For the video of the day, click on the link below:

Mycenae and Nafplio from Sarah Rossey on Vimeo.

For a taste of what traveling with Tim is like, check out this video:

Greece Recap Talking Heads from Sarah Rossey on Vimeo.

After relentless heckling about the pace of our trip and the early hour at which we had to hit the road (7:30? 8:00? Is that early? What wimps!), Sarah and I finally decided to show mercy and allow a “sleep in” morning. We set a meeting time of 10:00 am in the hotel foyer. Breakfast was on our own, so the group spread out between street vendors selling pastries, Syntagma Square for espresso and croissants, or the harbor area for omelets and coffee.

At 10:00, we loaded up the vans and headed for Mycenae. The weather was perfect (60’s with clear skies and light winds). First stop: the Treasury of Atreus. A beehive tomb from the 14^th century b.c. The construction and acoustics were astounding. (We calculated—yes, some of our group whipped out their smart phones and did the math on this—that the lintel stone alone weight around 500 tons.)

Then on to Mycenae proper. Grave Circle B with its shaft graves and somber setting outside the walls of the city. The tombs of Clytemnestra (unfaithful wife and murderer of Agamemnon) and her lover and fellow conspirator Aegisthus. Through the majestic Lion’s Gate. Past Grave Circle A (where Heinrich Schliemann discovered the “mask of Agamemnon” and most of the treasures of Mycenae housed at the National Archaeological Museum). Up the acropolis to the palace area, the Megaron (throne room), and a temple at the summit. We saw the shops and huts of ordinary citizens and the deep cistern from which the city drew water in times of siege.

Back down the hill to the Museum. Many of the significant treasures of Mycenae are in Athens rather than here. But there are some particularly interesting artifacts housed in the Mycenae museum: great examples of Linear B—one of the earliest forms of writing … a map of the Mediterranean and ancient Europe, showing the extent of Greek trade 1500 years before Christ … a display of ancient weaponry and tools. A great little museum, even if—at this point in our trip—people were a little museumed-out.

When we had our fill of the incredible view we piled in the vans and drove to the Corinthian Canal. What an incredible sight! Although Sarah was disappointed that the bungee jump company had not yet opened for the tourists, we got to watch a cruise ship pass through while we walked up and down the bridge over the canal.

Back to Nafplio for a last, wistful afternoon. We ate lunch together and then spread out to shop, nap, stroll, and otherwise revel in our final day in Greece. Jewelry was purchased (really, Beverly, more jewelry?!), gelato was eaten (really, Kevin, again with the gelato?!), and yet more photos were snapped. We gathered at 9:00 pm and trooped off to eat our “last supper” in Greece. The Taverna Basileia. Stuffed vine leaves and stewed rabbit. Swordfish souvlaki and tzatziki. Village sausage and moussaka. Ahh, what a feast. We ate and talked and laughed and reminisced until 11:00 p.m. and then went in search of Nafplio’s best gelato.

Back to the hotel to shower, pack, and check out. Most of the group had an early morning flight (5:00.!), so no sleep this evening. We hit the road about 12:30. Ed did his usual superb job of driving, navigating the crazy Greek roads (not to mention the crazy Greek drivers!) and keeping up with me. We got to the Athens’ airport about 3:00, checked everyone in, and said our final goodbyes. What a great trip. What wonderful memories!

Sarah and I sat with Beverly for an hour or so (she had a later flight). Then we headed out in one of the rental vans to see Sounion—a site I’d never visited in all my trips to Greece. It was pitch dark of course (5:00 a.m.!). Roads were under major construction. We wound our way through sleepy villages and over one-lane bridges for almost an hour until we came to the Temple of Poseidon, glowing in the night from the spotlights that highlighted its majestic beauty. We took a few photos before Sarah went to grab a little sleep in the van. I stayed up, snapping photos as the sun rose over the Aegean, capturing the Temple as the sun warmed the white marble into golden glow.

The group was safely on the plane, Sarah and I had a couple of days to ourselves in Athens, and it was time to relax and enjoy being in Greece with no responsibilities or duties. Ahhhhhhhh!

To view the video from the day click on the link below:

Corinth from Sarah Rossey on Vimeo.

