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A quick walk up the hill from the hotel - more lovely views!
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May 7/Morning in the Mani at the Akrolithi Boutique hotel
Today was a much better day than yesterday! I was ready to go and it’s another beautiful day. The Mani has a stark beauty and we begin to explore the Mani, making several stops. First, we travel to Vathia, the ruins of a fortified town, built in the 18th and 19th centuries, mostly abandoned but beginning to be restored. It is wonderful to roam around. We then continued south to almost the southern tip of continental Europe. cape Tanairo. Well, we got as far as our car could take us and a brief walk would allow; we stopped at the site of a temple and oracle devoted to Poseidon. We didn’t continue on to the actual tip, but it is a 2 km walk from here to the Land’s End of Greece. Much as we'd like to say we were at the tip of the continent, we weren't quite up to a hike. And from here, we continued on to Gerolimenas, a charming small town on one of the many coves, and stopped for lunch. Lovely location and a relaxing stop. We drove back to our hotel, stopping at the larger town of Aeropoli at the bakery, then we drove through Limeni (packed with cars as it’s the end of the Easter holiday) and returned to our hotel. A good day! |
The drive to Vathia, the abandoned fortified town in thr Mani peninsula
Vathia, an abandoned fortified town, known for its huge stone towers that dominate the countryside. This form of architecture developed during the 18th and 19th centuries. It is a tourist attraction and you'll see an occasional tourist bus or busses parked on the roadside. Still, scrambling through the village feels like a place out of time. https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...2619693788.jpg https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...ff2e70acda.jpg https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...13fb7aa097.jpg https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...64e3941d8a.jpg https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...f7e80c9b41.jpgVathia, an abandoned fortified town, known for its huge stone towers that dominate the countryside. https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...e736e00001.jpgVathia, an abandoned fortified town, known for its huge stone towers that dominate the countryside. |
The tip of Continental Europe and a stop at a traditional coastal village
On our way to Cape Tanairon/Tenaro (or as close as we can come by car), the southernmost point of continental Europe; to Gerolimenas, a small but sweet town coastal village; and back to Aeropoli, where we stop in a bakery where I check out the Easter bunny display. Cape Tenaro was believed to be the gateway to the underworld; from the website, shinygreece.com: "Legend has it that the heroic Tenaros, son of Zeus, founded a town at the isthmus of the Mani Peninsula, giving the cape its name. This mystical place was also known as "Poseidion" in ancient times and was associated with the sea god Poseidon. The ancient Spartans revered Cape Tenaro, constructing several temples dedicated to various gods. Perched above a cave that was believed to be the home of Hades, the god of the dead, the remnants of an ancient temple dedicated to Poseidon can still be found today. Under the Byzantine Empire, the temple was transformed into a Christian church, where Christian rites continue to be conducted." https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...3c70d01746.jpg Defensive towers along the coast https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...323689c231.jpg Vathia to Cape Tenaro https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...8b522a547a.jpg Ancient Greek mythology is in the air here! Signs at the most southern point we could drive to. https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...4b19b21709.jpg Pointing the way toward the sanctuary of Poseidon https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...b7d161f100.jpg We couldn't figure out which structure this was supposed to be but it had a wonderful feeling https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...b378a05e36.jpg French hiking group off to find the oracle and sanctuary site https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...964b41a1fd.jpg On the drive back from Cape Tenaro toward Gerolimenas |
On to Sweet Gerolimenas
https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...bb1acd2f6f.jpg Gerolimenas, a sweet fishing town on a small cove https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...04a44d1354.jpg Gerolimenas https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...85885e2f90.jpg Gerolimenas https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...d50ff2b9b6.jpg Gerolimenas https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...1fea6f128f.jpg Gerolimenas https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...88b7648a3b.jpg Restaurant in town https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...2aa084efc4.jpg Marinated anchovies https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...80abf35fcb.jpg And back to Aeropoli, where we check out the Easter display in a bakery!! |
Thank you for sharing your holiday with us. Great photos! They make me really want to return!
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Originally Posted by dreamon
(Post 17592658)
Thank you for sharing your holiday with us. Great photos! They make me really want to return!
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This part of the Peloponnese looks very interesting and more remote. Were there fewer tourists? The Akrolithiri Boutique Hotel is beautiful but might be too remote for us. Would Limeni be a nice place to stay? Gerolimenas looks so pretty and so peaceful. I could see ourselves enjoying a few relaxing days there. Kind of reminds me of one of our favorite places on Naxos - a quiet fishing village we stopped at on Moutsounas Bay. Quiet in May anyways, not sure about the summer months.
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Originally Posted by KarenWoo
(Post 17592789)
This part of the Peloponnese looks very interesting and more remote. Were there fewer tourists? The Akrolithiri Boutique Hotel is beautiful but might be too remote for us. Would Limeni be a nice place to stay? Gerolimenas looks so pretty and so peaceful. I could see ourselves enjoying a few relaxing days there. Kind of reminds me of one of our favorite places on Naxos - a quiet fishing village we stopped at on Moutsounas Bay. Quiet in May anyways, not sure about the summer months.
