Laure and Quarup

Mycenae

We drove to Mycenae, which was the center of Greek civilization during the aptly named Mycenaean period between 1600 and 1100 BC. The Mycenaeans were a people of aggressive warriors that conquered a lot of the surrounding region. Some believe they were one of the key players in the mythical Trojan Wars.

Apart from the Lion Gate, a lot of Mycenae has unfortunately crumbled over the last 3,000 years. So I consider it as one of those places that you need to mentally visualize its former grandeur to really appreciate it.

There was also a nice museum at the site with artifacts from the civilization.

Nafplio

Next on our trip was the former Greek capital Nafplio. While planning our trip, we had decided pass there simply because it was between places we wanted to see. But then Nafplio really surprised us. It felt like a much sanitized and scaled down version of Cairo, which made it more approachable and relaxing.

We stayed at an awesome place named Pension Marianna overlooking the city.

The room looked like it was out of a castle.

Nafplio has many interesting places like this good chocolate shop we stumbled upon.

Shortly after arriving in Nafplio, we realized we should have probably planned to spend at least one full day there to leisurely check out all the interesting shops and the good restaurants.

Epidaurus Ancient Theater

Next, we checked out the Epidaurus Ancient Theater, where artists have performed plays and music since ancient times until now at this outdoor auditorium.

The acoustics are so good that everyone can hear the person in the center. For a crazy second, I considered reciting a Shakespearean monologue.

My wife and my then-unborn child.

There's also a museum with some ancient stuff.

After all that sightseeing, we were ready to relax and see what the legendary Greek islands are all about. That's coming next.