When you look up “perfect weather” in the dictionary, expect to find a picture of our group standing on the site of ancient Corinth. It was beautiful today. Clear skies. Temperatures in the high 60’s. Crisp. Clean. Lovely.

We left Olympia at 7:45 and made the beautiful (but difficult) drive to Tripoli and (thence) to Corinth. About 3.5 hours in the car. We were on the site of ancient Corinth by 10:30 and spent a great hour and a half touring the stoas and fountains, the agora, and the archaic temple. Paul’s footprints are all over this site. We stood at the bema—where Gallio (the Roman governor) dismissed the case brought by the Hebrews of Corinth against Paul—and learned “the rest of the story.” We peered into the Peirene Fountain and heard the story of Medea at the Fountain of Glauke.

We rested our feet for about 45 minutes and ate a gyros sandwich. Then back for a quick run through the museum, followed by a hasty drive up AcroCorinth for an assault on the summit. AcroCorinth rises above the Corinthian plain by about 2500 feet. There is a road most of the way up the slope, but the last 1000 feet have to be climbed the old-fashioned way. We huffed and puffed—past the three gates that guard the fortified walls, past the mosque built by Turkish occupiers, past the terraces where besieged forces grew grain—to the Temple of Aphrodite and one of the most panoramic views in Greece. From this vantage point, you can see the Saronic Gulf, the Isthmus (with its canal), and the Corinthian Gulf. All of the Corinthian plain stretches out before you. The mountains of the Peloponnese fade into gray in the southern distance. Mount Parnassos glistens with snow to the north. It is a magical vista and a fitting reward for those intrepid enough to make the climb.

One last stop back in Corinth. In the “lower city,” next to the ancient theater is a pavement area where theater-goers would have waited in line for tickets and entrance. It was built in the first century. That pavement had a dedication inscription, lauding the man who paid for the pavement to be laid “at his own expense.” His name was Erastus. He was both a former proconsul and aedile (city manager) of Corinth. We meet this very man in one of the Apostle Paul’s letters. Paul writes Romans from Corinth about a.d. 55/56. He is staying with a man named “Gaius” (probably the same Gaius Titius Justus we meet in Acts 18:7 and 1Cor 1:14). He sends greetings to the Christians of Rome from Gaius. Then Paul writes this:

Erastus, who is the city’s director of public works, and our brother Quartus send you their greetings. (Rom 16:23)

This is very likely the same Erastus who laid the theater pavement in Corinth. An interesting connection and a thrilling bridge to the world of Paul.

From Corinth, we drove to Nafplio and checked into our hotel (Pension AcroNafplia: www.pensionacronafplia.gr). After a brief rest, we walked the town and enjoyed views of the harbor, a stroll through the shops and restaurants that line the old city’s streets, and the fragrance of orange trees heavy with fruit and wisteria blossoms.

Dinner was yet another application for enrollment in Overeaters Anonymous. Falafel. Stuffed tomatoes. Grilled octopus. Souvlaki. Cod. Sausage. Greek salad. I could go on. After lingering at table, laughing and talking for two hours, we staggered out into the night. Did we head for bed, as we should have? No. Did we take a constitutional to view the lights of the harbor or of the Palamidi Fortress that looms above the city of Nafplio. No. We went, of course, in search of gelato. It is late now, and Sarah and I must to-bed. But we wanted to post about this glorious day before collapsing.

Tomorrow is our last day. The only thing that sweetens the bitterness of that statement is the awareness that tomorrow we visit Mycene!

Click on the link below to view the video from the day:

Olympia from Sarah Rossey on Vimeo.

Today was a day of “best” quotes. Unfortunately, I cannot report any of them for fear of damaging the reputations of the speakers. Except for Beverly Ward, of course, whose reputation is already in ruins. When asked her favorite sight at Olympia, she mentioned the statue of Hermes by Praxiletes: “I liked the naked man.”

We left Delphi at 7:30 and made the four hour drive to Olympia. Much of the drive paralleled the Corinthian Gulf and we were treated to panoramas of blue water, blue sky, lush green islands, and red-tiled villas along the way. Arriving at Antirio, we crossed the Rio bridge—the longest cable stay bridge in the world. A beautiful and elegant structure.

