Mycenae

The next morning, we took a short drive to archaeological site of Mycenae, the fortified city founded by Perseus a thousand years before the Parthenon.

Tomb of Agamemnon (aka Treasury of Atreus)

Arriving early, we had the place nearly to ourselves and explored the incredible beehive-shaped tomb known as the Treasury of Atreus, also known as the Tomb of Agamemnon. Built sometime between 1350–1250 BC, this monument is flipping impressive. We learned this was the largest dome of its kind for over 1,000 years, which says pretty much everything about the Mycenaeans’ impressive construction techniques.

Lion’s Gate

From there, we moved to the Lions Gate, learning the history of the entrance.

We walked alongside the massive “Cyclopean” walls, while our guide shared her knowledge of their advanced civilization including their writing system, hospital, and the intricate gold treasures found here.

Built from massive limestone blocks, the Lion Gate still knows how to make an entrance. Above the opening, two lions rest their paws on an altar – silent, muscular guardians frozen in stone. Their heads are gone, likely made of another material (some other metal., perhaps?), but the message remains loud and clear: power lived here.

Greek mythology couldn’t resist an explanation for walls this enormous. Legend says the Cyclops themselves built them for Perseus, because only giants could manage stones of this size. Standing here, it’s easy to understand how that story stuck.

We eventually got caught behind a painfully slow tour group. Again, reminding me of how much I appreciated the get out and go of our tour group outings! We broke away and made our way back to the bus for the drive to Nafplio.

On the ride back, Victor shared stories about the area, as Mycenaeans form the backdrop for the heroic legends of the Trojan War, Achilles, and Odysseus, influencing classical Greek literature.

Judging by the quizzical looks that spread across our faces when Victor casually referenced a few well-known tales, it became painfully clear that our group’s grasp of Greek mythology was … sadly lacking.

The very next day, Victor came prepared – passing out visual aids including a “family tree” with a timeline of all the major Greek Players to keep everyone on track. Suddenly the gods, mortals, and epic drama started making so much more sense. Thank you, Victor!!!!

Nafplio

Back in Nafplio, our group of four hiked up to the Palamidi Fortress for sweeping views. The climb was a small parade of humanity – tourists of every nationality, age, and ability – some charging ahead, some pacing themselves, all sharing the same goal of earning that view at the top.

We then wandered the colorful alleyways of the Old Town as clouds gathered overhead – feeling very proud of ourselves for our physical achievement.

Watching thunderstorms roll in while sipping wine on the terrace was mesmerizing – then the wall of rain arrived. And we remembered our evening plans to walk across town to dinner with our group.

Dinner with Dimitra

We regrouped, donned rain ponchos, borrowed all the umbrellas at the hotel, and walked across town to Mirsilou, where Dimitra the owner treated us to a delicious multi-course dinner, flowing wine, and a lively performance of traditional Greek music (and dancing)

It was a perfect finale to the day!