We left Athens this morning for a long bus ride to Deep Mani on the southern coast of the Peloponnesian peninsula. On the way, we crossed over the Corinth Canal.
Corinth Canal
After driving for awhile, we passed Sparta (no ruins there) and arrived at Mystras, a Byzantine city built on the side of a steep hill and is now a World Heritage Site. The bus took us up a windy road to the top where we met our guide, Angela, a German/Greek transplant. She walked us down the village path through three churches and past many ruined buildings. Some of the churches still had their original tile and frescos.
Mystras Churches
When we were finished, we were bussed to the village below the ruins and had a long, leisurely, filling lunch in an outdoor patio.
Lunch and Harris, Our Guide
We pushed on with the bus, stopping once in a small town with a harbor on the Ionian Sea so that Harris could go to an ATM.
Harbor Town
We are now in a "quaint" hotel in the Deep Mani. Gerolmenas is a small village on a cove of the Ionian Sea. It has lots of buildings made out of stone. Our hotel is one of them. Our room has two stone walls one of which abuts my side of the bed. I have to be careful not to hit my elbows and knees against it.
Deep Mani
We had a late, light dinner in our hotel and a short walk to let it settle.
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