Trip Report: A wonderful 15 day trip to Peloponnese, Greece

Continued
We stopped in Corinth to see the canal which my dl had not ever seen. I bought a detailed Peloponnese map which we really did not use except to lay out on a table to see where we had been and where we were going.
The weather was only in the 60s so we decided to save a couple hours of driving by stopping at Ancient Messene in route. It has no shade to speak of so hot weather would have made that unpleasant. We went first to a restaurant recommended by Jo Lui that was nearby. Two hours from Corinth is To tiganaki tis xristitisas which is one of those Greek restaurants who have a rotating limited menu which the waiter recites at you. We ordered one of most everything and ate most of it. It was good and great fun—outside under big trees. There was a dog hanging around and we did give him a bit of food. We tried to not be too obvious only to have the waiter (who I think was the owner) scrape what we did not finish onto one plate which he gave to the dog!

After arriving at Ancient Messene, we bought our tickets with no problem even though the website said to buy in advance. We spent about two hours wondering around, marveling at how well preserved the town was. There were very few people there and I felt like I had made an excellent choice to go to Ancient Messene rather than Olympia (which I had debated about). I had researched hiring a guide but they were from Kalamata which just was not practical. Honestly, the day after arriving in Greece we were probably happier just wandering around.

My son was driving by now and he decided to take us the “scenic ” route to Pylos. It was certainly the less traveled route as we went on some roads that people were quite startled to even spot a car. My dl and I were in the backseat and we both were pretty miserable with motion sickness. I fortunately brought Dramamine which I used the rest of the trip but was packed away then because I did not expect to use it so soon. The truth was we went on enough narrow bending roads that we did not need to go looking for them which my son later acknowledged.

We found our air bnb without too much trouble and there was lots of parking nearby. It was right over the road that ran along the bay and from the balcony there was a great view. We had three bedrooms, two baths, and a washing machine. I had come with a cold which I caught taking care of our grandson (flying to Greece the day after coming home) because our daughter had unexpected surgery so my husband and I split up. We took the two smaller bedrooms and gave our son and his wife the nicest one. That night I indulged in gelato for dinner while our son and his wife went to an Italian restaurant.

Day 2 Monday May 11
Two castles and a visit to the pharmacy

By Monday, my cold had moved into my chest. My dl is a nurse and she thought I should try going to the pharmacist for some medicine. She looked up what Mucinex was in Greek and I bought it from an English speaking pharmacist first thing. I had brought cold medicine but nothing for the chest as this is not typical for me. This was the first time I had visited a pharmacy in Europe and it was a good experience.

We then walked to Neo Kastro which was built by Turks in 1572. It is called the new castle because there is an even older castle. In addition to seeing the castle, you can see three small museums which are included in your ticket. We enjoyed the one on the under water antiquities the most. The woman there was an anthropologist and she was quite engaging telling us about the under water cities that have been discovered in the Peloponnese.

continued
After lunch on the square, we decided to go to Methoni Castle which was only about 20 minutes away. It has a larger preserved area and is different than Neo Kastro. It actually goes out into the sea as opposed to being built on a hill which is more conventional. I was glad we visited both. There is also a sandy beach there and afterwards our son and daughter in law went swimming there. We bought ice cream and sat on the veranda of hotel that overlooked the beach and watched their activities.

I stayed back that night while others went to dinner.

Day 3 Tuesday May 12
A Beach day

The plan for the day was to go to the Palace of Nestor and then to Voidhokilia beach which is a crescent beach in Natura 2000 area that looks like it is in the Caribbean. But it turned out that the Palace of Nestor was closed on Tuesdays so we only went to the beach.

The two beach lovers were very happy with that. It is an unorganized beach with no facilities or chairs to rent. It was sunny and in the low 70s that day—one of the warmest days we had. And the crescent was very shallow and thus warm enough for me to swim (I am a Florida wimp). We parked ourselves against a dune which provided some shade. We had frozen some water bottles to keep food and drinks we bought on the square that morning cold and used a shopping bag as a make-shift cooler. We had seen pictures with the beach jammed with people and umbrellas but it wasn’t very crowded when we went in mid May. We also climbed to Nestor’s cave which had great views along the way, although the cave itself wasn’t anything special. The younger pair then kept going to see the castle was set above the cave which had an even better view. My husband’s knee was acting up so we did not join them.

If you want to go, the best way is to go to Paleokastro and follow the signs then. It is paved almost the whole way and you could even buy supplies. There are some food stands along the way that must be open during season but were not when we were there. The GPS will try to take you a different way that is shorter but requires a long drive on a gravel road. This way is longer but easier.

That night we went to Sto Steno which is a tiny place with choices limited to the few things that are in the display. My husband did not understand that each choice was a dinner and managed to order himself two dinners which he somehow finished! The food was excellent and very well priced.

Day 4 Wednesday May 13
Palace of Nestor

The Palace of Nestor was exactly the wrong direction for going to Koroni but we went there because we had not been able to visit the day before.

There were some school groups there but not too many other people.

The palace is covered for protection from the elements and there are walkways above.

