thinking that day.

progol Aug 19th, 2024 12:28 PM


Originally Posted by KarenWoo (Post 17591063)
Wow! Lucky you for being in Nafplio during Greek Orthodox Easter! The photos are fascinating! I love it when something unexpected like that happens. And it doesn't seem crazy crowded like I assume Seville would be, for example.

And I love your two walks. They are so beautiful and interesting. I have an embarrassing confession to make. We wanted to do the Arvanita walk. So, after having a light lunch by the harbor, we started walking in that direction. At a distance, we could see a gate across the pathway. Without actually going up to the gate, we stupidly assumed the gate was locked and the pathway was off limits. So we didn't go any further! Afterwards I was kicking myself for not forging ahead, which is what we would normally do. Don't know what we were thinking that day.

KarenWoo, Funny you should mention that gate on the walk! We approached it and I, too, felt funny at first. But when we watched EVERYONE climbing around it, including a couple with a stroller, we decided it wasn’t quite worth worrying about! No one took those ominous “keep out” messages very seriously!!

I was going to post this later but I figured it was appropriate now!
https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...42a894428.jpeg

xyz99 Aug 19th, 2024 01:09 PM

I'm still reading and loving the photos. So many shades of blue, I love it.
I doubt my M would do what your M did...how to trick him? That walk looks lovely.

KarenWoo Aug 19th, 2024 01:12 PM

OMG! That is so funny! That is exactly the gate I am talking about.:) In our case, there was no one else walking on the path that day (at least not within our eyesight) so needless to say, there wasn't anyone climbing around the gate. If we saw people doing that, we would have done it too.

progol Aug 19th, 2024 01:24 PM


Originally Posted by xyz99 (Post 17591133)
I'm still reading and loving the photos. So many shades of blue, I love it.
I doubt my M would do what your M did...how to trick him? That walk looks lovely.

Nah, my M had to convince me that it was fine. And it was. Lots of people walk here and climb around the gate like it’s nothing. And think of it this way - the walk has 2 places to start so you have no choice but to climb over if the gate is your end point!

progol Aug 19th, 2024 01:26 PM


Originally Posted by KarenWoo (Post 17591134)
OMG! That is so funny! That is exactly the gate I am talking about.:) In our case, there was no one else walking on the path that day (at least not within our eyesight) so needless to say, there wasn't anyone climbing around the gate. If we saw people doing that, we would have done it too.

It was pretty funny watching the couple carry the stroller around the end! That’s when I knew it was safe!😉

KarenWoo Aug 19th, 2024 02:48 PM


Originally Posted by progol (Post 17591142)
It was pretty funny watching the couple carry the stroller around the end! That’s when I knew it was safe!😉

Now I definitely feel like a wimp!:lol:

progol Aug 19th, 2024 04:48 PM

Too funny, KarenWoo! 🤣

Adelaidean Aug 20th, 2024 12:47 PM

I’ve loved reading your excellent report!

And I bought a bougainvillea - all those wonderful colourful photos sent me off to the plant nursery 👍

progol Aug 20th, 2024 05:03 PM

Thanks, as always, Adelaidean! Enjoy your bougainvillea!

And there’s plenty more to come….I just plan on getting this TR done before my next trip!

ANUJ Aug 20th, 2024 07:28 PM

progol, thank you for such a wonderful report with great photos. It's been a while since we last visited Greece and Meteora is a gap we have to come back to fill.

progol Aug 21st, 2024 04:31 AM


Originally Posted by ANUJ (Post 17591504)
progol, thank you for such a wonderful report with great photos. It's been a while since we last visited Greece and Meteora is a gap we have to come back to fill.

Thanks so much, ANUJ! I always enjoy reading your reports, too, so I’m pleased that you’re enjoying mine.

Meteora is worth the effort to see it if you can get there.

Much more to come as soon as I can manage it!

progol Aug 22nd, 2024 10:26 AM

Easter in Nafplio
Sunday, May 5


It’s Easter here in Greece and shops and many restaurants are closed. But it’s a beautiful day and we decide to continue the short coastal walk al the way to Arvinitia Beach.

We began our walk at Syntagma Square, a beautiful and central historical square in the old town. It's a busy square, filled with cafes, and is great to see both day and night. Architecture reflects its Ottoman and Venetian history.

We continued on the walk, all the way to Arvinitia Beach, a pebble beach.It's only in the 70s and the air is warm, although the sun was playing hide and seek by now. Still, there are intrepid swimmers and numerous sunbathers on this stony beach. If I had my bathing suit on, I might’ve gone in, but even dipping my toes in the water and walking on the stones (smooth, at least!) was enough to remind me that I can simply enjoy the beach without getting wet.

