Myths in the Mountains

Jo and I have just returned from a fabulous holiday in the south western part of the Peloponnese, Greece… a wild region with a magical atmosphere.  Joining us were pals Dizzy from UK and Ian from Canada.

As always, we were keen to visit some of those extraordinary ruins. Firstly, following a mountain drive, we walked around the ancient Bronze Age palace of King Nestor, who fought in the legendary Trojan War over 3000 years ago. The hearth which burned in front of his throne still stands there intact!  

The next day, beyond more mountains we visited the ancient site of Sparta, once home to King Menelaus and his wife, known as Helen of Troy. Sparta was later the military force which helped to push back the Persians but later brought Athens to its knees… 
Further into the mountains was the strange but beautiful ghost town of Mystras, with atmospheric old monasteries and churches, all overlooked by the castle, high up on a mountain top.

The fourth site we visited was Messene, a beautiful ancient site, initially crushed by the ubiquitous Spartans, but later freed to become a thriving city and healing centre, replete with a theatre, stadium, temples and halls of healing. We had a fantastic taverna lunch in the mountains with a spectacular view of that gorgeous place.

Greece is never complete without a ride on the water! Our boat sped out to sea from Kalamata and then wound its way around that mythical coastline with massive cloud topped craggy mountains rising above legendary sea caves. The colours of the water ranged from deep blue to vibrant turquoise…

Greece remains as mystical as ever, and we all enjoyed every minute in that spellbinding country.

Our thanks to Ian for driving and translating so much into Greek for us! It was a joy to be joined by our friends. Many thanks too as always to Thames Travel.

We always look forward to returning to that mythical world…