Pylos was a thriving Mycenaean kingdom which was famous as the seat of Nestor. The walls of the castle are taller and better preserved than at Mycenae which we visited in 2018 but without the defensive walls (he ruled during peace time and apparently did not need defensive walls) and the large tomb (there is one but it is smaller and you cannot walk into it), it is less impressive. I did like the bathtub though. My husband found the goblets quite interesting.

In retrospect, I would have skipped it since it took us in the wrong direction and gave us less time in Koroni. It was certainly worth the detour had we been able to visit the day before when going to Voidhokilia beach which is very close. I know because we went back after visiting Nestor’s Palace because my son had left his and his wife’s sunglasses hanging on a tree! They were still there and my husband and I visited Nestor’s son’s tomb which was a short hike from the entrance (fairly confusing trail to be honest but we did find it).

Koroni

We liked Koroni a lot. It had a totally different feel than Pylos which felt more European. Pylos had a large central square with stores and restaurants all around while Koroni had narrow lanes that twisted up hills and a waterfront filled with restaurants. Pylos, in fact, had been redesigned by the French after the Greek War of Independence . Koroni , in contrast, had narrow lanes that twisted up hills and a waterfront filled with restaurants.

We stayed at Dianas. The rooms were small but included breakfast and the people were really kind. It was right near the waterfront and there was parking available. The owner/manager seemed surprised that we, as Americans, were visiting. She asked if we had family that had come from the area. My husband is partly Greek but his grandfather who emigrated to the US was from Asia minor (present day Turkey near the Black Sea). I told her this but that we had been to Nafplio in 2018 and had wanted to return to explore more. We clearly were off at least the American tourist trail.

After a late lunch, we went to the Castle area which was built by Venetians. It and the castle at Methoni were referred to as the “eyes of Venice”. Visiting here did not feel repetitive at all. There were less castle ruins than earlier but lovely gardens which we enjoyed exploring.

Day 5 Thursday May 14.
A visit to the doctor and moving on to Kardamyli

Doctor visit**
Unfortunately, I had gotten sicker rather than better and I was referred to a doctor by the woman at Dianas.
She told me that the office opened at 8 but that there would be people waiting before so maybe go a little later. I got there just before 9 which turned out when the office actually opened. There were a lot of people on the covered porch waiting. A few minutes later, a man of about 40 dressed in a black shirt and jeans arrived and opened the door. He was clearly the physician and people filed in.

There was a counter but no one was at it and no sign in sheet or anything. The office was very basic—much more so than anything you would find in the U.S. The doctor motioned to the man who had a cast on his arm to go first. It seemed like he took him to have his arm x-rayed and then rewrapped his arm. Then the man who was in the chair closest to the doctor’s office went in. It became clear that was the line. I had sat aways away because I was coughing pretty badly and did not want to get anyone else sick. Then a woman who was there with who I presume was her father walked with him to the front of the line. A lively conversation (in Greek) followed and all I could discern was that she could not wait for the line as she kept pointing to her watch. The people at the front of the line let her and her father go before them. I can’t imagine this happening in the U.S.

After about an hour, I moved myself up to some empty seats. Eventually two women stood together outside the doctor’s office and then went in when the patient before them left. I decided to stand outside the door after them. By this time, everyone who had come before me had gone as well as a few who had come later.

The doctor spoke perfect English and I explained how I ended up there. He told me my chest looked Ok, but my throat did not and prescribed antibiotics which I bought at the pharmacy. He asked me where I was from and I told him the U.S. and he tried to clarify and said “UK”? I said no, United States. He replied Trump. This was not the only time people had responded this way to learning we were from the U.S. and then, as other times, I simply replied “I don’t like him.”

I offered to pay before I left but I don’t think there was any easy way for that to happen as he was employed by the national health service. I was struck by how well this system worked and how many fewer people were required to deliver basic services than in the US.

Kardamyli

After a curvier than expected drive, we arrived in Kardamyli. We stopped at Bob’s Handmade Souvlaki as we came into town. The food was good and well priced and we ate here twice. A pork gyro with fries was 3.90 Euros.
We stayed above the town at Hotel Vardia in a two bedroom, two bath apartment with a wonderful balcony with a view. The hotel has rooms plus two apartments. I had tried to reserve the same plus a washing machine at an apartment in town but never could get the owners to consistently respond. I saw the place when we were there and it had a different name which likely explained the problem.

Kardamyli was very busy and very touristy. We were actually glad to be away from it. The problem was there was only one road and it was filled with mostly tourist stuff including a lot of restaurants with outdoor dining on the sidewalks, making it difficult to walk. Hotel Vardia had a staircase that went down to the old town that we used. It was then a short walk to the new town. Walking to the old town from the hotel was a bit tricky at night as it wasn’t completely lit but I had a head lamp I travel with and others used their iPhones. But there is a wonderful restaurant there we enjoyed our first night called Old Kardamili Traditional Restaurant that we would recommend.

Day 6 Friday May 15
Kardamyli and Stoupa beach

My husband and I had nosed around old town the day before while the younger ones visited a beach. We had saved the castle complex to explore with them. On the Mani peninsula the towers were built by families who controlled the area. The one here was by the Troupakis clan. It has been renovated and you can climb the tower. There are some displays as well that help you understand the unique culture of the area. It is definitely worth doing.