The path sits below Akronafplia castle, the 3rd of the 3 castles in Nafplio.

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Syntagma Square

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Lion of St. Mark on what is now the Archeological Museum. It was built in 1713 during Venetian rule.

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Toy figures in the shop. I don't know who they are but they look like regional figures. The left one might be a pasha but I'm not sure.

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Yet another beautiful view

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Beginning your walk - there are swimming areas here and at least a few people are in the water

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Stairs to a church which is closed

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The beach - the sun was out for quite a while and it was very warm. I was tempted to go in but didn't have my suit with me.

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progol Aug 22nd, 2024 10:31 AM

Easter dinner in Nafplio
And what do Greeks eat on Easter? Lamb, generally roasted on a spit. Although many restaurants are closed today, those that are open are serving lamb. We walked for a while looking for a restaurant and many of them were too busy to even consider sitting us. But then, we found the perfect place. Chaotic, busy, and just the basics - roasted lamb done on a spit and delicious tzatziki. A perfect way to experience the traditional Easter meal.


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progol Aug 22nd, 2024 11:11 AM

Akronafplia Castle or Fortress

From the website kastra.eu,
Akronafplia is one of the three outstanding castles of Nafplio, and the one with the richest history. The current form of the castle of Akronaflia, although quite altered by modern interventions, was formed mainly during the Frankish and First Venetian periods, from the 13th to the 16th century.
Rising above the old part of town, the Akronafplia fortress is the oldest of Nafplio's three castles. The lower sections of the walls date back to the Bronze Age. Until the arrival of the Venetians, the town was restricted to within its walls.

Stairs! Walking up to Akronafplia, the stairs got increasingly challenging the further up we went. Still, as we walked up and up and up, we're rewarded with more wonderful colors and views.

And once we walked through the first archway at the top of the stairs, we discovered we were actually at the castle ruins! While important historically, this is not a formal tourist site with an entrance fee as it is open to all to explore round the clock. For a while, we were alone - and the views were, once again, spectacular. It had a special feeling despite being in such disarray.

Fortunately, for those who look at the stairs and say, "Not I!", one can drive all the way up to the ruins rather than walk up all those stairs.

And, later I realized that, from my back window, I can see the crenellations and the bell!

progol Aug 22nd, 2024 11:14 AM

Stairs and Views (1)

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And anyone considering Pension Dafni, a well-reviewed pension, it's located close to the last set of stairs before the entry to the castle ruins. It looks great for the energetic though it's too far up too many stairs for my poor knees.

progol Aug 22nd, 2024 11:24 AM

Akronafplia Castle & lots of views

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Lion of St. Mark's

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Man & Lion

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View down the stairs

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And another view...

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Those views....


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Overlooking the coastal path

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Bell tower (can't see the bell from this angle, but it's there)

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Overview of Nafplio

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Castle crenellations

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Castle crenellations and bell tower from the back window of my pension

progol Aug 22nd, 2024 11:49 AM

A few miscellaneous pix around Nafplio before we leave...

https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...a24a18ec82.jpg

https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...6e051d67c9.jpg
Great gelato!

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xyz99 Aug 23rd, 2024 05:18 AM

Wow, these Nafplio views are gorgeous!! You captured them so well.

progol Aug 23rd, 2024 05:42 AM

Thanks, xyz99!! The views around Nafplio are really so beautiful and it was just such a joy being able to see then from so many different perspectives. I'm sure you'll find your own, too!

shelemm Aug 23rd, 2024 06:02 AM

I love the stones on the stepped walkway with the pink building. Such a variety in that section, and they look so smooth.

KarenWoo Aug 24th, 2024 03:27 PM

You were smart to spend as much time as you did in Nafplio. The walks you took are so beautiful and stunning. You saw more than we did. One reason i think is that we visited Mystras from Nafplio so we had less time for actual sightseeing in Nafplio. I could easily return.

How lucky to spend Easter Sunday in Nafplio! We love lamb so having a traditional Easter lamb dinner in Nafplio would have been a highlight!

geetika Aug 24th, 2024 05:48 PM

Karen’s right. We stayed about 20kms away from Nafplion and actually only spent a day there, so didn’t see or do as much as both progol
a you did. However, we absolutely loved the Peloponnese and wish we could have stayed much longer. Would go back in a heartbeat, but unlikely as there’s so many other places we want to see!

progol Aug 25th, 2024 05:31 AM

Hello everyone! And thanks for continuing to follow this thread!

shelemm, the steps were slippery and I wouldn't want to be walking on them when it rains! But the views from there were wonderful and the exploration of the castle ruins was a delight.

