Nafplion, Greece
Our passage into the Argolic Gulf was a smooth one, and the early risers were able to catch a sunrise over the Peloponnese peninsula. Just before docking in Nafplion we sailed by the small Bourtzi castle and under the bastions of the Palamidi fortress above. Both of these were constructed by the Venetians, Bourtzi during the first occupation and Palamidi during the second.
After breakfast we headed out for our morning’s excursion inland on the Peloponnese peninsula. Our first stop was to the treasury of Atreus or as it is more commonly known, Agamemnon’s Tomb. The entrance to this tomb sets a good stage for the large chamber waiting inside. It’s as if you were walking into a giant beehive. Shortly after this stop we moved on to the archaeological site of Mycenae. This was a major center for Greek civilization which dates back to 1600 B.C. and then was abandoned around 1100 B.C. From the Lion Gate entrance to the far edge of Mycenae it’s an impressive place now and must have been amazing in its day. Before returning to the Panorama for lunch we made a brief stop at a well preserved stadium in ancient Nemea. Sophia and Ellen our Greek guides talked about what events took place in the stadium and how they were staged. We decided to stage our own competition to give our “Panoramic” teams an opportunity to gain points in the pursuit of their own “victory”. Runners were placed, a relay was run and olive wreaths were bestowed on all of our participants.
After lunch a second Panoramic event was staged that more of and “archaeological” nature. The teams were gathered and three “broken” pots were presented to them. The goal was to reconstruct the pots in as timely a manner as possible and leave them as complete as could be in the time allotted. Points were awarded and then we prepared to depart for the Pala midi fortress. We took the easy road up to the fortifications via motor coaches and then walked through the main gates and into the fort. Palamidi was constructed from 1711 to 1714 and was designed to be impenetrable from the artillery of that period. Unfortunately the Venetians turned the fortress over to the Turks in 1715 not long after it was completed. We explored the inner walls and learned more of the history of this impressive place. Most of us chose to head to the outer bastions after this to explore some more and enjoy the great views of the Argolic Gulf below. The younger guests were eager to climb the walls while the adults – especially the men – enjoyed bringing out their “inner child” for a time. We reached the end of the fort and began our journey back to the main fort and contemplated the 900+ steps back down to the town and the port below.
Dinner was served aboard Panorama, but many chose to eat ashore in Nafplion. The main event however was visiting the local gelato shops and comparing tastes later on that evening. Most were partial to the Italian store and the chocolate with chile gelato was a feature flavor but only for the adventurous of gelato seekers.