The rest of the drive to Olympia is unremarkable except for potholes and large trucks. Tiffany continued to exercise restraint about the deplorable road habits of the Greeks (“Knit one, pearl one”). Just before reaching Olympia, we stopped for gas. At the moment, gasoline is over $8 a gallon in Greece! I put almost $350 dollars of gas into the two vans! Ouch!

We grabbed a quick lunch at a pastry shop in modern Olympia and then drove to the site. What a great place to visit! We ran the length of the Olympic stadium (John Wilkins beat us all!). Tiffany, Valerie, and Geralyn treated us to cartwheels. We saw where the Olympic torch is lit every four years (at the altar of the Temple of Hera). We marveled at the size of the Temple of Zeus. We saw a 2000 year-old hotel (Howard called it the “Hotel 6 b.c.”). And the palestra and gymnasium where athletes exercised “gymnos” (naked—Beverly especially liked this. You may be detecting a theme here.)

From the site, we moved to the museum. The Olympia museum is rich and deep in holdings. Votive offerings. Corinthian helmets. A terracotta Nike. A statue of Hermes by Praxiteles. The pediment sculptures of the Temple of Zeus (amazing!).

We checked in to our hotel (Hotel Pelops—www.hotelpelops.gr) and took the rest of the afternoon to stroll, shop, and eat ice cream. (Kevin Duffin claims that calories from ice cream or gelato don’t digest into fat cells. Humph! And he claims to be a scientist!) We ate at the Ambrosia Restaurant (spaghetti and chicken, followed by massive quantities of bread and olives). The evening ended with us sitting in the hotel lobby reminiscing about the day and recounting our favorite sights and sayings.

Tomorrow, it’s over the spine of the Peloponnese (on some of the narrowest, winding roads in the world) to Corinth and Nafplio.

To view the video for the day, click on this link:

Vergina And Philippi from Sarah Rossey on Vimeo.

Today began in one of the best ways imaginable: friends waking to greet one another … homemade jams … the anticipation of good things to come.

The Hotel Evridiki is owned and operated by a sweet couple—Costas and Roula. Their operation is small and personal. Roula treats us as one of the family and breaks out the peach jam that she and her family grows and preserves. If you’re ever in Vergina …

After breakfast, we drove to the Tumulus Museum (just minutes away) and spent the next two hours viewing some of the most magnificent artifacts in Greece. These were the treasures buried with Philip II by his son, Alexander the Great. Armor and crowns. Jewels and silverware. Breathtaking tombs and mind-numbing riches. The holdings of Vergina are without parallel.

Next, we drove the 225 kilometers to Philippi. This is a great site, especially for those interested in the ministry and work of the Apostle Paul. The church Paul founded here was the first church in Europe. It was also a church that loved Paul dearly—not something that can be said about many of Paul’s churches! The ruins of Philippi are especially interesting because, apart from the Roman Philippi of Paul’s day, there are several large basilicae (churches) that were built for the Christian pilgrims who flocked to this site in the fourth and fifth centuries. The oldest church known is found here (fourth century). The museum of Philippi has just opened after a 10 year remodel!

Back to Vergina and dinner! We drove up the mountains to the Mparnna Taverna—perched on a hillside looking over the fertile Macedonian valley. What a feast! Lamb and veal, pork and sausage, mushrooms and beets, cabbage salad and stuffed peppers. We waddled away from the dinner table to stumble into bed. A long day. But definitely worth it!

Click on the link below to view the video of the day:

Untitled from Sarah Rossey on Vimeo.

At 8:00, Ed Johnson and I headed out with our backpacks to pick up the rental vans. Getting out of Athens is always an adventure. Traffic is awful, no one seems to know or care about rules of the road, and pedestrians/motorcycles/randomly-parked-cars make everything more difficult.

In spite of the challenges, Ed and I managed to maneuver our way from the rental car office to Syntagma Square, pick up the rest of the group (waiting so patiently with their bags in hand), and leave Athens in one piece.