I liked Gerolimenas more but it is further down the peninsula - a lovely town sitting on a cove, though less convenient for touring, or at least, to where I wanted to go. We visited Mystras from Akrolithi, which was just a hour away, so that worked out well. Kardamyli is a popular (and very touristy) town that is at the very top of the peninsula but it was waaaay too crowded and touristy for my liking. Don’t get me wrong, Akrolithi is lovely and really not that hard to get to once we figured it out, but somehow, we never felt a warm feeling about the place. This had more to do with the owner than the place itself. |
I'm still traveling with you, and loving it.
We'll stay on the other side of Mani in Gythio, and visit Limeni and/or Aeropoli. Should we do both? Or just one and leisurely spend our day there? If just one, which one? I think we'll stop in Mystras on the way to Gythio. |
Originally Posted by xyz99
(Post 17592908)
I'm still traveling with you, and loving it.
We'll stay on the other side of Mani in Gythio, and visit Limeni and/or Aeropoli. Should we do both? Or just one and leisurely spend our day there? If just one, which one? I think we'll stop in Mystras on the way to Gythio. |
Mystras, the Old City
A fabulous day! About an hour’s drive from Akrolithi, we drove to Mystras, a world heritage site near Sparti, Greece. It ’s a breathtakingly beautiful Byzantine city spread out on a steep hill in the Taygetos mountain range. It was once a powerful Byzantine town in the Pelopponese between the 13th and 15th centuries just a few km west of Sparti. The site is large and takes a bit of effort to explore. It’s divided into 2 towns - the Upper and Lower, and we drove first to the upper and then to the lower towns. More energetic folks might walk the entire way up and/or down, but there’s enough hiking even when you do drive between the sites. The Upper Town Even after parking, the walk up to the castle ruins is quite a hike but it’s worth it. The views of the are are amazing. The outer wall was first built by the Franks in the 13th century, with alterations made over the centuries, mostly by the Turks. The Lower Town After enjoying the Upper Town for quite a while, we drove back down the long and winding hill to the Lower Town. Although we were running out of steam by this time, we enjoyed a few of the many Byzantine churches dotted around the pathways (up and down!) of the Lower Town. |
Part 1:
The walk to the castle, the ruins and the views. Oh, those views! https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...be1444038.jpeg https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...dd12e391f.jpeg https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...4d1812f31.jpeg https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...08778d943.jpeg https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...485e7117a.jpeg https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...31dcd6f12.jpeg https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...c5868576b.jpeg https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...c9bee489c.jpeg https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...918693479.jpeg https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...9d1d85d69.jpeg https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...83b9c47d6.jpeg https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...38d857f52.jpeg https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...deab31945.jpeg https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...2bf8ea612.jpeg https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...113d8a4e9.jpeg https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...e7d28d5c8.jpeg https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...8d71a9b41.jpeg https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...b0765943e.jpeg https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...06d0bbf4b.jpeg https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...bdbeeaa29.jpeg https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...b6a264721.jpeg https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...46d993929.jpeg |
So glad you are continuing your report and terrific photos. I had better get some hill climbing in to prepare for Mystras!
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OMG!!!! I love your photos of Mystras! Mystras is one of my favorite places and I would return in a heartbeat! Can't wait to see your photos of Lower Town. I love the Byzantine churches, the mosaics and ancient faded wall paintings!
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francebound, Thank you! We definitely found the walk up from the upper level parking lot to be a bit of a workout! It’s really worth it, though. It’s really special.
KarenWoo, thank you! Your visit was (once again!) an inspiration for me - when I saw your photos, I knew we had to go! I loved your photos, too! We also enjoyed the lower town but didn’t spend nearly as much time as I would’ve liked as we were both running out of steam. But I’m glad we saw what we did. it was one of our favorite stops. I’m hoping to get this report done before our next trip but I promise I will continue it! |
Exploring a place like Mystras is the kind of activity that brings joy to my heart for the exercise and the sense of wonder. Every angle is a different vision, like walking around a statue that has no front or back.
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shelemm, thank you for that wonderful description! What a wonderful image I have seeing this "statue" I have in my mind's eye!
Mystras is really a remarkable place and, as non-hikers, gave us fantastic views and sense of place for relatively little work. Pix to come very soon! |
Mystras, Lower Town
We drove back down to the lower town parking lot and entered the lower town just beyond the gift shop. We explored a few of the Byzantine churches, particularly the Agia Sophia, the first church we came to and perhaps the most known. It was built in the mid-14th century under the Ottomans and was originally a mosque. It's beautifully sited and is decorated with some wonderful frescoes, too. We explored a little more before we called it a day. After our adventure, we were starving, found parking in town and had an absolutely fabulous lunch at O Ellinas, a simple but traditional-style taverna right in the middle of the small town of Mystras. Service was incredibly friendly and we had the very best moussaka of our trip. https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...77bfd1113d.jpg https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...57a1e18d9c.jpg https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...6ed9cd691c.jpg https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...c6c2936df0.jpg https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...d89e1e1ee2.jpg https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...0a00d289e3.jpg https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...2780df90c5.jpg https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...dfdc339280.jpg https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...b32074d574.jpg https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...1be95f5414.jpg https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...5961b4852d.jpg https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...92eb6ee6ae.jpg https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...e6cb815fd6.jpg https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...8a716fb5e0.jpg https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...72697c5df9.jpg https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...b6f1436272.jpg https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...06bd38501d.jpg https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...a3c8317c8f.jpg https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...82eb6f1fbf.jpg |
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