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We bought our Bavaria 37 in the late summer of 2019 and sailed around the Netherlands. Then Covid happened. The boat was on the "hard" for 2 years before we were able to set sail again! Read more British Columbia, Canada
  • TravelerGreek Odyssey
    1
    Day 22–24

    Izmir, Turkey

    April 30 in Turkey ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C

    After experiencing the weird 🤪 and not so wonderful 🙄honeymoon suite, we switched hotels and wandered about Izmir. The market bazaar was teeming with people and vendors selling everything from toenail clippers to fish, fruit, fabric, oars, guns 🤯, and wedding dresses! So many wedding/formal shops! The fish and meat mongers had it all laid out, in the heat, with no ice or refrigeration, occasionally watering the fish with a watering can! I wonder how they can sell it all and what do they do with it at the end of the day? Sell it the next? 🤢
    We went to the ancient agora founded by Alexander the Great, more rocks, columns, arches and an interesting cemetery.
    The next morning we went to pick up train tickets for Istanbul to Plovdiv, Bulgaria which couldn't be done online. It took 1.5 hrs. of patience, frustration, translations, price changes, even drawings of stick people and circles to represent sleeping compartments for 2 pairs, 4 people 🤯. We think we have the right tickets...well find out next week!
    It was May Day, their Labour Day holiday, so there was music, marches, dancing and crowds! The police presence was somewhat alarming as there were traffic, riot, Izmir police plus helicopter and boats! It all seemed quite civil and celebratory so I don't know why there were so many police. Back at the hotel we sat in the lobby where we were treated to tea and strawberries. We have found both Greek and Turks are generous with food offerings 🥰. The drivers are fast, and motorcyclists drive anywhere so you have to be on guard, even on sidewalks! A fellow at the hotel had been knocked over and was off to the hospital! I am surprised at the lack of English, particularly with people in the tourist industry - hotel reception, tourist info, train ticket personnel! Thank goodness for Google translate app!
    Izmir is like any big city, busy, dirty, with a few highlights,- museums and parks. Lots of mosques and loud calls to prayer 5 times a day starting before 5 a.m.!    Read more

  • TravelerGreek Odyssey
    11
    Day 21

    Loutraki to Izmir 🚗🤪🤯🤬🛩

    April 29 in Greece ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    Bob the (failing) barista declined to get coffee to have on the balcony so we went for breakfast then walked the neighbourhood and along the beachfront before checking out. Our flight to Izmir wasn't until 4:30 and the time to the airport was just over an hour, supposedly, so we had plenty of time...
    We drove along the coast to the lighthouse and the ruins of the Temple of Hera. Gorgeous view and we could see the entrance to the Corinth Canal in the distance. On our way back, we picked up an elderly man hitchhiking from his village inland. He didn't speak or understand English but said something when he wanted out in Loutraki. I wondered how he'd get home again...
    It was around noon and we made a quick stop at the Corinth Canal, at first peering over the side but wouldn't/couldn't get closer 😬 to see the bottom and decided to see it from the bridge; we walked across. What a marvel! The colour of the water is spectacular!
    We set off for Athens Airport with time to spare. Not! We got lost trying to get to the off-site car rental. Bob kept driving while I, like the GPS in the car, kept "recalibrating"! 🤯 We went through the tolls going both ways 🤪 and finally called the car rental to get them to direct us. Bob used his skills with the standard shift to reverse, u-turn, speed up, stop, 🤬, while I read out road signs to the fellow on the phone! We made it to the car rental just before 3 and got on the shuttle to the airport, hoping for no glitches at passport control and security. Haven't not eaten since breakfast, we scarfed down some snacks and Bob used his skills to open the beer bottle with nail ✂️! We boarded the plane and breathed a sigh of relief, until we took off and the plane dipped and bumped until we reached altitude. A few more glitches buying train tickets into Izmir and finding our hotel but when we arrived, we were "upgraded" to the honeymoon suite 🤣. At first glance, lovely and eclectic/gaudy in decor, but as the saying goes, all that glitters is not gold. We'd arrived in Turkey!    Read more

  • TravelerGreek Odyssey
    Day 20

    Mycenae, Argos, Loutraki

    April 28 in Greece ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C

    The tombs of Agememnon and his murderous wife, Clytemnestra were fabulous! Each a huge cavernous space with a side room and built in a dome/honeycomb shape. We climbed to the Citadel of Mycenae passing through the Lion Gate, the oldest monumental relief in Europe, built in 1240BC. It's miraculous that pottery has been found intact or that pieces have been reconstructed! Painstaking work but rewarding in its accomplishment!
    We drove back to Argos for lunch, decided not to stay and drove to Corinth but went along the coast a few kms. to Loutraki and checked in to a hotel with a lovely sea view of Corinth and the opposite shore. It was very windy so gave up having a swim and instead watched windsurfers zipping along in the bay until after the gorgeous sunset.    Read more

  • TravelerGreek Odyssey
    Day 18–19

    Best laid plans...