Afterwards we hiked a uphill cobbled path to Agia Sophia. The terrain is uneven and it is mostly uphill. We had hiking shoes (the others sneakers) and a hiking pole. My husband who had been having some trouble with his knee did not go very far till he turned around. The rest of us went to the church and back. The hike goes further to the village of Petrovouni and some people were continuing (this was a popular path) but it looked all uphill and we decided against it. It would have been better to hiked first and then visited the castle complex as it had gotten warmer but we did it in the reverse order because my husband did not think he could do much hiking.

Stoupa beach

Stoupa is a major resort with one of the only sandy beaches on the peninsula and is frequented by the British in particular. I have seen the pictures of people crammed together on the beach in high season but this was May. Granted it is a beach town and mostly like any other beach town but still it was pleasant enough off season. The beach was spacious but not as large as I had imagined. My husband and I sat in a sea side café and had desert and then laid on the café’s chairs (at no cost). The younger ones went swimming. It again was in the 60s, which was just too cool for me to get wet.

Day 7 Saturday May 16
Kastania and a walk between Stoupa and Agios Nikoaos

Kastania
We first saw pictures of Kastania on Rick Steve’s show on the Peloponnese. It is the last town on a road that heads up into the mountains just before Stoupa. It is about a 45 minute drive. Kastania is a small traditional town that used to be somewhere important as it was the last stop before the mountains. There is a refurbished tower, a square with restaurants on it, and windy hilly roads (walk do not drive) to various points. A woman in the square gave me a map (all in Greek) but it helped us navigate the town (I tried to give it back after but she would not take it. I still have it). There are churches to explore, some of which are open, and we went to the top of the town to a cemetery.

The only bad thing is some of the road was slick with the light rain and I fell even with hiking shoes. Nothing much hurt but my pride but we decided to leave when we walked back into town rather than go on the one path that we had not yet taken.
On the way back, we stopped at Ta Mezedoberdemata Tavern in Neochori for lunch. It had a distinctive octagon shape that I recognized from a you tube video I had seen. It was an experience.

There was only one thing for lunch—beef stew which was not ready for another 20 minutes. We could have appetizers. My husband wanted fried zucchini and asked how many pieces there were. The waitress (and as it turned out cook) answered him with “how would I know”. He was thinking fritters (as that is what the menu said) but it was a stack of fried zucchini strips and so not as clear how many there were. My son and his wife asked for a side order of fries but she told them they could not have fries if they were ordering the stew because it was too many fries so they should have zucchini. It turned out the beef stew had fries as a side (basically stewed meat but not really a stew in a conventional sense) so she probably was right but still. The stew was good. When we told the waitress it was good, she told us that she knows it is because she made it!! As my brother in law once told me, “Greek waitresses can be spicy!”

It poured during lunch but started to stop as we were finishing. We decided to walk the path by the water between Stoupa and Agios Nikolaos. We parked near the school and found the path without too much trouble (actually a road till you get near the water and then turn left). It is a 2.5 mile coastal route that is beautiful and mostly flat but without much shade. It was cloudy most of the way but the sun broke out as we arrived in Agios Nikolaos. We found a restaurant on the water and had some ice cream and snacks and later then walked back. The last leg of the hike we encountered sheep crossing the road and a shepherd and his dog. And then around the corner was a beach resort! The interesting contrasts you encounter in Greece.

Day 8 Sunday May 17
Traveling to Aeropoli and a visit to Diros caves

This morning we set off to Aeropoli. The journey was much more curvy than I expected and I was very glad we would not be driving this way again. I had decided that we would have a second base in the Mani peninsula, which is not what I had read of people doing, rather than driving and returning to Kardamyli. That was a good decision and in fact, I don’t think Kardamyli makes a particularly good base, as it is too far certainly from the deep Mani (although I know the Rick Steves’ tours do this).
I had chosen Aeropoli because of its location but it turned out we all liked it a lot. The surrounding country side is not as attractive as Kardamyli as it is dryer and not as hilly but the town itself is very walkable and we really enjoyed that. There are two squares of sorts (one older than the other) and you can walk between them in a pedestrian zone. It also is where the local Maniots declared independence from the Ottomans and thus began the Greek War of Independence. Now the place we stayed was not as nice (but it did have a washing machine) but it was well located in that a paved path took you in minutes to the old square. I had chosen location over amenities.

One night there were all these kids on bikes with some of them in uniforms, like a team. There were parents taking pictures of the kids in uniforms. It just seemed more like a real place than Kardamyli.

Sunday was my daughter in law’s birthday and I told my son they could choose where to eat. He texted me that they had found a historical place and I correctly guessed what restaurant he was talking about! To Mavromichaleiko was supposedly the family home of Petrobey Macromichalis who gathered the rebels in the square and started the Greek War of independence. The waiter told us what he thought were the four best dishes and we ordered all four of them plus a salad and took back enough food for dinner the next night. It was a very fun night with great food.

Diro Caves
Diro caves was a short drive from Aeropoli and we went after lunch. In May there were not very many people but you can tell it is set up to handle crowds. You buy your ticket at one place and then drive down a hill for the tour. We joined a tour with two other people.

