April 27-28 still in Zaros

After breakfast, we decided to take a hike around a nearby lake, but it was farther than we wanted to hike, so decided to drive to lake & hike around the lake. We somehow ended up on a small road that went from asphalt, to gravel, to dirt. It might possibly have been the original Minoan trail to the lake! We finally made it to the lake, but since it had taken so long, we had no time to hike! So ,on to a real road & the Enthnology Museum in Vori-- a small, but comprehensive museum showing farm implements, cooking utensils, clothing & jewelry from the Minoan age (2000 BC) to the 1900's. Everything presented in a very basic & unpretentious manner. Then, we walked over to Alekos Taverna for a delightful Cretan lunch with Alekos & wife. We got back to out hotel just in time for a cooking class with the owner's mother. We now know how to make dolmas, stuffed vegetables & vegetable soup! Got back to our cottage & later took a short hike up to a monastery where a very old nun gave us homemade cookies. The next day we headed out to The Phaestos Palace ruins inhabited in 2000BC

Lunch at Taverna Alekos

Cooking class with Mama Cula

Agia Paulos, Old Roman shrine converted to a Christian church in 400AD

by the Minoans. It's located on a hill with a beautiful view of the valley & coast below. We have to admit that we kind of reached the tipping point on ruins--we forgot to take even one photo! But imagine a bunch of beautiful old rocks! We went on to nearby Agia Triada, also from the Minoan period, that is thought to be the villa of some very wealthy person. Again beautiful old rocks in a great location! Took a long drive, by Crete standards, through a beautiful valley & hills on back roads that led back to our hotel. Had a lively game of table tennis before dinner. Tomorrow we leave Zaros for the coast & will be on the beach. More to follow. . .

April 25-26 Zaros, Crete

We flew in to Crete at 5pm. It was very windy but, fortunately, no bumps during the 40 minute flight. We picked up our rental car & started our 1 hour drive to Zaros, a small village in the central part of Crete. First impression: Crete is not a sleepy little island! Heraklion, where the airport is located, is a major town with a major national road & very major traffic! Ana's illusions were shattered! After the Peloponese, this was little LA! Fortunately, as we got farther from Heraklion, we were driving through quiet little villages, olive trees & goats. Hurray--back to the Greece we love! We're staying at a wonderful small Eco-resort made up of small stone cottages overlooking a beautiful valley. There are hiking paths everywhere & lots of people from all over Europe, many with families. At first we were worried that we'd we in the middle of nowhere--but it's just perfect. Quiet, hiking, swimming pool, ping pong, archery & cooking classes--which we are taking tomorrow. The story behind
the hotel is interesting--2 brothers born & raised in Zaros, decided to start the hotel instead of leaving in search of a job. This is a big problem in Greece--as kids get more educated, there are no jobs to keep them in their villages--so they leave for Athens or Europe. So, Manolos & his brother have developed a whole industry & jobs. They've done a great job & they are so nice!

There are lots of short drives to archeological ruins & beautiful beaches--and lots of tiny tavernas with yummy food.  The food at our hotel is excellent & we've had not only raki, but also rakimelo (raki with honey & cinnamon). Yummy! I think we can do the same with mezcal! We plan to combine beach, ruins & walking and, of course,eating. We'll be here 4 days &, then, move to a more western part of the island near Hania, where we'll be on the beach.

We made it to the beach today on the southwest coast. Bill continued to work on his tan. He is now brown as a berry. Unfortunately, the variety is the albino berry. Greetings to all. More to follow. . .

 View from our cottage. The neat rows are olive trees.

View from Komos beach on the southern shore. Notice: there is still snow on the biggest mountains. BTW, the water in rivers is crystal clear. There are public fountains everywhere that you can drink from!

April 23-24 Nafplio

We left Monemvasia on the coast to cut thru the mountains to another coast further east. A meandering 3.5 hour drive stopping at beautiful lookouts, tiny churches & one monastery built into the rocky mountainside--where the lonely monk invited us to a cup of Greek coffee & lots of conversation.  We felt inspired to buy (more) soap made by the nuns & a bottle of white wine made by the monks. Reached Nafplio (which looked like any mid-size city on the way in) in the late afternoon & couldn't find our way to our motel--the old town is tricky & often without strret numbers. We finally called the hotel & Panos, one of 3 brothers, said Wait there & I'll come to show you the way on my motorcycle! The old city turned out to be

 Drive thru mountains

 Another beautiful little bay

Walkway to our hotel

Mycaenae doorway ( not the 120 ton lintel)

The Nafplio bay

wonderful.  Friday we visited Mycaenae, another ruin of a fortified city from 1400 BC. It's located strategically on a beautiful hill. One of the lintels weighs 120 tons-- 4 times the weight of one stone in the Egyptian pyramids! Nafplio is a much bigger town than we'd been in except for Athens. The old town area has lots of  very old Venetian & Turkish architecture & lots of twisty narrow streets. Saturday we cross the Isthmus of Corinth, drive to the Athens airport & fly to Crete. More to follow . . .

