Pylos

Beginning of week two. A fascinating approach to  Pylos

These rocks seem to pose an inpenetrable barrier.  It fascinated how people managed to find some of the place we visited.  I love rock formations and the entry to Plyos was a delight.

After Athens, Pylos was a complete contrast a small town set on the hillside above the harbour. The gradient of the hill makes for some interesting sights. Like this parked car.

How? What? Of course it is another road running above the one we were on. I don't want to give a false impression of Greece but you do see some wonderfully distressed buildings.

There was a little church at the top of the hill,

I love the way that all these chuches have a shady area, designed for gentle conversation out of the glare of the sun.  Imagine.

From the top of the hill we could look across the roofs to our floating home.

Beautiful isn't she?

 Every town we visited in Greece had its shady meeting point to share a coffee, a beer and some pleasant converation and of course a game of backgammon!.

Leaving Pylos was just as stunning

Some tiles to play with

 

Athens......

End of the first week of our holiday.  Now this is a city which needs way, way more than a flying visit.  The Odyssey docked at Piraeus and we were taken into the city by bus.

 Our first stop was the stadium where the first of the modern day Olympic Games were held in 1896. A much simpler affair than the transormation of east London which is taking place right now..

We then drove past many imposing buildings and caught just a glimpse of the famous Evzoni.

Our next stop was the amazing Museum of the Acropolis It is built with glass floors above the ruins of the older city. 

eventually this older part will be open too.  Inside where photography was strictly forbidden,  we were made very aware of the pieces that are in the British Museum, known as the Elgin Marbles.

Our final stop was the Acropolis itself.  We strolled up the wooded hill

and I caught a glimpse of this gentleman. I would have loved to seen him face on.

We paused at the first stone built theatre,

and kept climbing with our goal in sight.

  finally reached the Parthenon.


The top of the Acropolis is one huge restoration site and was crowded with tourists like us so I am quite pleased with this photograph because, I managed just one and a half people. Memo to all tourists, please do  not wear bright red, I so often find that I am just going to press the button and someone wearing brilliant scarlet appears in the viewfinder!!!!
I don't know if any other city in the world has such a viewpoint as this, which ever way you turn the city spreads out before you.

As you can see one day could not do justice to the amazing city.

I liked this reflection in the building behind our mooring



Navplion contd...

We arrived at the folk museum just twenty minutes before it closed, I could have spent a day.  Here are just a few of the wonderful costumes on display.

and something for the gentlemen

 There was beautiful lace

and I loved these purses

on the way out we liked this window

This is just a fraction of the museum.  Wish I had

 had more time.

Just time for a stroll through the square,

and a delicious ice cream

and a last look back at the town from the harbour.

Obligatory texture picture!!

I am still having problems, this post has taken over an hour to write.  I hope they fix it soon, Can't cope!

Navplion...

I had never heard of Navplion , what a delight. Elegant houses, some looked like Venice and the streets were made of marble..

Interesting shops full of beautiful clothes, shoes and jewelry and in one street this shop which was in its own little time warp.

     How I wish we had one of these in our town.

The town is dominated by the castle on the hill,

but on this occasion we decided not to climb to the top and walked to the beach instead.

One of the highlights of the day was the wonderful folk museum which i will save as the new blogger system for adding photographs is driving me nuts.  At the moment I can only load one photograph at a time and then I have to exit and go to edit before I can add the next.  Why is "new improved" usually a recipe for disaster?.

Milos.......

the voyage continued. Milos is another volcanic island.  There is a lot to see on the island  and we were spoilt for choice.  We chose  to go to Plaka the main town where we climbed the hill for a great view over much of the island.

                                                       and this was the view from th top

Exhausted we retired to The Patio for lunch and then watched the energetic people on the ships marina.

As we left we had a view of one of the fishing villages 

 and we had the satisfaction of saying "we climbed that hill"

Ah, time for dinner