The thing that is different about Diro caves compared to other cave tours is you take a boat. None of us have ever done this, although we all have been on other cave tours. It is really something to be moving along the water with rock formations so close you could touch them. There is narration but only in Greek. I have read of complaints about that but frankly I don’t think any of us cared. We were too entranced by our boat ride to really listen anyways.

After the boat ride, you walk some distance on your own. I would guess during season that part would be crowded but the upside of going in May was we pretty much had the cave to ourselves.

Day 9 Monday May 18
A drive around the Mani Peninsula

Today we dropped our son and his wife off in Limeni and drove the Mani Peninsula by yourselves. We had spent about an hour in Limeni after visiting the caves yesterday which was plenty for my husband and me but not for them. They live in Colorado now but both grew up in Florida and part of them I think still misses the water.
The old road across from Aeropoli to the east side of the peninsula is narrow at times (not really two lanes), goes through very small towns, and is frequented by sheep and goats. In other words, it was a delightful drive!

Overall, the drive down the east side had wonderful scenery, narrowish roads, and little traffic.

We stopped at five towns on the way but a do over would have me stopping three of the towns we did and one other. We stopped at Kortronas, Dimaristika, Cape Tenaro, Vathia and Gerolimenas. If I did it again, I would stop at Dimaristika, Lagia, Vathia and Gerolimenas. Kortronas is an ordinary looking town which may be its attraction but it is out of the way as it is not off the main road. I had looked forward to going to Cape Tenaro as it is the end of mainland Greece (and Europe) but it didn’t work quite as I expected. It took a long time to get there as the roads are windy and the distance is further than I thought. Then you are there and well, there really is nothing. There is a restaurant that might be fine to eat at except it was closed for renovation (scheduled to reopen June 1). It was a short hike down to the pebbled beach which we did. But then to get to the real land’s end was a pretty strenuous hike with no shade. I asked a couple about our age coming back how long it had took them and they said 2 hours. I convinced my husband it was a bad idea, given that it was already 1 pm and we had no food and limited water.

What we did like. Dimaristika was right off the main road and maybe a mile up a very steep hill on a one lane road. There was not much of a town there but there were several buildings being renovated. We wandered around and then all of a sudden there was a car. It backed up a long driveway to a house!!! Anyway, we felt like it was worth our short stop and it was not a significant detour. A big plus was the view as we went back down to the main road—you could see the three tower settlements that dot the landscape--I jumped out of the car at various point to take pictures as there was no one else on the road.
I would have stopped at Lagia. The town was supposedly the site of the last Mani vendetta in the 1930s. The town looked pretty fixed up too and it might have been a nice place to wander around.

Vathia was a wonderful surprise. I had seen all the pictures but thought maybe it was a bit of hype. We drove into town from the east and immediately saw a restaurant—Aspalathos. We decided to eat there rather than waiting until Gerolimenas as I had planned because it was after 2 and we wanted to explore Vathia. I did not have high expectations as there are few permanent residents of Vathia so it had to cater to tourists. But the food was good and reasonably priced.
We both really enjoyed our wander afterwards around Vathia. It is your best opportunity to see a lot of tower houses, although the town is mostly deserted. There is a path that goes around the town and another that goes through the town and at places the views are spectacular. I saw the air bnb that I considered staying in and while very charming (from the outside), I am glad we stayed in Aeropoli as it is much more centrally located.

We continued on to Gerolimenas where I had also considered staying and again was glad we had not. We had some ice cream and enjoyed our view over the beach. The pebbles on the beach are very large and bright white which is quite attractive. But there seemed to be an inordinate number of buildings half built around the water which took away from the town’s charm. And there were some pretty skinny dogs which I know would have upset my daughter in law who visually examined every stray dog we encountered so I was glad they were not with us. There are a fair number of stray dogs in the Peloponnese and even more cats but most seemed like they were being fed. These were an exception.

The drive from Gerolimenas to Aeropoli was really easy. The road was not very winding at all and it had nice pavement. So I would definitely recommend driving the east side first as it is more difficult (and more scenic) and then the west side which up until Aeropoli is not demanding.

Day 10 May 19
Mystras and Gytheo

Mystras
We drove this morning to Mystras which is a mostly ruined Byzantine city. Mystras was the crown of the Byzantine empire and is fascinating to explore. It is on a big hill with a castle on the top. There is no easy way to avoid climbing except to restrict what you see.

We arrived at about 10:30 and started exploring probably close to 11 am. We parked near the bottom. The temperature was in the low 60s. Very pleasant. There is little shade which is why everyone says to start early. I brought one hiking pole and my husband two. I can tell you that having one pole made a big difference for me. We hiked all the way up to the Crusader’s castle and then my husband waited near the top parking lot while the rest of us hiked down a different way that went to the Convent and the Church of Pantanassa which I had especially wanted to see. We had missed it on the way up. It was rougher going down from the Convent and the Church than the way we had first gone up so I was glad my husband (who was better but still having some knee trouble) was not with us. I thought the frescos in the church were the best we had seen and it was interesting to go into the shop where the nuns were selling things and giving out treats.

This is the only part of Mystras that still has people in it. There was a box for donations and I put in some Euros.