We had a two hour drive to Thermopylae (on good, four-lane highway). Once at the famous battle-site, we relived the stand of the 300 Spartans against the Persian hordes. Phalanxes and “dories” (the long spears of the Spartans). Greaves and butt-spikes. The Phokian wall and Thespian warriors. It’s a great story celebrating a great event.

After refueling (autos and bodies), we drove to Meteora. This is surely one of the most dramatic and picturesque sights in the world. The hanging monasteries. Communities perched on top of columns of basalt. “Surreal” is the best word I know to describe this place. The Grand Meteoron is a wonderful place, with one of the best monastic manuscript collections in the world. A stunning chapel, a fascinating wine cellar, and the skulls of all the monks who have died at the monastery are only a few of the highlights of this place.

Back on the road to wrestle with one of the worst stretches of highway in all of Greece (which is saying something!). Switchbacks and steep grades. No shoulders next to precipitous drop offs. Truck traffic where no truck should venture. It’s the stuff of which nightmares are made. However, we survived and found our way into Vergina … and our temporary home at the Hotel Evrydike (www.evridiki.com.gr). We were warmly welcomed by Roula (the owner) and shown to our rooms.

We ate at a nearby taverna (also owned by Roula and her husband) and, after a long and full day, settled down for a good night’s sleep.

Click on the link below to view the video from the day:

Athens Day 3 from Sarah Rossey on Vimeo.

Another great day in paradise.

The weather today was in the 60s, sunshine, light breeze. Perfect for climbing the Acropolis. And that’s what we did today.

Bathe, breakfast, and out the door by 7:45. Metro to the Acropoli Metro Station. A hundred yards to the SE entrance to the Acropolis. We saw the Theater of Dionysius (where drama was born), the Aesklepion (where Athens went for healing), the Peripetos (where Aristotle wandered with his students), and the Odeon of Herodes Atticus (where Athens gathered to hear musical concerts and poetry readings).

Then up the slope to the Acropolis proper. First the Propylae–the monumental (and monumentally expensive) gateway to the holy Acropolis site. To the right as you climb the steps to the gateway is the exquisite Temple of Athena Nike–one of my favorite spots on the High City. Through the gateway to be overwhelmed by the site of the Parthenon, the lovely and graceful Erechtheon, and an expanse of real estate like no other in the world. Athens sprawls out around you in all directions. In the clear light today, we could see the Aegean sparkling in the distance and mountains shimmering on the horizon. It was a glorious day to be on top of the world.

We turned next to the Areopagus–the Hill of Ares (or, to the Romans, Mars). This was the site on which the powerful Areopagus Council met to discuss issues related to Athenian affairs. This is where the Apostle Paul made his impassioned speech (Acts 17) against idolatry and for resurrection. Walk over this small area and you’re bound to step in the footprints of Paul.

We paused for a very light lunch (pop, chips, and candybars!) in a nearby park, Then onto the Agora for a closer look at the haunts of Socrates and the place that figured more prominently in the daily life of ancient Athenians than any other site in the city. This is where Athens shopped and gossiped and heard the latest news and listened to philosophers and bought fast-food and had teeth pulled. Athens worshiped on the Acropolis and voted on the Pnyx and was entertained at the Odeon. But Athens lived in the Agora.

The Agora Museum (housed in the rennovated Stoa of Attalos) is one of the under-appreciated jewels of Athens. You’ll see some marvelous artifacts related to democracy here … a rare Spartan shield … ostraka (pottery shards) inscribed with famous names of men ostracized from Athens because they became too powerful and popular (Kimon, Pericles, Themistocles), and some wonderful examples of Athenian pottery.

Returning to the hotel, we had time for a nap and a coffee, some relaxed visiting, and a chance to rest our weary feet. At 7:30 pm, we set out for the Plaka district once more and ate (another!) hearty dinner. Now we’re back at the hotel, anticipating the next stage of our adventure. Tomorrow, Thermopylae and Meteora and Vergina! Macedonia, here we come!

Our video montage of the day:

April 2, 2011 Athens from Sarah Rossey on Vimeo.

Today was a great day!

