Had to get up super early today to catch the ferry to Santorini so this post is actually for yesterday :D
....Today began with me waking myself up laughing.
Evidently my dream had been rather funny...and it probably was having to do with last night!
I didn't mention this on my post from yesterday because I had already published it by the time this all went down, but two of the other girls in my hostel room - both from Australia (Sydney and Melbourne!) - and I went out for dinner! We walked until we found a place that looked good and had the Greece-vs-Germany soccer game on! It was quite a night! We had some gyros, a beef dish, some Greek sweet cakes for dessert, tons of bread, and a lot of fun just getting to know each other! The two of them were so hilarious and seriously would talk a mile a minute!! And they had been each traveling for quite a while, so they had plenty of stories and advice for me which I gladly listened to! Even our waiter noticed how much fun we were having and began to do little dances around our table when he brought us our dishes! It was the best!!! I totally wish I could've been traveling with them forever! ....miss my Aussie days....
However, eventually our stomachs began to groan in exhaustion so we all headed back to actually get some sleep...and for me to dream of something rather amusing :)
I'm glad I woke up with a smile though, because I had to rise pretty early in order to run over and catch another tour bus (it actually was the same one as my 2-day trip! Even the Canadian couple I mentioned were on it again!) - this time headed for Mycenae and Epidaurus!
Luckily I had more time than I thought and even had a chance to grab a couple of delicious and cheap (40 cents a piece!) pastries filled with creamy cheese and spinach....they were sooooo good!! ...I seriously haven't had any Greek food yet that has been sub-par....
Anyways, once we got on the bus, it wasn't long before our tourguide (a young lady who I liked much better than our other two!) was telling us that we were approaching the Corinth Canal!
...evidently the idea for such a passage (separates the Peloponnesian from the Greek mainland at sea level) was thought up in the ancient era, but the plans weren't carried out until the 19th century!
After that short and very interesting stop, we continued on to our main destination - the ancient ruins of Mycenae!! When we arrived, I was ready to run to the Lion Gate! It was just like I had pictured it...only better!!!! The view from the city walls was so gorgeous!!
For background, this was the sight where that gold mask of Agamemnon was found. It was the main establishment of the king (probably not Agamemnon, but someone of the same tradition) and included not only the tombs, but an artisan's segment, numerous rooms, cisterns, etc. And all of the structures still standing have not been reconstructed - they all are the originals from around 1500 BC!!!
...where the mask and other gold items I saw in the National Archaeological Museum were found!
...look at that view!!!
Also, one random side note, it was interesting as I was walking around and looking at all the ruins, I noticed there was a pistachio tree right next to one of the ancient walls and out of the blue I said to myself, "oh I should tell mom about this"...haven't had a thought like that in a really long time. I think though, because I'm seeing all these ruins and the countryside witholive, orange, and pistachio orchards I keep thinking of how she loved all that stuff and how she herself traveled to Greece as a youngster. Kinda crazy how things kind of come full circle in life....
Anyways, after we had to leave the ruins, we moved on just a short ways until we came to another amazing site I've wanted to visit for soooo long!! The Tomb of Agamemnon, also known as the Treasury of Atreus...
...this tomb was built for the king of Mycenae and is one of the best surviving examples of such a 'beehive' tomb. It is one of the earliest domes made on such a massive scale too - the next of its kind was the Parthenon in Rome!!
....no mortar - just precise cutting and crazy balancing skills!
After our trip back into ancient, ancient time, we got back in the bus and drove a little bit until we came to a pottery workshop where we got to learn about how they made, and still make, ancient Greek pottery! It was really interesting!
Then we all were brought to a huge, totally gaudy Greek restaurant where we had lunch! The menu was moussaka along with some Greek salad, bread, chicken kebabs, fries, and nectarines. Also, I met some of the other folks on our tour...and they pretty much were all Canadian....lol!
Then, after lunch we continued on our route, passing by more gorgeous farmland and Greek countryside until we neared the coast and the little port-town of Nafplio!
...some more Mycenaean wall remnants we passed!
...the remnants of the medieval wall and tower in Nafplio
...more medieval walls!
....this was my FAVORITE! It's the Bourtzi castle built by the Venetians in the 15th century to protect the port from pirates and other invaders!
...so cool!!
After our short stop, our bus continued on until we reached the OTHER main attraction - Epidaurus!!
Here we got to see the amazing, acoustically-perfect ancient theater (where, when it's completely silent, you can hear an actor whisper even when you're sitting on the top row!), as well as some of the other ruins of the complex known as the asclepeion. This was basically a 'spa resort' of sorts where people from all over Greece would come to be healed by the god of medicine, Asclepeus. First, they would make an offering, then they would sleep in a small, completely dark room and receive instructions from Asclepeus in their dreams (after drinking some potent potions, of course!), and then they would go to the priests/doctors there and hopefully get their body all better! Then, once they were physically healed, they went to see a play at the theatre to 'heal their minds' and return to reality!
So, once we were all healthy again, we got on the bus and headed back for Athens!
When I returned, I cooled off a bit and attempted to paint my nails on the balcony of our hostel....let's just say it's not the most beautiful job I've ever done. But when I was finished, I joined that Australian gal for a late lunch and we had a really good time just talking and laughing and eating some seriously delicious food!
Unfortunately we did have to head back home and I had to start packing up for my early morning tomorrow! I have to get up at 4am to try and head over to Port Piraeus in order to jump on a ferry to Santorini!
Hope I make it ok!
Yay for leaps of faith! ....or stupidity....lol!
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