Everyone really enjoyed visiting Mystras and I would say it was among our favorite things we did. It was really remarkable to be walking among ruins and then enter a church that has beautiful frescos in it. We spent about 2.5 hours there and felt very fortunate that the weather was mild enough for us to enjoy it.

We had lunch afterwards in Mystras and then drove to Gytheo.

Gytheo
We stayed at Pantheon City Hotel in rooms with a balcony over looking the water. We were inordinately excited about having a shower we could stand under as opposed to having only one that was handheld. We found parking a short walk away. It was less than 100 euros a room per night, including a buffet breakfast. We all were happy.

Gytheo is really a lovely town; I can see why Tommy likes it so much (and thank you for putting it on my radar). There is not really a lot to see there, however. We walked along the water front and then to the lighthouse and Roman ruins the next day. The lighthouse in particular was interesting. There are some good restaurants by the waterfront that we enjoyed. We mostly used it as a base, visiting nearby beaches and a winery in addition to Mystras. Two nights seemed about right.

Day 11 May 20
A winery visit

After exploring the lighthouse, we went to Estate Theodorakaros-a winery outside of Gytheo, that I had found through the internet after my daughter-in-law expressed interest in visiting one. There was no indication on the website that reservations were required but still they seemed surprised that we just showed up. Just the same they were very accommodating. The owner gave us a tour where we saw where wine was produced as well as where it was stored. I love how in Greece you are often able to see parts of the production process you would never see in the U.S. where visiting a winery seems to be more about tasting than anything else. In the basement, there were barrels are wine aging and in another section there were a number of tables where they hosted large parties of visitors. The owner told us there was a group of 60 coming tomorrow. We seemed to just luck out with a private tour! Afterwards, we had a tasting of maybe 8 wines. We enthusiastically purchased four bottles of wine, olive oil and balsamic vinegar, all of which they produced. We drank two of the bottles while in Greece but two came home with us as well as the olive oil and vinegar. The woman who did the tastings with us told us she was the only year round employee as others are all family members.

Mavrovouni beach
This is a 6 km long beach that is 2 km south of Gytheos. It is a lovely beach but I read it gets windy in the afternoon. I had suggested for that reason that we visit it in the morning but was overruled by the rest of my party who thought it would be warmer in the afternoon. It was not.

We had a nice lunch on the beach where we were one of only a few occupied tables. In walking the beach, there were a number of places not open yet.

After lunch, we wrapped ourselves in the towels the hotel provided and took a nap on the comfy lounge chairs the restaurant provided. The younger two were determined to go in the water but even they were shivering when they came out. There is a reason that May is off season!

Shipwreck beach
Our son and his wife also wanted to visit Shipwreck beach so named because an imposing cargo ship has been abandoned there since 1981. It actually is a lovely beach, and its sand dunes blocked the wind, making it more pleasant to sit on than Mavrovouni beach. The lack of beach chairs made it a bit of a draw for me though (I know I am a wimp). Again, it was clear that this was a well populated beach during prime time with a huge parking lot. I would say that Mavrovouni beach would be better able to handle the crowds though.

Ancient theater
Going back into town, we climbed up the hills to visit the ancient theater. There is not much left and not worth a stop compared to other theaters in Greece. But it is interesting to wander around and part of its charm is that it is in a neighborhood of homes. One could not help wonder what it would be like to grow up with history like this down the street.

Day 12 May 21
Olive oil factory visit and Monemvasia

Olive Oil factory
I had wanted to visit an Olive oil factory and found online Stamatakos olive grove and factory perfectly located on our way to Monemvasia. This area is famous for its many olive groves and for the quality of the olive oil, due to the dry-climate climate and fertile soil. I emailed about a month ahead of time and the owner told me to email again the day before we wanted to visit which I did.

When we arrived about 10 am, we found a smallish building amidst an olive grove. The owner greeted us warmly and as we were discussing olive oil production, two women from Switzerland stopped in. They joined our tour. Stamatakos is family owned and he took over from his father who is elderly. He and his wife were living in Thessaloniki but decided to return to the farm. He and his wife and his father all live on site. He told us he hires people from Pakistan (and his one permanent employee is from Pakistan) to pick the olives because you can’t get Greeks to do that kind of labor anymore. He also told us he used to sell to the U.S. but the tariffs under Trump made that unsustainable. We sampled the olive oil and the olives- which are labeled Kalmamon rather that Kalamata because the later is a protected name. I found that I do not like olives even when they are produced in small batches but that olive paste is to die for. Who knew? Apparently, it has olive oil and herbs in it as well as crushed olives which changes the taste. We let the Swiss woman make purchases first and I wasn’t sure there was going to be anything left for us! They had driven from Switzerland (taking a ferry) and had plenty of room for purchases. Apparently, though the Swiss government limits olive oil imports to 3 liters which did not dampen their enthusiasm for the 5 liter containers. The decision was it would be hidden under the seat and that it was worth the risk!

We were flying so made very different decisions. We bought three large bottles of olive oil which was all we thought we could manage in our suitcase, two jars of olive paste (one of which we ate in Greece, and vacuum-packed olives. These goodies plus our purchases at the winery all made it home safely in our suitcases.

Monemvasia
While we could have easily done Monemvasia as a day trip from Gytheo, we decided to spend the night and were glad we did. It is very touristy as the naysayers say. Almost every shop is devoted to tourist trinkets. So certainly you can walk this area in a couple hours.

