Today we took a charter bus on a full day excursion to Mycenae and Nafplion. On our way we stopped at the Canal of Corinth that separates the main land from the Peloponnese. The canal project was begun under Emperor Nero and was completed in 1893. Mycenae, an ancient stone citadel so large that the Greeks though it must have been built by giants calling the walls “cyclopean”. After a trip up and around the ancient palace complex and a view of the surrounding valley we visited the treasury of Atreus, a beehive shape underground tomb around 3 millennia years old. Our next stop was Nafplion, a coastal town in the Peloponnese surrounded on three sides by water. Nafplion, called Napoli di Romania “the Naples of Byzantium” in the Middle Ages is famous for its large fortress complexes built by the Mycenaean’s who occupied the territory in the 15th and 16th centuries and again in the nearly the 18th century. We took the 999 steps down from Palamidi Castle to the beach were the students were able to cool down in the clear blue water of the Argolic Gulf. After a long day full of activities, we opted for a group picnic on the rooftop of our hotel enjoying the gorgeous view of the city.
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| Nico and Sam at the Canal of Corinth as a ship makes its way through. |
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| A great group photo and an amazing view of the Argolic Gulf from Palamidi Castle. |
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| Students enjoy some shade and lunch at the beach in Nafplion. |
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| Sam has fun cooling off as he jumps into the water in Nafplion. |
