Before we enter the grounds, we read...
 |  |
Another workout trek, climbing to the top 2.7 miles round trip and 800 feet up, the penalty of building for defensive purposes is needing to use the side of a mountain.
 |  |
Byzantine Kitten on the prowl...
Great views on the way up...
 |  |
 |  |
700 year old frescoes inside a church...
We're not running into many tourists out here away from Athens, just the occasional end-of-school-year field trip groups. Reminds us of the old days, traveling with school buddies away from the not-so-old brick-and-mortar classroom.
Now going where only the tour bus people go, mostly, they get dropped off near the top and get to walk to the bottom. For the rest of us, it's another 300 foot bonus climb to the very top, after climbing up the first 500 feet.
Almost there, more reading, they provide a good amount of English translation alongside the Greek words.
At the very top, phew, the clouds have given a good amount of shade along the way.
Going back down now, here's a shot of the gate that separated the higher status people from the not so much statused people. If bad guys made it to this point, they'd have beefed up defenses to face to get beyond and above.
Here are structures that are still in "play", with an active church and about a half-dozen nuns still living here.
 |  |
A fun exit from the small active area.
Little Church on the Mountain.
The prime photographer gets captured on film.
Sparta, a famous theme of Hollywood movies - our memory is of the ultra modern grocery store we happened upon here. The guide book suggested there would not be much to tour in the city of Sparta, which was abandoned in the 13th century, with materials later being reused to build the Mystras complex. Sparta was re-established from 1834.
That evening we arrive in Navplio, and find a simple and quick dinner - a Gyro walking taco of sorts.
RSS Feed