Monemvasia is a Byzantine settlement like Mystras except that it was never totally abandoned. Since the 1960s, it has been reconstructed and in an important sense, it is now a living museum. It is charming and wonderful to wander around in. It is not a place to go to experience traditional Greek life.

We stayed in an apartment owned by Malvasia Traditional hotels called the “Fireplaces”. It was one level which I chose for my husband with two bedrooms and two baths and an absolutely stunning main room with a fireplace. There was a patio a few steps up with tables where we ate take away pizza. The area was shared with another apartment but we never saw anyone. It was 225 Euros a night which was our most expensive stay in Greece. It was worth it.

For us, the charm of Monemvasia was away from the restaurants and shops. We climbed to the upper town in the early evening to avoid the heat of the day. There is no shade and even though the temperature was probably in the 70s, the sun felt hot. Like in Mystras, my husband had two hiking poles and I had one. I must say I did wonder how regularly the people who once lived in the upper town came down to the lower town. It is quite a steep trek! All of us went as far as Agia Sofia which is featured in Rick Steves’ show on the Peloponnese. It is a church perched on a hill. My husband turned around at this point while the rest of continued up part way to the castle. We found him later drinking a beer while waiting for our take out pizza and salad.

Our apartment was on one level but it was up and down stairs to get there. Eating on our balcony seemed much better than trying to traverse this path after dark. There are hotels along the main path that escape this dilemma. But we were glad to stay in and enjoy the most luxurious accommodations of our trip.

Logistics: We drove to the gate and unloaded our luggage. Our son and wife then drove back to find a parking space which they found along the bridge road. I then walked to the hotel office which was not very far while my husband stayed with the luggage. A porter with a cart with big wheels took our luggage part way (reminded me of being in Venice) and then the burly man carried them the rest of the way. He came back the next day and took our luggage to the gate of the city.
It is obvious why Monemvasia does not make a good base for exploring the area.

Day 13 May 22
More Monemvasia, an olive oil museum in Sparta, and Stemnitsa in Arcadia

Our stay included breakfast at the hotel so we made our way to the other end of Monemvasia for that. The most notable thing was the cats. There are cats all over the Peloponnese but these felt quite entitled. They were not just friendly like other cats we had encountered, hoping for some morsels of food. These cats wanted to eat off your plate! There were benches for seating on one side of our outdoor table and the cats climbed up there to my son and his wife’s laps!!!

We wandered the rest of Monemvasia after breakfast. There are some other paths you can take by the water which my son and his wife enjoyed. At one point, we followed some donkeys down a path and found that the donkeys were being used to carry material in and out for the reconstruction of a building. We watched the unloading of what appeared to be roofing materials and then they were reloaded with other materials. It was amazing to see this very ancient way of transporting still being used. I thought that the price of our room suddenly seemed quite cheap given what it must have taken to reconstruct it.

Sparta and the Olive Oil Musuem
Our next stop was Stemnitsa in Arcadia but we drove through Sparta which allowed us to visit the Olive Oil Museum. The museum traced the history of olive oil production and had traditional presses as well as many other exhibits. There are both indoor and outdoor exhibits. It is quite well done and we were glad we had stopped. It only seemed appropriate after visiting an olive oil factory. It is definitely worth it if you are nearby.

We went into town (the museum is more on the outskirts) and had another great lunch under an awning which we were glad to be sitting under as it poured. The weather had been threatening since the night before but the forecasted rain eventually came in a deluge. After lunch we made our way to the grocery store a block or so down, dashing between awnings. There was no grocery store in Stemnitsa so we bought some provisions.

Stemnitsa
My husband was driving now and it was raining and the road was curvy. Not the best combination but we somehow made it there in one piece. At one point my dl complained about the rough ride. Our son, who was sitting in the back, told her “that she can either have a smooth ride or her husband!” (my husband’s knee required front seat regardless of who was driving) The couple who owned the air bnb we were renting met us outside a hotel. At first, I did not understand why. It turns out that the way to the apartment is down this ridiculously narrow alley. I say ridiculously narrow because you have to fold your windows in to go down it. My husband went pale when it became clear that was the expectation and my son volunteered to take the wheel.
He got us down without incident but even he did not want to do it more than necessary. So after we left for the day the following morning, we just left the car on the street above.

The apartment was nice and had a washing machine. The washing machine was a deciding factor in renting it. Unfortunately, it did not work properly. It made horrid noises and the clothes did not wring out. It was cold and damp in the mountains and to make things worse we had not paid sufficient attention to how to turn the heat on. Everywhere else we went had room heaters and a/c but here it was for the whole unit and well, we weren’t clever enough to figure it out. It rained enough that we weren’t able to hang our clothes outside and ended up resorting to using a hair dryer.

The rain stopped shortly after we arrived and we went exploring the town. It is quite charming and the mist made it even more so. You are in the middle of the mountains and it is hilly and, at certain points, there are wonderful views. There is a central square with a few places of business and we found a couple bakeries on the way. One was open and the people there were extraordinarily friendly. The owner gave us samples of several different baked goods as well as a homemade liqueur. I would say the people in Arcadia were the most helpful and friendly of everywhere we went and there was some stiff competition.