KarenWoo, when I saw that we were in Nafplio over Easter, my biggest concern was making sure the sites we wanted to visit were open. I had initially planned 4 nights, but extended it to 6. In the end, I was really glad that we had the extra time. And, being there on Easter was also SO special - one of those times when my accidental planning worked out well!
We did go to Mystras, but from the Mani as it was just about an hour's drive. I try to limit day trips to no more than an hour's drive to the furthest point.

geetika, the Peloponnese was a treat and we really enjoyed our time there. And Nafplio was one of our favorite stops. But I also agree -- so many places yet to see!! My current philosophy - if we go back to a place we've been, we ALSO tack on a new place, so it's a win-win!!

petap88919, I'm glad you're enjoying the photos! I'm definitely a visual trip reporter! And if it's 40 years, it's time to return to Milan - it only took us 25 years to get back!

progol Aug 25th, 2024 06:09 AM

Leaving Nafplio and on our way to the Mani...

I must admit that I was very sad to leave Nafplio. It turned out to be a wonderful surprise and I could've easily stayed longer, just ambling through the town and taking more day trips. Today we're on our way to the Mani Peninsula, staying at the Akrolithi Boutique Hotel. The drive was easy to follow by good old Google maps (not always our best friend!) but the many (many!) twists and turns wreaked havoc on me! Still, it was a beautiful drive.

The drive pix were all "grab" shots, sticking my phone through the window and snapping away.


https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...aa9db6fb6c.jpg

https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...be82e06db5.jpg

https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...8a7c00fd83.jpg

https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...5c14b032a1.jpg



progol Aug 25th, 2024 06:39 AM

Arriving at the Akrolithi Boutique Hotel

Well, Google maps was our friend until we got close to the hotel. The Akrolithi Boutique hotel is in Otylos, one of the oldest towns on the Mani peninsula and even mentioned in Homer's Iliad. The hotel is just enough off the main road, and the directions that we got from the hotel were just confusing enough, that finding the right turnoff took us a few trial and errors, with Google maps having many hiccups along the way. We later found the easiest way to get to the hotel, but it wasn't obvious until later.

The Mani peninsula is a rocky and rugged landscape, home to the Maniots, a fiercely independent tribe of people. It's known for its tall defensive towers and was never occupied by the Turks during the Ottoman Empire. The Mani is the middle of 3 peninsulas jutting off the Pelopponesian peninsula and its tip is the most southern point of continental Europe. After we rested, we took a short stroll up the road to get a better sense of place. Although it wasn't a long drive to the nearest "big" town, it was more than we wanted to do, so we had a light supper of pizza and Greek salad, or Greka (aren’t all salads in Greece called Greek salads?), at the hotel, which was more than satisfying.

The Akrolithi Boutique Hotel is beautifully-sited, but it's also fairly isolated, so you'll want to take the car out for dinner (a short drive, but still a drive). Limeni, the nearby pretty town sitting on the water which we could see from our hotel, is less than 10 minutes away. We attempted to visit one afternoon but it was so busy that it was impossible to find a parking spot. After that attempt, we didn't try to go there for dinner.

The room we were in (a junior suite) is spacious with a sense of luxury and a huge terrace that extends out. There was no shading, however, so it was impossible to sit out on the terrace when the sun was out and it was pretty windy much of the time. We liked the place but didn't love it, though it certainly does get rave reviews.

progol Aug 25th, 2024 06:48 AM

Akrolithi Boutique hotel
https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...a0c8365309.jpg
Terrace with a view

https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...9a5dbcc782.jpg
Gorgeous sitting area without shade. On the website, there is white material that is woven into the wooden crossbars above to provide shade, but not while we were there

https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...97cead25b2.jpg

https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...270ba541b7.jpg

https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...a3673e9c9d.jpg
Comfortable room

https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...9c591735c6.jpg
Outdoor dining (but we ate inside because it was too windy)

https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...ade3658a36.jpg

https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...6a2b1f399c.jpg
Stairs up to our room

https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...f4fe2b8749.jpg
Not a bad view at night~

https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...df38a7283c.jpg
Overview of the hotel from the road

https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...d9264a7d5d.jpg
Breakfast buffet

https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...1ea0c69392.jpg
Indoor dining area


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