Rick Steves Athens & The Heart of Greece
Ναύπλιο
Nafplio Day 10
The sunrise greets us as we head up to breakfast. It's a 7:45 meetup this morning, because there's a farmers market in town today! Apostolos says it is one of the best markets, a "must see!" but it means an earlier start.
Breakfast looks absolutely wonderful, if the farmer's market didn't sound so intriguing, I would be happy hanging around the hotel all morning, trying all the different cakes!
And fresh oranges from the farm... I think I could live here quite happily...
The farmer's market was a kaleidoscope of color - I didn't know I could take so many pictures of fruit, veggies and fish! A few purchases made for the day ahead, then we were off to Mycenae.
Colors of the Farmer's Market
(click on photos to enlarge)
The Ancient Site of Mycenae
It's all so very Greek!
In Greek mythology, Agamemnon, the son of Atreus of Mycenae, was the Greek commander that attacked the city of Troy (with his brother, Menelaus, King of Sparta) in order to rescue the beautiful Helen of Sparta. Unfortunately, Agamemnon had to sacrifice his daughter to gain favorable winds from the goddess Artemis to reach Troy. With the help of a wooden horse, Troy falls and Agamemnon returns to Mycenae with his "prize" for victory, the Trojan King's young daughter, Cassandra. Definitely not something Agamemnon's wife wants to see - in her jealously, she and her lover kill Agamemnon with a knife.. but did she kill him at the homecoming banquet, or while he was taking a bath?
With the discovery of the grave circle A at Mycenae in 1876, archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann sent a telegram to King George I, stating that he had found the very tombs of Agamemnon, Cassandra and the rest...
(the myth lives on, after all these years)
The archaeological site of Mycenae is 30 minutes north of Nafplio; we started our tour at the 1300 BC Treasury of Atreus (Tomb of Agamemnon), a massive bee-hive burial chamber. Then a quick ride to the site of Mycenae, the fortress on a hill, with a visit to the Archaeological Museum, full of treasures found here on site.
Located on a high bluff between two mountains, the fortress of Mycenae overlooks the plains all the way to the gulf. Mycenae controlled most of Greece in 1400BC. Then, for some unknown reason, Mycenae civilization declined and all knowledge of the Mycenaeans was lost. (Just for perspective, they were just as mysterious to Greeks 1000 years later as our ancient Greeks are to us today!)
Pottery is the main surviving artefact from Mycenae; posted on the wall in the museum is the best description of the importance of pottery I've ever read. It's goes something like this (paraphrased for simplicity):
"Water, earth, fire and air were the four elements used by mankind for the creation of the first artificial substance: pottery. Pottery is used as the central focus of the exhibit, marking a pioneering concept for the presentation of this great culture. The luster of gold pales in comparison to the feel of the clay and the palpable presence of the human element." (emphasis mine... this gave me chills when I read it)
Gold was discovered at Mycenae, most famously the Mask of Agamemnon (now at the National Archaeological Museum in Athens). But OLIVE OIL was more important than gold back then!
The old town of Nafplio (named after the son of Poseidon, Nafplios) has a small-town feel, easily walkable, with narrow pedestrian streets and wide-open promenades along the waterfront. Over the centuries the town has changed hands back and forth between the Ottomans and the Venetians, the history of occupation still visible with remains of old Turkish fountains and mosques, and the very prominent Venetian fortresses.
Nafplio has the honor of being the first capital of modern Greece after the War of Independence against the Turks. The first president of Greece elected in 1828, Ioannis Kapodístrias had a short reign, when, in 1831, he was murdered outside the church of St Spyridon. (King Otto was then chosen to lead the country and, subsequently, moved the capital to Athens.)
Our tour included dinner tonight at a local taverna with Greek music and dancing, but we decided we needed a night off to rest. From the reviews our tour members gave it, it sounded like a fantastic time; we were sorry to miss it!
