Today our bloggers are Devin Daugherty and Devin Edwards. Devin Daugherty will give us a narrative, and Devin Edwards will provide commentary on the pictures.
Devin Daughtery
Today we concluded our stay in the beautiful city of Nauplio with a visit to the Palamide. This Venetian-built fortress sits on the top of a mountain overlooking the city, surrounded by sheer cliffs. An impressive staircase crisscrosses up the steepest face, making for an interesting journey to the top. The staircase is said to consist of 999 steps (actually around 850), so getting up there was a bit of a workout.
The day was beautiful, and in the clear Greek light the view from the summit was incredible. We could see the entire city, and miles of blue waters beside it. Even more impressive was the fortress itself. According to Smaro, our guide, its builders considered it to be impregnable. Although Turkish invaders proved this to be false in barely a year, it certainly seemed invincible to me. I simply cannot imagine an invading force working its way up that staircase. The entire thing is pretty much a choke point, and much of it is surrounded by high walls that would allow the defenders to pummel an attacking force with a wide variety of deadly or annoying projectiles.
When I learned there was a rear entrance (with a road) I realized the fortress wasn't quite as unattackable as I had thought. Even so, the tactical position was pretty awesome. And as I explored the fort, I was very impressed at its construction. Straying from the group with a couple other kids, I found the fort continued on, covering most of the mountain's peak. I really enjoyed wandering through the vast stone structure, and I can honestly say it was one of the most amazing things I have ever seen.
Unfortunately we were pressed for time, and had to go before we had seen the entire fortress. That fact serves more as a testament to the immense size of the Palamide, as it would require hours to fully explore. The experience was without a doubt a highlight of the trip.
I left Nauplio with a desire to come back and see more of the city (bike trip across the Peloponnese?). Our stay there has without a doubt been a highlight of the trip.
Devin Edwards
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| At one of the museums we went to today we saw armor from the Bronze age of Greece. I thought this was very interesting because of how it survived the many years of being buried and how it gives us a clear example of what the Greeks fought with. |
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| After climbing a long flight of stairs, to the Palamede, most of us raced up to the top, like Mr. Millett and I did. I clearly won. Although it was a tiring and long walk up, it was worth it. We all enjoyed the magnificent view it had to offer of the whole city and the port. After looking at the city from high above, we explored a little, and this is when Joe fell and scratched his hand. He is fine, though, and was able to keep exploring the magnificent fortress. |
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| As we were riding the bus through the very steep and hilly mountain, we ran into some sheep blocking our way. This was something new because we usually don't encounter this in the United States. |
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| After a long drive up the hill we got some exercise climbing up an ancient fortress. Here we did parkour running and climbing through all the fallen rocks. When we reached the highest point in the guard tower we had a beautiful view of the whole mountain side. |
And a few late additions:
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| A view from the Palamede |
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| Devin Edwards on the fortress at Messene |
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| Picking Oranges outside Nauplio |
And finally, a very happy birthday to Mr. Millett. We celebrated with a very large galactoburico!
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