Monembasia, April 21-22

Tues, April 21 we finally & sadly left Kardamyli on our drive to Monemvasia. It was a beautiful drive over hills & through valleys covered with olive trees and, as we came down down the hills to valleys, orange trees for miles --all in bloom. The scent was wonderful. As we approached Monemvasia on the coast, it was the same stunning turquoise sea. The town is actually located on a huge rock that was a fort in the 1200's. It was Byzantine, then Ottoman, then Venetian until the early 1700's. A lot is still intact, as far as ruins go.  Some people still live on the Rock or The Castle, as the locals call it. Mostly it's a tiny village on twisty walkways filled with tourists, hotels, restaurants & shops. We stayed on the Rock which was fun & the views were wonderful. The little town across from Monemvasia is Gefyra & is built around the tiny bay. We had another fabulous meal at Scorpio's sitting on the waterfront gazing at The Rock and a beautiful schooner anchored in the bay for a few hours.

Wed, April 22 we drove an hour north to Mystras, the ruins of one of the best preserved Byzantine cities. The churches are amazing with incredible frescos. The Byzantine art style is mesmerizing.  It was a great day. We walked up & down about a million steps. Even the WCs required steps! Got back to Monemvasia for another late (and large) lunch - again at Scorpio's.  It's a good thing for all those steps! Tomorrow we leave for Nafplio, our last stop in the Pelopenese.  More to follow. . .
(Still having photo issues--last photo is view from our hotel terrace to the ruins below )

 Byzantine church at Mystras

 Lunch at Scorpio's--fried anchovies & grilled eggplant , tomatoes & feta

Sunday & Monday, April 19-20

Today was our lucky day! We started out sad to be leaving Kardamyli & our wonderful hotel. Then, when we went to check out, the owner said 'No, you don't leave until tomorrow!' And, she was right !  So we took a hike up to an old church in the hills & had a leisurely day just enjoying the town. Had another great lunch on the beach (see picture). Yesterday we drove around the lower half of the Mani Penisula & saw the Aegen Sea for the first time.This is a very unpopulated area & we stopped in a lot of tiny villages & inlets. The color of the water continues to amaze us! At the very tip of the Penisula is the spot the Greeks believed was the end of the Earth &, therefore, the gateway to Hades. (See Bill below) we entered several old churches--they're all tiny with amazing Byzantine icons. Many are locked & many just have a key in the lock, so anyone can enter. Tomorrow we leave (for real) further to the east along the Pelopenese & the Aegen Sea.  More to follow . . .

Sat, April 18 Kardamyli

Another beautiful day, perfect weather. Drove the twisty coastal road down the coast to a farmers market &, then, on to the Caves/Caverns of Pyrgos. You ride tiny boats into the cave  (fortunately wearing life vests) with a local who didn't speak English & apparently had no type of safety training. You see lots of stalactites/mites & ride  thru crystal clear water. Bill loved it --I almost did! We traveled back up the coast, stopping on a tiny beach at a fish taverna for grilled octopus & fried sardines. Not quite as good as yesterday, but the gorgeous bay made up for it! The views are exploding with wild flowers of every color, the ubiquitous olive trees & the incredible turquoise waters. They can live up to 1000 years!  Tomorrow we'll travel all the way around the Mani Penisula. This area is not on the main tourist track, so there's not a lot of traffic & no tour buses. More to follow . . .

at a fish taverna for grilled octopus & fried sardines. Not as good as yesterday, but the bay made up for it! The roadside is exploding with wild flowers of every color--contrasted with the bright turquoise waters-- it's just breathtaking. This area is off the main tourist track, so not a lot of traffic.  We're back on our balcony for the sunset. Tomorrow another drive all the  way down & around the Mani Penisula. We love this village. Our hotel is a dream & has a heavenly mattress & a comfy duvet. It's still cool at night--in the high 60's during the day.  More to follow. . .

