September 2 – Galaxidi, Corinth, Mycenean Museum, Treasury of Atreus

Before heading out on our regularly scheduled tour we first opted to pay a repeat visit to the fishing village of Galaxidi. It was early in the morning and everything was pretty quiet but it was very pretty.

The drive was along the coast and was of course very pretty.  We had a brief stop at the sea side village of Nafpatkos where we walked around the small fortified harbor and bought something to drink. 

Then it was off to cross the very pretty Rio-Antirrio Bridge that took us from the main body of Greece to the Peloponnese (the large part of southern Greece that looks like an island but is connected to the main part of Greece at the Isthmus of Corinth).

Our first stop in Peloponnese was Ancient Corinth where we toured the museum...

and archaeological site.

Then it was off through the countryside...

to Mycenae.  This started as a bronze age fortified city with the acropolis dating from between the 14^th and 13^th century BC.  In mythology it was founded by Perseus and was the home of Agamemnon, leader of the expedition to abduct Helen of Troy and starting the Trojan Wars. 

We first visited the museum there...

and then headed out to the actual site.

We only wandered a small ways into the ruins as it was hot and a hike.  We did see the Lion’s Gate, one of its most famous features.

Next stop, just down the hill, was the Treasury of Atreus or the Tomb of Agamemnon.  This is a large Tholos Tomb (a beehive shaped burial structure) constructed around 1250 BC.  It unlikely housed either the treasury of Atreus or the body of Agamemnon but someone gave it the name and it stuck.

Tonight we are in the town of Nafplio, on the Argolic Gulf.  The hotel is on a narrow street, requiring we unload our luggage and walk it up the street.

We are quite happy with our room.  We have a small sitting room and a balcony.  Jim and Phyllis have only a bedroom and a small one at that…not too happy.

We wandered around for a while in the afternoon to take pictures and scope out the town.  It is an interesting old town but it is hot and humid so we didn’t stay out long.

High on a hill overlooking the city is the Palamidi Castle.  We hope to visit it another day.

This evening we all wandered back down to the town to find dinner.   While sitting in a plaza eating ice cream the local high school band marched by...apparently just to provide a bit of local color to the evening.

Then to bed.