    April 26 in Greece ⋅ ☀️ 11 °C

    After a lovely breakfast and walk along the sea, we headed north from Monemvasia to Nafplion past orange and olive groves, a fig orchard (only one we've seen as they just seem to grow wild everywhere!), mountains and valleys. We had a series of switchbacks coming down to the sea across from Nafplion, then around the top of the bay and into town. It was so busy! We found out that with Orthodox Easter and a Yacht show, hotels were booked but we were able to get 1 night. We parked 2 blocks away then wandered along looking at the super yachts and through the old town, had dinner and to bed.
    We decided to move to a hotel in Tolo, a small seaside town down the road so packed up and went to the car to discover we were completely blocked in by a street market! We asked the fellow if we could help move his things to get out, no, there until 3 or 4! Good thing we didn't have a flight! Our plans for Epidaurus and Mycenae were dashed! Nothing we could do but wander Nafplion so we headed up the hill rather than the 851 steps to the fortress, took in the views, wandered down to the beach and along the sea front, and around the point to the yacht show. Mostly power yachts and a few sail boats, one classic yacht where we stopped and chatted. The exhibition was for yacht brokers to enlist the boats for charters, not lowly peons like us!
    We decided to get things from the car- swimsuits, books and head to the beach. When we arrived at the car, we realized 2 cars beside had somehow gotten out so now it was our turn to negotiate! The market people turned out to be helpful moving bins, and hanging clothes and directing Bob through the narrow passage forward, reversing and turning while I walked in front clearing things and people! When we got out, I felt liberated! Bob did an amazing job with the standard shift saying he wouldn't have been able to do it on the first days with the car! All the switchbacks and tight corners paid off! Since it was early afternoon, we checked into the hotel in Tolo and went off to Epidaurus which has the ancient healing centre and an amphitheatre that is still used today! Fantastic acoustics and in ancient times could seat 14000 in and around! Disappointing archeological site though as it's overgrown and has scaffolding to repair but the theatre was worth it.
    The best laid plans sometimes change and work out!    Read more

  • TravelerGreek Odyssey
    1
    Day 17

    Monemvasia- a 6th century fortress

    April 25 in Greece ⋅ 🌬 19 °C

    Not much can beat coffee on the balcony or cockpit of a boat watching the sun rise over the sea and listening to the birds, waves and church bells if you happen to be close. 🥰 On this early, calm morning, I watched a lone sailboat leave the dock and wondered where she was off to...
    We were land bound so we set off to climb to the top of the island mountain through 3 sections of the Byzantine fortress: lower level a warren of shops, pensions, restaurants, churches and the lighthouse where Bob checked his compass with the one painted on the ground to ensure its veracity😉🤣 ; mid-level with remains of houses and more churches, and at the top, more "piles of rocks" (Bob's description)😅
    The trip was challenging with gravel, rocks, stone stairs and a grassy field to cross and the wind💨 Wow! I thought I might get blown off! We stopped on our way down and sat under a gnarly olive tree to eat some fruit then made our way down, sometimes sitting on the rocks to get a sure footing. Our excursion to the top was over 7 kms! Back at our hotel, we sat on the beach but declined a swim as it was still windy, although it did not deter a young man from swimming and drying off in the sun and wind!
    We drove back over the bridge (which once upon a time had 14 arches, 2 drawbridges and towers at either end) to have dinner in the lower town. Too windy to sit out but lovely just the same.    Read more