Photos from April 17

 Lunch on the bay in Kalamata

 View from Hotel Bacchus outside of Olympia

 Our first glimpse of the Ionion Sea

A  simple map of our Trip 

Friday, April 17 drive to Kardamyli

 Today was a beautiful drive from Olympia to Katdamyli on the Mani Penisula. We drove thru beautiful  valleys & , then, climbed mountains on twisty roads. (BTW, the driving has been great w good roads & friendly drivers) The temp is in the high 60's, so we drove with the windows down. There are wild flowers & olive trees everywhere. There's a wonderful perfume in the air that we haven't been able to identify. After a couple of hours we came over the ridge of mountains & saw the Ionion Sea before us--absolutely beautiful. We stopped in Kalamata for lunch right on the bay. Then on to Kardamyli, our destination. It's a very small town, right on the Sea with tiny cafes & restaurants--some old, some new. It's really a cool little town. We bought several bottles of wine from the region--delicious & under $5 each! Our little hotel is on a hill above the town--a great vantage point for our first Greek sunset. We're staying 3 days for exploring along the Penisula which is off the tourist track. We've included a simple map of our travels. Not on the map, is a week on Crete & 3 days on Santorini. More to follow . . .

Having technical problems with photo downloads, will try later

WEd/Thurs April 15/16

April 14, Meteora

Other worldly is a good way to describe Meteora & its towering sandstone formations. But,then, you see the monasteries built on the tops of these peaks starting in the  1350's and you are astounded! We're staying in the tiny village of Kastraki which literally is built next to the rocks. The views from our balcony is fabulous. There is a road that goes up to the 6 remaining monasteries (at one time there were 25). The views are even more spectacular. Then you climb approximately 190 steps to reach each monAstery. Before the steps were cut into the rock in the 1920's, baskets were brought up with a pulley system. There are only an average of 10 monks (or nuns) left in each.  It's just beautiful. The food is simple, fresh & delicious-- especially the grilled lamb.

Just as the Inuit have 16 words for snow, the Greeks must have multiple words to describe the hardness of mattresses. Basically it's : hard, harder or harder still. I would say hardest but we have only been here a week. Maybe the Pelopponese will shift toward the soft side.  Tomorrow we head to Delphi. I can ask the oracle.

 View from our guesthouse

Agatha is vindicated

First things first.  Bill confesses error. He doubted Agatha's GPS directives yesterday and tried to follow his own way. Resistance Is Futile!  An agreement with Agatha has been reached and Bill will not do that again.

Today we drove around the west side of Lake  Plastira down to the dam. Beautiful snow-capped mountains, about 5500 feet.  A beautiful sunny spring day in the low 60's. Ventured off the road several times to see smaller villages.  Had a delicious lunch of goat and wild greens at another tiny tavern thanks to our new friends Theddore, Maria, Georgios & Roman (pictured below) The taverna owner spoke no English. Ana exhausted her 11 words of Greek & lunch was nowhere closer. Then, Maria, who speaks at least 4 languages came to the rescue. We know the goat was fresh because I almost drove into a flock of them on the road--in fact they are everywhere. This afternoon late, we watched 2 dogs brings a flock down from an upper pastures, cross a main road & get them all tucked away for the night! Rivers and several streams coming off the mountains.  The place has a real Colorado feel. We leave tomorrow for a short drives to Meteora & the famous monasteries. More to follow . . .

 View from our guesthouse

 Lake Plastira

Athen's photos

Mask of Agamemnon

Cafe  in Pssyri neighborhood 

 Parthenon view

Another Parthenon view

Sat, April 11

Started the day early with a climactic hike up to the Acropolis. The wind had finally died down, the skies were clear & the temp had risen! It was a perfect morning! After 3 days of going to the various museums & learning the history & seeing the artifacts-- it was incredible to see it all! It's one of those experiences like seeing the Taj Mahal-- you've seen the image a hundred times, but actually seeing it just doesn't compare. The Acropolis is fantastic-- in spite of the Invasions, explosions, looting & theft, it is just awe inspiring. What a morning! We picked up our rental car at 1:30pm & headed north to Lake Plastira ringed by snow-covered peaks. We were making great time & then all of a sudden, we don't know what happened--but we were lost & ,Agatha, our GPS wasn't helping. We finally stopped at this taverna in a tiny village for help. The husband didn't speak English, but his wife did, kind of. Between the 4 of us we pieced together directions & found that we were about 30 miles off course. Following their multi-lingual instructions (English, Greek, sign language & hugging), we made it to our darling little 4 room B&B on the edge of the lake.  Only 2 hours late! The owner, Catherine, offered us her homemade candied apricots-- we needed fermented fruit that had turned to alcohol, but politely accepted the fruit. We soon made it to the local taverna for local trout & lamb stew AND a bottle of local wine. We're back now & waiting to go to midnight Greek Orthodox Mass. We tried to say we were too tired, but they insisted it was the most special ceremony. We couldn't refuse especially since we'd gobbled up their candied apricots. So Happy Greek Orthodox Easter to all,, more to follow . . .

