Jojo's BIG FAT GREEK Birthday

Our adventure continues! After our flights from Milos were canceled due to a wild electrical storm, we caught a ferry ( spewcat) to Athens that arrived at 10 pm, immediately picked up a hire car with David nominated as driver we embarked on a thrilling two hour late night drive to Nafplio—navigating Greek roads, between highway signs and google maps lets just say it was a relief to arrive at beautiful Nafplio. We spent two wonderful nights in Nafplio exploring its majestic castle perched 990 steps above the town and wandering through the charming, old town. It was incredible to see the massive mega yachts docked in the harbor, and walking along the scenic promenade for a swim in the sea was fun until Bob got an unexpected surprise and was bitten by a fish 😅.
​Hitting the road again, we drove from Nafplio to Kalamata, stopping along the way at historical stops. First, we explored the ancient Sanctuary of Epidaurus, marveling at its legendary, remarkably preserved open air theater, famous for its acoustics where a whisper from the center of the stage can be heard clearly in the very last row. Next, we wandered through the sprawling ruins of the Archaeological Site of Mycenae, walking through the iconic Lion Gate, marveling at the massive stone walls and looking out over the ancient citadel of the Bronze Age kings.
​After checking in for our overnight stay in Kalamata, we enjoyed a walk along the waterfront. The contrast of small traditional fishing boats alongside mega yachts on the harbour revealed lifestyles that are worlds apart. We were invited to join a game of Mölkky by some locals; it was such fun, and even better because I actually won! On our drive back to Athens, we made a quick stop at Sparta for a photo with the Statue of Leonidas and explored the breathtaking Byzantine ruins of Mystras climbing up the hillside with its hauntingly preserved frescoes and palaces, and then stopped to admire the sheer, dramatic engineering cliffs of the Corinthian Canal.Read more