  • TravelerGreek Odyssey
    211
    Day 16

    Mystras climb to Monemvasia swim

    April 24 in Greece ⋅ ☁️ 22 °C

    Mystras Palace is the site of a Byzantine town of 3 levels with the Palace at the top. A former Monastery is in the middle and it is now a working convent! A number of other churches on the way up too. The path up was rocky, with some stone stairs, and was quite busy with tours-students and seniors. The view from the top was spectacular as the Sirocco winds had abated and the sky was mostly clear. Kids were clambering on the ledges 😬 and when Bob was taking off the backpack, I had visions of our passports falling into the gorge below! The whole walk was over 4 kms. with the trip down being a bit more challenging on the well worn, somewhat slippery rocks. We made a pit stop in Sparta to see the statue of Leonides, King of Sparta and to pick up some food and drinks. The drive SE to the coastal town of Monemvasia was on a good road between hills and mountains and we made it there in good time to have some beach time and a refreshing swim for me! The water was definitely colder than on the other coast but lovely. The view from our room was of the island mountain fortress and the sea. Beautiful. We walked along the shore and had dinner where a lovely cat became my dinner companion. The server said it's because I have a good aura... Cats are everywhere in Greece, mostly strays but some are friendly, some are skittish, they are clean and appear to be cared for.
    Lulled to sleep with bells and waves lapping.    Read more

  • TravelerGreek Odyssey
    1
    Day 15

    Diros Caves, Sirocco winds

    April 23 in Greece ⋅ ☁️ 22 °C

    After yesterday's wild wind at Methoni, we woke up to find our car covered in Sahara dust and sand from the Sirocco wind! The wind 🌬💨continued throughout the day so the trees were whipping about and the sea looked wild.🌊 Glad we weren't on a boat! The drive south to the Diros Caves was 90 kms and it took us 3 hours! The coastal and mountainous roads were narrow and full of twists and turns through small villages. In one village we had to reverse to find a space to allow oncoming traffic to pass us! We arrived at the Caves with 20 minutes to spare before the next tour so it was time for a snack only to discover Bob had left the food bag back at the hotel reception when paying the bill!
    🤯🤬
    The Diros Caves were discovered by a local fisherman in the early 1900s. Cave divers have continued to explore and map it. To date, 14,700 meters of routes have been mapped. Most of the Cave is located below the surface of the water. The Caves are full of stalactites and stalagmites to a depth of 80 meters. Fossilized bones from panthers, hyenas, lions, deer and ferrets, and the largest deposit of hippo bones in Europe, have been found in the cave. Our little boat trip through was less than 2 kms but spectacular! We chatted with a couple after who are traveling in their motorhome. They came from the Netherlands and are wandering about. They advised that the road to Sparta from the Caves was a good 2 lane highway - whew! They recommended staying in Mystras instead of Sparta. We set off after stopping at a market for a snack, ate in the car with the wind whipping about then made the 55km trip in an hour! It felt like we were race car drivers compared to the morning's trip! We arrived in Sparta where there were no hotels available and it was a construction zone so we drove down the road to Mystras, a beautiful village nestled below the Byzantine castle and Monastery of the 15th century, and booked into a guesthouse with a friendly owner/ hostess. Dinner and a stroll around the village with a view to the next day's climb to the top ended our long day!    Read more

  • TravelerGreek Odyssey
    1
    Day 14

    More Pylos and Methoni

    April 22 in Greece ⋅ 🌬 22 °C

    Pylos Castle is one of the best preserved fortresses in Greece built by the Turks in 1573. This castle was a reinforcement for the south-west top of the Ottoman Empire, and the Turks thereby obtained safe harbourage against a seaborne foe.
    The Castle of Methoni is a medieval fortification. The castle of Methoni occupies the whole area of the cape and the southwestern coast to the small islet that has also been fortified with an octagonal tower and is protected by the sea on its three sides.
    Methoni was only a ahort distance from Pylos but oh, the Sirocco wind was howling! It was a warm wind but so strong. Glad we weren't sailing; we did see 2 boats though, surfing along, sails down! We'd planned to have a picnic on the beach but ended up eating in the car watching a kite surfer zip back and forth. The sky was becoming grayer/hazier and we decided we'd had enough castles so we headed back to our hotel. When we got back we had dinner on the beach (enclosed) but couldn't see across the bay. The Sahara sand was blowing in!    Read more

  • TravelerGreek Odyssey
    Day 14

    Pylos Fortress

    April 22 in Greece ⋅ 🌬 23 °C

    We had a delicious breakfast on the pool deck overlooking the sea, then set off to go down the other coast to Pylos Castle. It's only about 50 km. but it usually takes us twice as long on the narrow mountain roads! Other drivers are faster but respectful and Bob pulls closer to the edge 🤯😬 to allow cars to pass. Oncoming cars pull over too so there aren't any near misses. Some like to pass close to a curve so it's a bit tense momentarily!
    Pylos town has a lovely harbour and its town square was busy and once again, tour groups of kids were at the fortress. The fortress had good views all around but the highlights were the small museums of artifacts found underwater. Amazing discoveries of settlements.    Read more

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