We enjoyed  a fabulous breakfast (eggs, coffee, anchovies, olives, toast and honey, cheese, etc.) and, having fortified ourselves for the day and, met in the lobby at 8:00 to begin our adventures. Yes, all of us were eager to be off, to see the sights, to be suitably wowed by the wonders of ancient Greece. But wait! Something was missing. More to the point, someone was missing. It was only then that we realized the Johnsons were not in the lobby, had not been at breakfast, were last seen trudging wearily to their room the night before.

My daughter Sarah called their room to awaken as fast-asleep Sara Johnson and her even more asleep husband. Jet lag can be a brutal master!

The rest of us went on leaving my Sarah behind to shepherd Ed and Sara to a rendezvous later that morning. The larger group walked to Monastiraki Square (only to discover that, it being Saturday, the green-line of the Metro was closed), and then walked to the National Archaeological Museum. Along the way, we detoured to see the Athens’ meat market: cattle, sheep, pigs in various stages of dismemberment … fish, crab, squid, mussels in every shape and size. People yelling prices, cutting up meat with cleavers, hanging tripe and offal from hooks. It was messy, smelly, and glorious. Many of our tour members said it was the best part of the day!

At the National Archaeological Museum, we were disappointed to discover that—due to budget cuts—only half the museum was open for viewing. Apparently, part of the government’s austerity measures involved reducing the number of guards to oversee the collection! Still, this being the National Archaeological Museum of Athens and one of the finest/largest collections in the world, there was still plenty to see. The Mycenae collection (complete with the Mask of Agamemnon) … sculptures from the Archaic, Classical, and Hellenistic eras … and artifacts from Thera (a city on Santorini destroyed by volcanic eruption in the second millennium b.c.).

We grabbed a quick lunch at a pastry shop across the street. (Most of us had meat pies, ham and cheese, pizza. Kevin Duffin opted for the chocolate croissant.) Then the Metro (on a functional line) to the Acropoli Station. Along the way, Beverly had her camera and iPod stolen from her bag (“I never felt a thing!”). Beware of pickpockets on the Athens Metro!!!!

We toured the New Acropolis Museum—one of the wonders of modern Athens! Incredible artifacts. Incredibly designed museum. Parthenon sculptures. Korai and Kouroi. Caryatids. The Sandal Binder. Each of us had about three espressos in the Museum snack room. (Howard Polk is an espresso machine!)

Then it was back to the hotel. But wait. There were shops between the museum and the hotel, each of which required casing, combating, and conquering. Several of our group came back laden with the spoils of commercial war. (I won’t mention names, merely intitials: Nancy Harbron and Geralyn Polk.) Kevin Duffin had two gelatos (and a third after dinner that night!).

We waited for dark to descend on magical Athens and for the lights of the Acropolis to make that wonder of the world glow like a jewel in the night. The pedestrian walkway encircling the Acropolis is made for night walks, with a different vista of the Acropolis framed like some highlighted masterpiece from every new angle. We oohed, ahhed, and shutter-snapped our way around the Acropolis.

Finally, we ended up at Scholarios for dinner: cuttlefish, meatballs, greens, humus, sausage, sardines, Greek salads, and on and on. If we weren’t walking so much, we’d all be blimps!

Back to the room by 11:30 that night. You would imaging that a group so wined and dined, so pampered to the sights of ancient Athens, so well-led and tended would be grateful for their privileged treatment and show their leader appropriate honor. But, alas, no. People and their loyalties are so fickle. There were dark murmurings passed back and forth; seditious talk of uprising and mutiny; ugly character aspersions cast my way. And my sin? Suggesting that we needed to be out of the hotel door by 7:30 tomorrow morning in order to beat the crowds to the ever-popular Acropolis. Oh, the unfairness of it all! Oh, the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune.

Being ever the reasonable man and sensitive to the wishes of others, I informed the entire group that they could leave for the Acropolis at any time they pleased. However, I—as the only one who knew the way—was leaving at 7:30 and if they wanted to actually see the site, they would do well to leave with me. I think this demonstrated not only my munificent character but the merciful way I dealt with back-stabbing ingrates who dared to question my master plan.

Tomorrow is the Acropolis, Agora and the Agora Museum – the best and most significant of ancient Athens.