Today we're doing a coastal drive southward to see the sights, to the end of the Mani Peninsula. It's another great weather day - dry and temperate.
First stop, the village of Lagada - and a Byzantine church with terra-cotta/frescoes.
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We saw many of these miniature little church houses along the way of our drives around Greece. They're Iconostases placed to memorialize the spot where someone was killed or as an offering where someone was saved.
Moving along, we get close to the water and figure it's a place to take a quick break and admire the scenery.
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Now arriving in Areapoli, a larger town and the commercial center of the peninsula, but worth finding a place to park on the square and walk about the town. Here's a statue to a hero who led the beginning of the struggle for independence against the Ottomans from 1821.
Old stone structures and narrow streets...
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After some figuring out on which fork in the road is right, we get as far South as we can drive, and start walking.
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Roman ruins of a very old villa nearby.
We still have a lot of driving to do, and the trail is really rough, so we decide this as far as we want to trek - note the lighthouse at the far end (it's tiny in the picture, just below Gerri's curly hair) still about 30 minutes hike away.
Now coming back the west side of the peninsula we see a long abandoned village - where younger generations just didn't want to stay.
Very pebbly and rocky beaches, and cold water.
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Time for a late lunch, we found a local's place port side in Gythio.
And the typical land dweller meat for Tim and a whole fish for Gerri, with an octopus tentacle thrown in for good measure.
We find our lodging looking out on the "rock" that is Monemvasia, where tomorrow we explore it.
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