History on the Peloponnese Part I

Tholos Tomb, Mycenae
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Our first night on the Peloponnese was in Nafplio, a city guarded by a fortress built in the 18^th century during Venetian occupation. A small island fortress also guards the harbour – spectacularly lit after sunset. Our night in the city brought to our attention the subtleties of Greek life. Given the extreme temperatures in the summer, it is just not possible to maintain the schedule of activities that Canadians are accustomed to. When we arrived late in the afternoon, all shops were closed and to all appearances the city was asleep. This is the case all over Greece, with the exception of a few tourists posts open to cater to Western travelers. Life shuts down in the hot, afternoon heat. Dinner is consumed later in the evening then what I am used to and lasts for a much longer period of time. Dinner is an event, a social occasion and not just the food consumed. Following the nightly feast the shops begin to open again.

Island Fortress at Nafplio
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I accompanied a group of my tour mates out that night to explore the city. The temperature was somewhat more comfortable for exploring than it had been when we arrived (now only 30 degrees Celsius at 10:00pm). I was amazed at how much activity was on the streets and it was obvious that this was only the beginning of the night. Young children were out in the playground finally able to touch the metal surfaces without burning their little hands. Life in Greece runs on a different clock because they must. Their climate dictates their schedule.

This was my first glimpse of Komboloi

Nafplio
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Observing the citizens as they strolled through the streets I noticed that almost every male was tossing through their hands a string of beads. This was my first glimpse of Komboloi, or worry beads as they’re commonly called, and they would be a constant sight throughout Greece. The origin of the beads is not known definitively, but I was told that they were first used by persecuted Greeks to mock their Turkish captors’ prayer beads. Komboloi are everywhere you look – in the hands of men of all ages, on rearview mirrors, as decorations and being sold in nearly every shop you enter. Some are cheap, consisting of only plastic beads, and others sell for hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars when precious stones are used. They are becoming a fashion accessory of sorts in recent decades and a women’s version (a single bead on a string) is now available.

View from Hotel in Pylos
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We left Nafplio early the next morning to head to the Bronze Age site of Mycenae. It was once one of the most powerful centres in Greece, long before Athens glory days, and was abandoned around 1100 BC. It was during this era that the great Trojan War was said to have occurred. Mycenae was the home of Agamemnon, one of the chief characters in the saga. We began our tour of the site at the Treasury of Arteus, a large, entirely intact Tholos tomb. King Arteus was said to have slaughtered his brothers’ children and fed them to him. The gods were so outraged that a curse was placed on him and his decedents, including Agamemnon who was murdered by his own wife after he returned from his battles at Troy. The tomb is impressive with stones at its base almost reaching my own height. Standing in the centre of the tomb, I was amazed at its size and complexity.

Sara and I on the beach at Pylos
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After a quick tour of the museum we were given time to explore the ancient site including the remains of the palace. Mycenae was surrounded by “cyclopean” walls, so called because later Greeks assumed they were built a Cyclops because of their massive size. You pass through the walls at the famous Lion Gate. To your right is a large shaft grave where archaeologists uncovered countless artifacts including the so-called golden mask of Agamemnon. As Sara and I made our way to the palace I was struck by the noise that is the Greek countryside. Cicada’s are common throughout the Mediterranean and are a constant source of noise. I happened to catch sight of one of these bugs, about two-inches long, resting on an olive tree. If only pictures could capture the sounds, smells and heat of Greece!

Bath at the Palace of Nestor
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That afternoon we traveled to Sparta, once home to a culture that I am absolutely fascinated with. Little remains of ancient Sparta. As a society, they did not place great worth on building vast structures like their rivals in Athens. When one views its remains it is hard to believe that Sparta was once more powerful than Athens and its mighty construction. But the Spartan lifestyle was unique. They were a warrior people, first and foremost, and everything they did in life was in pursuit of excellence. They essentially enslaved a neighboring province to farm for them as all their efforts were consumed with preparing for battle. When we arrived in Sparta, Sara and I were eager to beat the crowds and so, despite the heat, we headed for the city’s ancient ruins. Unlike other historic sites in Greece, this site is not guarded by any fence or wires and charges no admission. Following a dirt path through a grassy area you come across the circular remains of columns here and there. Their frequency increases and soon you come upon an old amphitheatre. Climbing to its top we were treated to an outstanding view over the valley that stretches up into the Taygetos mountain range. It then hit us both that we had the entire site to ourselves and we took great pleasure in examining the ruins to their tiniest detail. Eventually, the heat became too much and we returned to the hotel for some much needed air conditioning.