Friday, April 10

Another great day. Slightly warmer, but a stiff wind all day. Spent the morning at the Acropolis Museum-- a beautiful new museum designed to house all the artifacts from the Acropolis.  Beautifully laid out with lots of light & space. Artifacts, such as a statue, are pieced together using steel bars to hold what pieces there are together. You really get a feeling for the size of each piece. The frieze from the Parthenon is re-created with actual pieces & plaster subs for the missing pieces. The British Museum in London has many of the missing pieces! Greece is petitioning to get them back! Seems very unfair that England has kept what was basically looted. Bill says their museum would be empty if they gave everything back. Did a lot of walking, explored several neighborhoods & watched a Greek orthodox Good Friday procession with chanting & candles. Then, headed to an upcoming area transitioning from seediness to trendy & had a delicious dinner of stuffed calamari, eggplant/squash & ouzo along with a full house of Greeks coming from Good Friday services! It was 10:30 when we left & families with kids were still streaming in! Tomorrow the wind is supposed to stop & we're planning our Acropolis tour In the morning.  Then, we'll be renting a car & heading north to Lake Plasira. We could have stayed another day in Athens--there is so much to see, do & eat!  More to follow . . .

Thursday, April 9

Ya sas, y,all!  We're experiencing technical issues (not to mention stress that is not
being alleviated with ouzo) posting our photos. So use your imagination with those posted & maybe tomorrow (before ouzo), we'll figure it out. As for today, cloudy & cold walking to Archaeological Museum which was increible-- covering more than 3000 years of Greek history. Really beautiful & gave us a better understanding of what we're experiencing. Astounding to see what was being made with gold, marble, bronze 3000 years ago! We went on to the  Ancient Agora--- Athens' mall in 600 BC!! It is still so beautiful & you can hear the bartering & feel the activity that must have gone on. AND see the places were Socrates, Plato, Aristophanes & all their buddies hung out to ponder Athen's issues. Wow! We didn't make it to the Acropolis because it was so windy & cold. Tomorrow's supposed to warm up & it's on our list after the Acropolis Museum. Had a tasty lunch of Greek specialities & the obligatory half carafe of local red wine. The people are so friendly, loud & effusive! I love it! The Byzantine churches are everywhere--tiny with gorgeous art. There are lit candles everywhere inside. People stop in, light a candle, say a prayer & kiss the icon of the month.  Periodically a church lady blows out the candles, gathers them up for recycling & opens up space for new prayers. A nearby church has been playing a beautiful melody with bells for over a hour-- a Maundy Thursday call to parishioners, no doubt. More to follow . . .

April 8 photos

View from our hotel room

First day in Athens

Athens is fabulous! Romani kids playing accordion on Metro into Athens. Cold but beautiful, clean
, great vibe and NO rain! Athens is a lot like Austin except with an Acropolis view everywhere. Took a 2 hour walking tour  ending up on a narrow, winding path at the base of the Acropolis where we
found a terrific cafe.  Mousaka and lamb and Tzaziki. There are no signs of a country on the brink of economic collapse. Everyone is friendly, happy & hanging out at cafes. There are official No Smoking signs in all restaurants, but when we noticed that everyone including cook & waiter were smoking, we decided this was advisory only. Had a great dinner of small plates Ina 10- table taverna. We love this country ! Tomorrow Acropolis and more! Kali nikta!

JFK airport

JFK is definitely not Third World. Just finished a great Italian meal.  Plus, the martini was excellent. Who could ask for anything more?  Bill

So far my most profound observation has been regarding our all male flight crew: incredible eyebrows! Delta is obviously providing advanced eyebrow grooming training. I mentioned it to Bill. He was not impressed. Next leg starts in 90 minutes. It's raining in Athens. We will not be deterred.
xx Ala

12 hours before departure

Decided to blog before we left. Eating last Mexican food for a month. Preparing to live on olives, feta, vegetables and retsina. We'll give you the lowdown on JFK airport tomorrow. Rumor is that it has gone Third World.