Nafplio, aka Nafplion, is a lovely little seaside town a couple hours away from Athens. We arrived on a Saturday afternoon following our road trip and overnight right in the middle of the city. After getting to town, we strolled along the waterfront to find a bite to eat. A platter of souvlaki hit the spot and was enough to tide us over until our 10pm dinner. (!)
After our late lunch, we explored the winding streets that led away from the water. M and I bought some Greek honey to take home for ourselves and a couple other goodies for our dog-sitting friends back in Milan (thanks again, guys!). Worry beads are a major fixture in town. If I hadn't seen my fix in the shop windows (or at the town museum), I'm sure I would've felt sated by all the local older men, fiddling with the traditional beads. The Syntagma Square, or Constitution Square, was occupied by couples drinking coffee and aperitifs as well as children playing soccer. When we'd walked up an appetite for dinner (and after enjoying a cocktail or two) we dove into some of the fresh seafood and salad available in town. Yum.
The next morning, we hopped into one of the small boats near our hotel and headed out to the Bourtzi fortress/prison built onto a rock in the middle of the port. While the Venetian-built fortress was neat, the amazing blue of the water and feeling of the sun on my face seemed even more magical.
Like so many other towns in Greece, Nafplio has been around since ancient times and has been occupied by the Byzantines, Franks, Venetians, and Ottomans - making it VERY popular. The Venetians built the castle that sits high on a hill overlooking the city. The castle of Palamidi was built during the 17th century. We headed up before leaving town on Sunday and weren't sorry to spend the time. The view was gorgeous and the castle was even bigger in person. We were sad to leave the slow but beautiful town. Instead of a good-bye, we're choosing to see this trip to Greece as just the preliminary scouting trip before our next vacation (islands next time?).
Nafplio, aka Nafplion, is a lovely little seaside town a couple hours away from Athens. We arrived on a Saturday afternoon following our road trip and overnight right in the middle of the city. After getting to town, we strolled along the waterfront to find a bite to eat. A platter of souvlaki hit the spot and was enough to tide us over until our 10pm dinner. (!)
After our late lunch, we explored the winding streets that led away from the water. M and I bought some Greek honey to take home for ourselves and a couple other goodies for our dog-sitting friends back in Milan (thanks again, guys!). Worry beads are a major fixture in town. If I hadn't seen my fix in the shop windows (or at the town museum), I'm sure I would've felt sated by all the local older men, fiddling with the traditional beads. The Syntagma Square, or Constitution Square, was occupied by couples drinking coffee and aperitifs as well as children playing soccer. When we'd walked up an appetite for dinner (and after enjoying a cocktail or two) we dove into some of the fresh seafood and salad available in town. Yum. 
The next morning, we hopped into one of the small boats near our hotel and headed out to the Bourtzi fortress/prison built onto a rock in the middle of the port. While the Venetian-built fortress was neat, the amazing blue of the water and feeling of the sun on my face seemed even more magical. 
Like so many other towns in Greece, Nafplio has been around since ancient times and has been occupied by the Byzantines, Franks, Venetians, and Ottomans - making it VERY popular. The Venetians built the castle that sits high on a hill overlooking the city. The castle of Palamidi was built during the 17th century. We headed up before leaving town on Sunday and weren't sorry to spend the time. The view was gorgeous and the castle was even bigger in person. We were sad to leave the slow but beautiful town. Instead of a good-bye, we're choosing to see this trip to Greece as just the preliminary scouting trip before our next vacation (islands next time?).
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