Greek Christmas - Part I

Dear All,

As one of the primary goals of our blog is to keep a journal of our doings while living in France, here is a detailed account of our 2011 Christmas vacation trip to Greece. For those who are not interested in reading about where we stayed and what we ate, please skip the text and enjoy the pictures. If you get bored of family vacation pictures as well, please feel free to skip these posts altogether as they contain a lot of information written mostly for our own records.

Bourtzi Fortress (Μπούρτζι)

This year, we had a very difficult time deciding what to do for our vacation. There were many choices, including visiting one of Joe's missionary companions working on sabbatical in Warsaw, going to one of the places we've visited before like Ireland, touring the Christmas markets of Germany and Austria, or just staying home. After much deliberation, we finally arrived at a decision to have Christmas in Greece. At first, we were very worried about the prospects of having Christmas in a country with such different traditions. However, we pushed forward with our plans because of all the possible things to do and see in the Greek mainland.

We started our trip by traversing the snowy Alps to Milan, Italy where we caught a morning flight to Athens. We then drove southwest to the town of Nafplio on the Peloponnese peninsula.

Nafplio (Ναύπλιο), Greece

Along the way, we crossed the Corinth canal, a very deep and narrow canal started under Nero in 67 AD, but finished in 1893 to connect the Aegean Sea and the Gulf of Corinth. The walls of the canal are 300 feet high and the bridge on which you can walk is very old. Consequently, Joe decided to take each of the kids one-by-one to walk out and see the view. Unfortunately, there were no ships passing through the canal while we were there, so our pictures do not provide an accurate perspective of how deep the canal really is.

Corinth Canal (Διώρυγα της Κορίνθου)

After driving through miles of citrus orchards and olive groves, we finally arrived at the Klymeni Guesthouse. The apart-hotel had a new interior, spectacular view of the bay, and breakfast that had been carefully put in the refrigerator for the next morning. There was also a Christmas tree and other decorations to make it seem more like Christmas. Almost immediately, everyone started complaining that we weren't going to be there for Christmas day.

Klymeni Guesthouse

We later learned that Greeks usually decorate ships instead of Christmas trees, but we were content to break this tradition!

Greek Christmas Tree

Our first night, we went into town for a traditional Greek diner consisting of souvlaki, Greek salad, sausage, toasted bread with olive oil, and pasta. Surprisingly, the kids loved Greek food and tried a little of everything we had during the trip (Nathaniel once gagged on a huge Greek olive, but that's another story).

Diner in Greece

We also took the opportunity to wander through town. We visited constitution square, which was an interesting mix of Venetian, Greek, and Turkish buildings. We also noted the strange dichotomy of flowers and Christmas decorations at the same time.

Downtown Nafplio (Ναύπλιο), Greece

The next morning, we started out early in order to fit as much into the day as possible before it got dark. Our first visit was to the Palamidi Fortress, 700 feet above Nafplio. The fortress was built in the late 17th century by the Venetians who dominated the area for many centuries. In fact, one can find the Winged Lion of St. Mark above the entry to the fortress as well as throughout the city itself. Unlike other forts we've visited, Palamidi has seen a lot of action and has traded hands several times between the Venetians, Turks, and Greeks.

Palamidi (Παλαμήδι) Fortress

In addition to spectacular views of the area, there were many levels, rooms, caves, and walls to explore. It was incredible to see the ramparts and think about the soldiers who stood guard or fought hundreds of feet above the ground without any rails. Just looking at them made Julie and Joe dizzy.

Palamidi Ramparts

To reach the fort, we had to climb approximately 999 steps, easily the most we have ascended in any of our travels. While it was difficult and a little scary going up, it was even harder to come down.

Palamidi Steps

We all had rubber legs by the time we reached the bottom. To recover, we sat down at a cafe and ate loukoumades (Greek donuts drenched in honey and covered with nuts). Somehow, this quickly resolved any complaints about tiredness.

Loukoumades (λουκουμάδες)

In the afternoon, we drove to the Mycenaen capital of Mycenae near the town of Argos. This archaeological site housed one of the major world civilizations between 2000 to 1100 BC. Though walls are what principally remain of this ancient city, there were still some very interesting sights. The stones of the citadel are so large and well-fitted, the ancient Greeks believed they must have been put there by a cyclops. The entrance called the Lion Gate was built of three giant monoliths and a huge triangular stone with two carved lions.

Mycenae (Μυκῆναι)

One of our great adventures of the trip took place at the Mycenaean cistern. We had read in our guidebooks that flashlights are necessary for visiting the old spring. Nevertheless, we were not fully prepared, so Joe took Nicolas and Elyse to explore the passage while Julie and Nathaniel waited at the top. By the time they reached the first corner, all traces of light from the outside had disappeared. Joe therefore borrowed Elyse's camera and continued the trek downwards in the pitch darkness, snapping pictures every couple of steps to check his position on the camera screen. Nicolas and Elyse used Nicolas' camera, which allowed them to see a few steps in front of them for a few seconds at a time. The three descended about 60 feet into the earth before coming to the cistern itself. All the while, Nathaniel cried persistently at being left out of the adventure.

Mycenaean Cistern

We then explored the bronze-age tholos, or beehive tombs. While the ceiling of the first one had collapsed, the remaining two that we visited, including the Treasury of Atreus, have survived for three thousand years. Unfortunately, most of the contents had been pillaged either recently or in antiquity. The kids were amused by their echos while Julie and Joe were amazed at the architecture and skill with which they were constructed.

Ancient Mycenaean Tombs

Before diner, we took a relaxing stroll by the bay. The kids found it fun to squash all of the cactus fruits lying on the trail.

Argolic Gulf (Αργολικός Κόλπος)

In the evening, Julie started a tradition of reading a few chapters of "The Fugitive from Corinth," a book in The Roman Mysteries series. This book for youth combines history, Greek mythology, and mystery and was a perfect way for the kids to understand a little about the things we saw throughout the trip.

After our first couple of days in Greece, we were certainly glad that we had come and couldn't wait to see what adventures awaited us next.

Joe, Julie, Nicolas, Elyse, and Nathaniel