Snakes in a Play!!

Internet access has been a bit spotty in the Peloponnese, so I apologize to my 2.4 loyal followers;)  I am also too tired to post pictures

July 5^th (Thursday) – we headed to Corinth (map included).  Until the 1800’s, if you wanted to get from the western side of Greece to the Eastern you had to cut across by land or sail alllllllllll the way around the southern peninsula.  Then they built a canal (Nero had wanted to build a canal and I’m surprised he didn’t because he usually gets his way).  We went to the site of ancient Corinth and then headed up the Acrocorinth (after shoving our lunch down our throats on the bus)… there was no shade, it was in the 90’s (degree wise, no the decade).  Silly Greeks building things on hills and mountain tops.  The view from the top was well worth it… We then finished the day in the town of New Corinth and a quick dip in the water.  New Corinth is quite a strange town.  It was a bit like a horror movie where something seems a bit off and you can’t quite figure out what it is until zombie children come after you.  This was all made worse when we saw someone had spray painted “Nothing seems bad.” On a wall.

The next morning we packed up and headed to Isthmia and had lunch at the site.  Here we had the chance to see and ancient stadium and how they had created starting gates to avoid cheating.  After lunch we headed to Nemea where the Nemean games took place (and Hercules killed the Nemean Lion).  We went to the track and decided to race (I skipped down the track because it was too hot.  We then went to the Nemea museum and the site itself where they are currently doing some restoration to a temple.  It costs about 250,000 euros to remake one column drum!!!

That evening we ended up in Nafplio which is one of my favorite places!!  The whole group went to dinner together and then our professor bough us gelato.  The next day some of us hiked up to the Palamidi fortress (999 steps), walked around the fortifications and then headed back down.  In the afternoon we headed to Epidauros.  I’ve been here before and it was used as a healing sanctuary.  We then had a picnic dinner in the parking lot (as only Americans can do) before we went to see the play in the theater at Epidauros.  We saw Oedipus the King (in Greek) and it was AMAZING!!  Unfortunately there were a few snakes who lived in the theater and thought they’d catch the performance.

Sunday we went to Mycenae and I got to see the Lion’s Gate entrance!!!!  I remember seeing pictures of this in high school and I actually got to see it!!! Sooooooo cool!!!!   Agamemnon was the leader of Mycenae when the Greeks went off to get Helen back during the Trojan War (REALLY?!?!?  To get a woman back?  Because your “property” was taken?!? Ridiculous!).  Next we went to the museum at the site and there was some really great jewelry there. 

Our next stop that day (Sunday) was the site of Tiryns (for 3 hours)

After that we went back to our hotel and then hit the beach.  The water was great. The beach was made up of stones and some rocks, lots of waves.  I also decided that I needed more gelato.

This morning (Tuesday) we got on the bus and went to an ouzo distillery.  It’s been running since the mid-1800’s and so we had the chance to meet the family that owned it.   After that we headed to the site of Lerna (where Heracles slew the Lerna Hydra).  The site was located on a swamp, so there were some water issues and a potential malaria outbreak which could have led to the myth.

Next we headed Mantineia and had lunch on the porch of a very odd looking church.

Finally we headed to Sparta where I gave my presentation on the history of excavation at the site and people decided to start quoting The 300.

Now time for bed before we hike up Mystras tomorrow.