Between those on display at my parents holiday home, the stuff at cape Tainaros and a good mosaic at Olympia I reckon I have enough to justify providing a collection of mosaic pictures…
Mosaics
Tag: Greece
Ancient Olympia
This is the site of the original Olympics, held here from 776 BC until the Roman Emperor and christian fanatic Theodosius put a stop to them in 393AD – and it would be 1500 years before they were revived. However, this was not just the original sporting hotbed, there are countless other splendid things to see here. As usual I have some excellent photos for you…
Olum
The Inner Mani
The Inner Mani’s particular version of the very traditional Greek habits of feud and vendetta led to the building by anyone who could of fortified tower houses. They were defending themselves against each other, much like the border reavers of Northumberland with their bastles. As usual, I have plenty of pictures for you…
Walking to the end of mainland Greece – Cape Tainaros
In ancient times this was home to a temple and death oracle of Poseidon (the ruins of which can still be seen), and was a notorious spot for ship wrecks. At least one reasonably eminent Roman had a villa here as there are some old mosaics left from his tenure. The end of the Greek mainland is signalled by lighthouse, which is moderately attractive. Being in the driest most arid part of mainland Greece, the path is as one would expect bare and rocky, but I was able to walk it in beefed up flip flops.
This region also contains my nomination for the most desperate attempt at cultivation I have yet to see evidence of – indescribable, so wait for the photo…
Byzantine Churches
Venturing into the inner Mani (the town of Areopoli marks the boundary between the inner and outer Mani – think Men of Kent and Kentish Men) we saw some very splendid Byzantine churches (and some truly ghastly modern replicas). In the only one we could get inside there were some interesting frescos, and all featured some fine examples of decorative brickwork using Roman style bricks. I have some very fine photographs of these extraordinary buildings…
Greece 8: Methoni
Although the castle at Methoni was closed by the time we got there, we were able to see a lot of it from the outside. Paddling in the sea I was a little annoyed not to have equipped myself for swimming because the water was lovely. Still before going back to Tseria tonight I will be able to have a swim at Stoupa. Methoni castle was built by the Venetians when they were a force to be reckoned with, and features stoneworked lions of St Mark. As usual I have some splendid pictures for you…
Greece 7: Lunch between sites.
Having finished exploring the remains of ancient Messene we repaired to a guard post on the old walls. These walls, a circuit of nine kilometres, were built by Epaminondas of Thebes after he had liberated the Messenians from four centuries of Spartan rule as an insurance policy should the Spartans try to recapture Messenia. This did not happen, because within a generation Philip of Macedon was in charge.
Just a few photos from this location…
Greece 6: Ancient Messene
Finally we have reached the first major trip of the holiday, a visit to ancient Messene and then on to Methoni. Messene is such an extraordinary site that I will leave my photos to tell as much of the story as they can, save only to mention that tickets for two OAPs and an adult left us with change from 10 Euros….
Greece 3: Cats of Tseria
The village of Tseria is home to a number of cats, and since my father is one of the few people in the village who feeds them I have plenty of cat photos to share with you…
Modern Olympia and the Hotel Europa
Modern Olympia plays up to its historic role, with motifs related to the Olympic movement set into the pavements, commemorative statues prominently on display and such like. It is also crawling with coaches because ancient Olympia is such a honeypot.
We are staying at the Hotel Europa, which is a Best Western, but feels magnificently unlike a chain hotel. It has a superb swimming pool, albeit a trifle cold as it is open air and unheated (about 5 degrees cooler than the sea off Stoupa). The necessity of warming up between swims meant that I made three separate visits to the pool.
Last night we had supper outside at the hotels Taverna. It was a most excellent meal, with lamb chops for the main course, following on from some most agreeable starters. An excellent Retsina accompanied the meal.
Breakfast this morning (eaten on a scale sufficient to see me through until supper) was up to the same stratospheric standard as supper.
Enjoy these pics…
aspiblog 