Mistra and Mycenae

Well, that was quite a day. We started this morning by visiting the ruins of the Byzantine town of Mistra, perched high on a hill above the modern town. By the standards of this trip this was modern stuff, dating from as recently as the 13th to 15th centuries. There are churches, a monastery, remains of the old houses and the Despot's Palace which is now partly restored. We started at the top of the site and walked down the steep side of the hill past all the sights, with amazing views out over the plain. A photograph can't do the view justice but I've tried anyway, in my extra shot.

After lunch we headed off to the Citadel of Mycenae which is a bit older; some of the burial sites here have been dated to the 16th-15th centuries BC! We had visited once before about 20 years ago but the site is now much more developed than it was then. My picture is of the inside of the Tomb of Agamemnon, the largest and most complete of the Tholoi or tombs, which is virtually complete. The interior is vast and the lintel over the entrance is the largest stone lintel in the world; how on earth they managed to move it is a complete mystery.

A incredibly tiring day and we arrived hot and thirsty at our latest hotel in Napflion at 7.30pm with dinner at 8.00pm; we still managed to shower and change and get down in time. We now have the luxury of three nights in the same hotel so can unpack our cases for the first time.