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Day 9: Byzantine Mystras
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In the morning we said goodbye to the rock, and headed to medieval Mystras. Situated on the side of a large mountain, we were all happy to hear the tour started at the top, and not the bottom where we'd picked up the tickets! Cristos again perfectly navigated the tight drives. At the top were more fantastic views of the valley below, with the Town of Sparta in the distance.
Our Mystras tour guide was an archeologist at the site and had vast amounts of knowledge to share. With the large quantity of information, combined with the breathtaking views and very rugged terrain, we tuned out some portions of the history lesson and just took in the incredible surroundings. The churches and ruins as we traversed down were interesting and well-preserved.
Group Lunch Sparta
For lunch, we went to the restaurant Elysse in Sparta. The setting was a quaint, old diner feel. The service was excellent and the food hearty and good. We only spent a short time in Sparta after lunch. It seemed to be an industrial, less tourism, working town. After grabbing a picture of the Statue of Leonidas at our meeting place, we departed for Nafplio.
Nafplio Arrival
Cristos again navigated us to the top of the narrow streets to our dropoff at the Pension Marianna Hotel. The owners were fantastic! They helped with our luggage and cheerfully treated us to handpicked and squeezed orange juice and fresh cumquats on the rooftop terrace. The views were magnificent from the hotel, overlooking the rooftops and harbor below.
Dafni guided us into town on a casual orientation walk of the city. We ended at Karonis Wine Shop as a group for a private wine and Ouzo tasting. Everywhere we had been in Greece was so safe and friendly, we let the teens of our group explore Nafplio on their own, while the adults enjoyed the spirits lesson, which was well informed and flavorful.
Ziana was excited to share their discovery. Just around the corner, with busy pedestrian walkways and city bustle, was a litter of cute kittens, in a courtyard off the main path. No mom was in sight, but there was a bowl of milk and some boxes for shelter.
For dinner, we went to the harbor front street and ate at Arapakos with a few other group members. We ordered like Greeks and ordered multiple dishes to try and share.
We finished the evening with a few glasses of wine, sitting on the lovely hotel rooftop terrace, overlooking the world below.
Now this was vacation!