Lion Gate, Mycenae
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The next morning we headed into the mountains to the Byzantine settlement of Mystras. To be honest, I was not particularly looking forward to the visit as I had little knowledge of this part of Greek history. I guess I felt the history was too new to be of interest! I was certainly mistaken in my assumption as I was in awe at what I was about to experience. The settlement cascades down a mountain and we began our tour at the top. Our bus dropped us off at the base of a castle with a cobble stone path leading us to the summit. Sara and I hoped to get away from the larger group to experience the site in solitude so after paying our admission we raced away from the group up the narrow path. There was still a decent distance to climb so our running quickly slowed to a moderate walk. When we reached the top we were rewarded for our efforts with one of the most outstanding views I have ever seen. Soon the quiet was interrupted as the rest of the group joined us. They were all amazed at our athletic abilities at running up the mountain – they believed we reached the summit long before them. Neither of us bothered to correct them and enjoyed being labeled the “young, fit ones” for the rest of our Greek tour.

Ancient Sparta
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The site itself was first settled in 1249 during the Byzantine era. Countless ruins can be explored including numerous churches and monasteries, one of which remains in use today. The rounded, terracotta roof tops dot the hillside from top to bottom. Many of the interiors are still adorned with religious artifacts and some remain in use at various times during the day. The hike down the mountain takes double the time necessary given the countless number of ruins to explore. My time in Mystras reminded me that there is more to Greece than its ancient past. Its history does not contain holes of time between the days of Sparta and today. Greek culture has also been shaped by what I once considered insignificant moments in history. Mystras was also the first place where I truly began to appreciate the beauty of the Greek landscape. I have never before thought about what the land would look like and I now consider myself privileged to have seen its blue waters, majestic mountains and the pastures in between.

Path to the Castle on the summit of Mystras
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The next town on our tour was Pylos, the site of some famous battles throughout history. It is situated on the west coast of the Peloponnese at a large natural harbour. I have been very fortunate in my life to have visited some beautiful places, but Pylos has to be the most picturesque town I have ever seen. The waters in the harbour are a spectacular rich blue and palm trees line the small streets as they converge on the large, vibrant town square. Our hotel was just across the street from the water with a patio that was well used during our short stay.

Mystras
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Pylos was once known as Navarino when it was under Venetian control and was the site of the famous Battle of Navarino, which was the decisive event in Greece gaining its independence in 1827. The Greeks were joined by their allies, Britain, France and Russia, in sea combat against Turkey, Egypt and Tunisia. The allied forces anchored their ships within the harbour amidst their enemies. It is said that one of Turkish ships fired the first shot of the battle for some unknown reason – our tour guide suggested it was mistakenly fired – and the allies responded with great force. When the smoke cleared, an estimated three-quarters of the Ottoman- Egyptian fleet was sunk. It is said that when the waters off Pylos are calm, one can see the remains of the ships from the shore. Unfortunately, the sea was choppy when we arrived.

After dumping our bags in the hotel Sara and I went for a walk along the waterfront. I think it’s safe to say that we fell in love with this town immediately. We found ourselves skipping along the pier (literally) and dipping our feet into the warm waters. We then lay out on the ground right at the waters edge and were just giddy as the waves began to crash over us. The town was quiet, without the masses of tourists we had been growing accustomed to at all the sites we visited. We made our way down to the beach where we met up with a few others in our group and enjoyed the refreshing sea breeze and the reprieve from the constant heat. Sara and I had to tear ourselves away from the town for a short while as we returned to our hotel to do some much needed laundry.

Dinner that night was courtesy of the hotel at their seating area is across the street right at the waters edge. The meal was delicious, as all our meals in Greece, and as we were finishing we noted the breeze growing stronger and even more refreshing. It was then that Sara and I both had the same look of panic wash over our faces. We learned quickly that hanging one’s clothes out to dry in the hot, Greek air is the fastest way to dry laundry. We knew that by the time we finished our meal our clothes would be ready to pack – if they were still on the balcony on which we hung them. Both of us had visions of our underwear flying throughout the picturesque town, shattering the perfect atmosphere. I am happy to report that this did not occur. Despite finding items precariously close to the balconies edge, all items were accounted for and promptly moved indoors.

It was with heavy hearts that we left Pylos the next morning. Our tour guide permitted us all to sleep in a littler later than our usual 6:30am wakeup call as we didn’t have far to travel to get to our next famous site. The Palace of Nestor is located just a short drive away from the town at a site that offers a commanding view of the harbour. It is a small site that was discovered in 1939. All that remains today are walls a few feet high, several pots and the remains of various household fixtures. In one of Homer’s famous epics, the Odyssey, Telemachus came to the Palace in search of his father, Odysseus, who did not return home from the Trojan War. King Nestor’s youngest daughter was said to have run a bath for the young man and, sure enough, a bath was uncovered at the site. There is much debate over whether the Trojan War ever happened according to Homer’s epic and this archeological find is cited as evidence that it did.