Our Airbnb was located about 15 minutes west of Chania, along the main road following the coast. During the high season, I can imagine this area is highly congested with tourists crowding the beaches and the restaurants. During the winter, the low season, the area is virtually deserted with many hotels, restaurants and shops closed …
Piraeus Port, the passenger port of Athens, is where the ferries depart from the mainland to the islands. After collecting our paper tickets at the Anek Lines ticket office, we waited in the parking lot until it was our turn to drive our van onto the ferry. Besides passengers, the ferries transport vehicles of all …
We made the 4-hour drive from Nafplio to Cape Sounion, where the Temple of Poseidon sits about 65 meters above the sea on a rugged cliff. In ancient times, departing sailors would have watched Cape Sounion and the Temple of Poseidon disappear into the distance as they sailed fearlessly into the depths of the Aegean …
Tiryns, about 20 kilometers from Mycenae, is considered one of the significant Mycenean centers. It peaked in wealth and importance in the 13th century BC. Because of its proximity to the sea, it was an important port in the Bronze Age trading network. The relationship between Mycenae and Tiryns was unclear, though likely ranged from …
To understand ancient Greek civilization and Hellenistic culture, a good place to begin is the Mycenean and Minoan civilizations. The Mycenean civilization was concentrated in the Peloponnese region and two of the most important palatial centers of the Myceneans, Mycenae and Tyrins, are in close proximity to Nafplio. The Minoan civilization is older than the …
There are two ways to reach the fort – by car or by climbing the 999 stairs to the top. Climbing the stairs seemed like a good way to get some exercise and enjoy the views on the way up. It was a little tricky finding the starting point to begin the ascent. It also …
Palamidi Fortress, Old Town Nafplio, Nafplio Waterfront and Arvanitia Promenade Read More »
Our family loves road trips. Having our own car gives us ultimate flexibility but at the same, some semblance of predictability. With a car, we can go wherever we want whenever we want. We can throw our stuff on the car without having to worry about what to do with it. We can eat at …
In lieu of hiring a guide to take us through some of the smaller ancient sites scattered around Plaka, RY gamely offered his services to plan our route and guide us through Aristotle’s Lyceum, Arch of Hadrian, Temple of Olympian Zeus and Hadrian’s Library. He planned for us to travel on foot from east to …
The Ancient Agora is the ancient heart of Athens. When you picture in your mind one of the great Greek philosophers like Socrates, Plato or Aristotle strolling or sitting around a peaceful garden surrounded by pupils, you probably didn’t think too much about where they were. The setting was more likely than not somewhere in …
Plaka and Monastiraki are both ancient parts of Athens located close to the Acropolis. The Plaka is at the base of the Acropolis to the east while Monastiraki is below the Acropolis to the north. It is easy to walk from one area to the other, browsing in the quaint shops and wandering through the …