We ate dinner at one of the only restaurants which also was hosting an TV audience to a soccer (football) match). So lots of noise and certainly very local. Fortunately, we were not in the same room so we could hear ourselves talk. And there was even a room heater to keep us warm!!

Day 14 May 23
Menalon Trail
One of the things that attracted me to this area was the Menalon Trail which is a 75 Km trail that goes between various towns. The first section along the Lousios Gorge from Stemnitsa to Dimitsana is supposed to be the most scenic, passing cliff hanging monasteries and criss crossing the gorge. It is 12.5 km long and is considered difficult. I had researched how to make it easier. It has a steep decent to Prodromos Monastery which is reachable by road so decided that we could take a taxi to the monastery to shorten the hike and then a taxi from the Open Air Water Museum outside Dimitsana. This is not how it worked out.

The first evening we arrived we read on the bulletin board on the square that heavy rains had resulted in part of the road to Prodromos Monastery being washed out and that there had been a landslide on the trail to Filosofou Monastery. We decided instead to drive to Dimitsana and do the second section of the trail from Dimitsana to Zygovisti. This part of the trail was considered moderate and was 4.2 km long. It was forecasted to rain in the afternoon so we decided to take a taxi back to Dimitsana rather than risk slick rocks.

The hike there was a combination of steps, steep sections, and totally flat sections. It was moderately scenic with the most interesting being the sheep and the goats sightings along the way. When we came off the path, we were approached by a woman recruiting us into her café. We went. We ordered a cheese pie and coffee and then her husband presented us with meatballs “on the house” that were out of this world. It was a lovely spot. We wanted to wander into town but asked about getting a taxi back from there and were told yes.

There was a misunderstanding. We thought she was going to call the taxi for us and she thought we just wanted to wait there. After about 40 minutes and no taxi, my husband had a customer who spoke both English and Greek inquire. My son and his wife decided to hike back to Dimitsana while we waited for the taxi which came about 10 minutes later. There are lots of taxis in this area because of the focus on hiking from town to town. We just messed up. We talked to a number of people who had taken them. Our taxi driver did not speak English but he knew how to use goggle translate. He would speak into his phone in Greek and then the phone would narrate our trip in English!!!

We had lunch in Dimitsana and looked around. It is definitely more touristy than Stemnitsa but that also means there are more restaurant choices. I liked the feel of Stemnitsa better which was more like you were dropping into someone else’s world. We drove down to Water Open Air Museum which was closed until June 1 for repairs due to flooding which was disappointing. I really like these small single purpose museums (like the Olive Oil one we had seen in Sparta). Also, it is clear water plays a huge role in this region and it would have been nice to learn more. So visit for us, if you are in the area.

We cooked in our apartment that night.

Day 14 May 23
Monasteries and the Menalon trail

We learned at the Water Museum the day before that the torrential rains had done their damage three weeks before. So we decided to see if repairs had been done to the road, allowing us to drive to the monastery and maybe even take a bit of a hike. We figure we can turn around if it is not passable.

The road was curvy but the paving was fine, although we did figure out where it had been washed out. The monasteries in this area are open for visitors from 9-1. We have been to Meteora and to Prodromos Monastery is built into a cliff the same way. If you are a woman, you also have to wear a skirt even if you have pants on. They provide the skirts but they are not so easy to keep on. My daughter in law who was wearing leggings struggled and was told by a monk she had to cover up more. (I had seen other women similarly clothed but with pants not leggings). She decided to wait outside and was more than annoyed by the whole thing. She complained the monks were turning women into sex objects.

It did have a different atmosphere than Meteora. The monks interacted with the tourists (and there were not too many of them) even having coffee and snacks with them. My husband chatted it up with one telling him about his Greek family coming from Asia minor. The church itself was not as striking as those in Meteora. There was a garden on the grounds and several donkeys who you had to watch out for. It was much more like a home than a tourist attraction.

While outside the monastery we talked to some other tourists who had (smartly) gone to the information center for the Menalon trail and said there was a rope now you could use where the landslide had taken place. We decide to hike and see.

The trail was up and down the whole way and crossed the gorge where the Filosofou Monastery was. We hiked up to the old Filosofou Monastery was which was all ruins. There was a cave on the top occupied by bats. My husband took lots of pictures including a video. Me—bats are like flying mice and knowing that they tricked me into even looking at them! I was not impressed.
We came to where the landslide had wiped out the trail. It was on the path going up the hill to the present day Filoslfou Monastery. There was a rope you could use to go up. My son and his wife decided to go while my husband and I decided to watch the show.
It became clear after a while that it was all technique. You had to use both hands and not try to use a hiking pole. I could have done it, although by the time I figured that out my husband decided to head back (he was slow) and the younger two had been gone for awhile.

But maybe it was a good thing I didn’t. They said coming down was harder. They seemed to like this monastery better than the first—maybe because my daughter in law figured out the skirt part. But there is no way to complete the trail except to go this way. I did determine that the Filosofou Monastery was about the half way point on my shortened version of the trail so we actually did the same distance but went out and back.

