Drive to Nafplio for coffee. Actually ice cream for me – F&E combined the 2 and had alfagatto!
Looked at super yachts. One was $80m build and owned by the founder of Home Depot. His was positively small compared to the really huge one … the web would not even give any info on it. So who owns that then!? I have since found out it is owned by Sheikh Monsour bin Zayed al Nahyan – vp of United Arab Emirates and owner of Man City. Build cost €400 million.
You really don’t get the scale of the biggieLovely architecture and paint colours – they definitely used a colour wheel to coordinate Main square SyntagmaBourton island, once a fort. Then different inmates – a hotel until shut down by the Junta
Edward and I shared the driving down to Monemvasia. A lot of quiet motorway with frequent €2.80 tolls.
Another excellent meal out. We have commented on how unimaginative our local Cretan tavernas are.
F&E again up earlier than their natural body clocks. Early at Ancient Nemea… beating the coaches and crowds again. However, not a major site so no coaches at all.
Ancient Nemea was the birthplace of the Pangellenic Games in 4 BC. However, like so many prototypes, subsequent versions were better. The Games moved to Argos.
Temple to Zeus C4 BC3 columns erected in 2000 to help folk visualise …… So many column pieces should they decide to erect more
The stadium was close by. Through a tunnel that another tourist dawdled through. 4000 spectators but they had to perch on the ground as no evidence of seats.
Image of the stone starting blocksThe actual starting blocks They didn’t run any further!!!Entrance tunnel used by the atheletes
Winery No. 6 – Lantides
Despite email confirmation, they had forgotten our reservation. However, the son of the founder stepped up. No nibbles though.
It was a step up to the stools too
Very good wines and inexpensive compared to some. Purchases.
Winery No. 7 – Aivalis
Bit of a theme for today … our reservation forgotten. Son of the founder stepped up. They did find us some nibbles. Lovely young man, but he looked like he had been in a massacre … covered in red grape juice. What a way to go!
Only 3 wines. Two oaked @€25. The other had only been bottled 2 days ago and so needed to settle. Small purchases.
And thank goodness no more wineries. They have all been interesting and different but we are so done.
Back at the apartment we reheated the take away from last night’s restaurant.
And drank the opened bottles used for the tastings that today’s wineries had given us.
I thought James and I would have visited here. Checked the blog … it seems not. A few coaches when we arrived. 30-40 when we departed. I mostly skipped the museum due to the crowds.
Site had a concrete path to follow with good info boards. Agamemnon and other Greek hero’s ruled here.
Lion GateCopy of the gold mask that may (or may not) have been Agamemnon!The top pix are the Treasury Tholos / tomba little outside the citadel – largest one. Huge dome. Other tholos around the site
Winery No. 5 – Palivou
Another tour. More wines. They are irrigating which the others weren’t. 🙄 Seemed quite commercial with organised tours turning up. However the Estate Nemea was pleasant and worth the €9 each for the 2 boxes I bought. Would have liked to taste the one partly aged in Acacia wood. Not available for tasting and not about to pay €60 for a bottle to identify the nutty notes.
Meal out was fabulous. Walking distance for us all. And taking out salad and pork dishes … cold for us to reheat tomorrow..
It doesn’t matter how many times I visit, it is still incredibly moving. As reprisals for the resistance, on 13th December 1943, Germans approached from all sides. Killing and burning as they went. Everyone was pushed into the school. Men and boys over 13 one way, women children and old men in another room. The men were taken up the hill and machine gunned. 700 killed. The village was set on fire. The women realised that they were to be burned in the school, so broke down a door. A sole German sentry let them run down the hill. The next day when the women returned, they found their men. Many used bare hands, as their houses had been destroyed to bury their family.
Aged 13Outside the school museum. A mother pulling her dead husband on a blood stained coat whilst the crying children look onPhoto of the male staff and boys, most murderedLiving testimony from a few survivors – then children The front school door, permanently closed
We then slid down the hill for two wine tastings. Amazing scenery on the way up and down.
Winery No. 2 – Mega Spilleo
The winery had been attached to the monastery of the same name. The Germans also burned this and killed some of the monks. Since the war, the vines had been left for the goats and sheep to graze. The land was leased out in 1999 since when the owners had expanded and are making some interesting wines. Given the geographic layout there is no irrigation as they rely on the morning dew.
The premium wine tastingGlass floor to original Monks’ wine vatsThe ancient concrete and clay amphora
Winery No. 3 – Tetramythos
A lovely lady, happy to chat but the wines v poor – a poor comparison to Mega Spilleo.
But we got to see the wines being sorted, crushed and piped into a vat.
SortingGrapes slightly crushed into pipesThe waste stalks used for manurePipes to tanksPine to make retsina
And the lovely girl suggested a fab traditional grill restaurant with views for an early supper. Funnily enough, the others felt wined out! I managed a few gins!
Good buffet breakfast for €8 … drank that in coffee alone.
Mystras is an amazing city. Byzantine architecture. Only did a bit as it is huge.
The monastery still houses nuns. One gave us a piece of Turkish delight, although shouldn’t call it Turkish!
The nuns are obviously green fingered
Motorway to Tselepos Winery. Good wines. Including Amalia Brut sparkling which is our go to at home. €100 for a box of 6 from the dusty cave. €13 a bottle here plus a discount for the volume I purchased. At this rate of purchasing, it will not be long before France’s and Edward are evicted from the car.
Empty glasses!The grape press is unusual in that it has a balloon inside to press the grapes against the outside wall. Interesting use of clay and concrete pots for the grapes.
The house we have for 2 nights is fab. Gorgeous garden and outside kitchen which it is too cold to use.
