HELLAS 2010
Hellas (AKA Greece) 2010 was fantastic.
I found a dead cheap flight-only charter trip to the Ionian island Zákynthos. A beautiful place which I saw all too little of, because I was to meet people over at the main land AKA Peloponnese. I took ferry and bus to get from Zákynthos to Trípolis some hours away, which was a fun trip in itself.
Fish taverna in Zákynthos city
Taking ferry from Zákynthos to Kyllíni on the main land.
We stayed at a partly closed medical center near ancient Tegéa in inner Peloponnese. Quite amusing. Luckily we had rented a car for one week, and drove around a lot, which I think was a good idea.
To the lovely beach Astros...
...which I absolutely loved...
To Spárta, of which old ruins mostly include a Roman theatre and wonderful surroundings...
This is.... SPAAAARTAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!
It was so hot in Spárta, and I chose to wear WOOL on my head? Yeah...
To nearby Mystrá, a Byzantine city climbing from the foot to the top of the mountain...
To the most amazing little taverna up in the mountains (which there are a lot of at Peloponnese). I know it's a cliché, to find these hidden little places and call it best evvah, but it really was. I think the name of the place was Anadholiána.
To Neméa, where parts of the grand Hercules temple still stands. It was in Neméa he slay the nemean lion, as a part of his many tasks.
To Tegéa, where Norwegian, Danish and Greek archeologists are working on uncovering the ancient city as well as Byzantine settlements.
Around the archeological field there's a lovely green park with playground, outdoor café, church and monuments. I loved the roof tiles on this one.
To Trípolis, a quasi urban inland city with cool bars, like the Olive bar.
To fantastic Náfplio, with it's Italian flair, glazed streets, yummy food, yummy beaches and many castles. Being a Venetian colony for 150 years really made the place a nice mix of Greece and Italy.
This is from the upper castle/fortress, of which I had to climb almost a thousand stairs to reach. The view up there was fantastic, and the fortress very intact.
Náfplio did in fact serve as the capital of Greece for some years in the mid 19th century. Athens was at this point a minor town in the borders of newly assembled Greece and occupied land. Based on its situation and fortresses I can see why Náfplio was the first choice.
City beach of Náfplio. I always bring a stone or two from each beach I visit in the Mediterranean (which might explain why my backpack is a lot more heavy when going home...).
Can I haz food, puh-lease?
Although I missed out on some of the obvious tourist places in Peloponnese (notably Olympia, Mycenae and the theatre of Epidauros), I got to see a lot of the peninsula, and had a wonderful time. I also got to practice my Greek, which was fun (and made me realize how little I can), and I ate basically all the food and ice cream they had... My love for the country is definitely strengthened after this!
I found a dead cheap flight-only charter trip to the Ionian island Zákynthos. A beautiful place which I saw all too little of, because I was to meet people over at the main land AKA Peloponnese. I took ferry and bus to get from Zákynthos to Trípolis some hours away, which was a fun trip in itself.
Fish taverna in Zákynthos city
Taking ferry from Zákynthos to Kyllíni on the main land.
We stayed at a partly closed medical center near ancient Tegéa in inner Peloponnese. Quite amusing. Luckily we had rented a car for one week, and drove around a lot, which I think was a good idea.
To the lovely beach Astros...
...which I absolutely loved...
To Spárta, of which old ruins mostly include a Roman theatre and wonderful surroundings...
This is.... SPAAAARTAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!
It was so hot in Spárta, and I chose to wear WOOL on my head? Yeah...
To nearby Mystrá, a Byzantine city climbing from the foot to the top of the mountain...
To the most amazing little taverna up in the mountains (which there are a lot of at Peloponnese). I know it's a cliché, to find these hidden little places and call it best evvah, but it really was. I think the name of the place was Anadholiána.
To Neméa, where parts of the grand Hercules temple still stands. It was in Neméa he slay the nemean lion, as a part of his many tasks.
To Tegéa, where Norwegian, Danish and Greek archeologists are working on uncovering the ancient city as well as Byzantine settlements.
Around the archeological field there's a lovely green park with playground, outdoor café, church and monuments. I loved the roof tiles on this one.
To Trípolis, a quasi urban inland city with cool bars, like the Olive bar.
To fantastic Náfplio, with it's Italian flair, glazed streets, yummy food, yummy beaches and many castles. Being a Venetian colony for 150 years really made the place a nice mix of Greece and Italy.
This is from the upper castle/fortress, of which I had to climb almost a thousand stairs to reach. The view up there was fantastic, and the fortress very intact.
Náfplio did in fact serve as the capital of Greece for some years in the mid 19th century. Athens was at this point a minor town in the borders of newly assembled Greece and occupied land. Based on its situation and fortresses I can see why Náfplio was the first choice.
City beach of Náfplio. I always bring a stone or two from each beach I visit in the Mediterranean (which might explain why my backpack is a lot more heavy when going home...).
Can I haz food, puh-lease?
Although I missed out on some of the obvious tourist places in Peloponnese (notably Olympia, Mycenae and the theatre of Epidauros), I got to see a lot of the peninsula, and had a wonderful time. I also got to practice my Greek, which was fun (and made me realize how little I can), and I ate basically all the food and ice cream they had... My love for the country is definitely strengthened after this!