Day 15 May 24
Nafplio and return to Athens

Today we head back towards Athens. My son wants to stop in Nafplio where we spent four nights in 2018. We don’t have any specific plans (although I had a long list of possibilities). It is probably about an hour out of our way.

We parked by the grocery store I had shopped in earlier and make our way into town. I am struck by how much more touristy it is now. Then there were some tourist shops mixed with other type shops but now everything is touristy. And when we ate at the gyros place we had frequented, we were presented with the only credit card screen since we arrived in Greece with choices of tipping percentages (just like in the US). Maybe there is a reason I don’t tend to go back to places I have loved.

Bourtzi
We take a small boat here and spend about an hour. When we were here in 2018, you could not visit the Bourtzi. It is worthwhile for the great views and the lovely restored castle. It had been at one time a hotel and it is interesting to see how that was accomplished.

A reunion
When we were here 8 years earlier, my two sons everyday visited a convenience store a short walk from our apartment. I know they bought beer; I am not sure what else. I went there once with them when we needed more toilet paper. It is one of those very small stores with way too much stuff stacked everywhere. They called the storekeeper yia yia and had their pictures taken with her. My son even went to say good bye to her before we left. One of my son’s motivations for coming to Nafplio was to introduce his wife to his yia yia.

We find the store and my son shows the present shopkeeper the picture he has. The shop keeper says she works in the afternoon. So we come back. My son is nervously coming his hair like it is a date! He goes into the store and his yia yia recognizes him and gives him a big hug, knocking over a near by display! It has been eight years so it is a bit shocking. I thought she might recognize him if he showed her the picture of them together but she did not need it. He must have made an impression on her. She looks younger now than she did in the picture and she tells us she swims in the sea twice a day now. More pictures are taken and I hear my son’s wife tell him that now she understands why he still talks about her. It is a sweet way to end our trip.

Beth, WHAT a fantastic trip report! That last comment about the woman who hadn't seen your son in 8 years but remembered him, ahhhhh so sweet. You must do an amazing amount of research ahead of trips, this was incredible, thanks so much!

Beth thank you SO much! I'm currently advising a couple who are planning to drive to some of your destinations, and your report is GOLD. I also love your final story, because it is so genuine ... people who haven't been to Greece do not understand this warm & welcoming outlook, outside of the "resort" areas. Even during a short-term stay, you can have "friendship moments" with meaning.

Beth, thank you for the comprehensive trip report. I'm saving this one.

We keep saying we're going to go to Greece but never do. So I'll say it again, we're going to go to Greece...sometime. My wife only has an interest in the islands, but it's the mainland that interests me. I'm not sure she'll buy into the curvy roads though.

We've talked that if we were ever to go with another couple that we may need two cars so nobody is in the back seat. In hindsight, do you think that may be a good idea?

Sandansico--Glad you enjoyed! And yes, I do research a lot but to me that is part of the adventure. Even so, you miss things like Nestor's Palace being closed on Tuesdays!

Janet: There aren't many trip reports of longer trips to the Peloponnese so hopefully this will be helpful to people. And yes, we found the people to be very welcoming! Even in resort areas out of season!

leonard: Glad you enjoyed!

Allan--about 2 cars. I was fine in the backseat with one regular Dramamine or two nondrowsy ones (I had both with me). So really did not suffer from motion sickness with that. As far as two cars, well there are tradeoffs. In two cars you have to coordinate everything. We had two cars the first time we went to the Peloponnese with seven people. It was constant stress to make sure we ended up in the same place. Now that was in 2018 and now there is apple play and pins and the like so would be much easier. We recently came back from a Colorado trip that had three cars and was not a major issue with modern technology. But no, we never wanted two cars to answer your original question.

If you had one car, I would make sure someone from both couples can drive. We had both my husband and son driving with Athens Car Rental for no extra charge which was ideal.

And the islands have curves too!!! (The first time I traveled with Dramamine was on Crete.) Basically, you have to avoid mountains and hills to avoid curves. There is a really straight toll road in the Peloponnese that takes you quite near the area we explored. So all is not curves!

And I wanted apartments with two bedrooms and two bathrooms and achieved that except in Aeropoli we had only one bath. We did stay in hotels when we had very short stays and found mixing it up ideal when traveling with others. There is not much selection of larger apartments centrally located in the Peloponnese so look early. It historically was not a wealthy area. There are newer builds outside central areas that usually are very nice but I valued being central (so could walk) over amenities. Your trade offs may differ.

Beth, I just finished this and it made a great bedtime read. It sounds like everything went really well - and what a lovely family trip! Thank you for such a great report, especially on places not so visited by Americans. (I’m not missing the curvy roads, though. Lol!)

Loved reading your trip report, Beth!
Thank you for sharing it.

TTM-I like the idea of my TR being bedtime reading!

But really do not be put off by my curvy road descriptions. I am quite prone to motion sickness and was quite delighted that I found dosages of Dramamine that worked without side effects. I will not travel without it anymore (needed it last year on Dolomites!)

Wishin-thanks for reading and glad you enjoyed it!

Beth, loved your trip report. It really held my interest! My husband and I definitely want to explore the Peloponnese more on our next trip so all of your details were great. I also loved your story about the yia yia in Nafplio…warmed my heart. Thank you!