Mycenae & the Museum

me at Mycenae

One of the crew members snapped a photo of me as I was walking to the top of the archaeological site at Mycenae. 

We then went on to the Museum, which was quite impressive although small. Here is another photo of me. I actually like this one better. You can see quite a bit of the excavated walls.

Wall painting at the Mycenae Museum

The museum had some great tools and kitchen utensils, as well as some well-preserved and beautiful wall paintings. Some of the restoration is not as well done, which can be seen here.

poorly reconstructed wall painting at Mycenae

The Museum at Nafplion is small but very well done. Here is a professional photograph of the Musem. 

I am dying to talk about either gargolyes or graffiti, but alas, this portion of the trip did not lend itself to either. Off to Athens, where I should be able to find at least graffiti!

Mycenae Ruins

Top of the beehive tomb of Agamemnon

Visiting Mycenae and the Palamidi Castle from Nafplion, I could have been more attentive. I always say I can go back and do research if I want to find out about a place, but maybe I should have listened better the first time. I pay for these tours and then run away from the guides as quickly as possible. It was so hot in June when we were in Greece, and honestly I spent a lot of time looking for shade. I was locked in to the dates due to my niece's wedding, but I don't plan on doing Greece or Italy again in the summer. Give me May or September and preferably May!

Our group off the Holland America Zuiderdam

Our group was a nice mix of people, most fit enough to make it on the tour. The Mycenae was not too strenous, but later we went to the Palimidi Castle, which was a long walk up.

Lion's Gate of Mycenae

The loveliest part of Mycenae is the Lion's Gate. More info on it can be found here. Note the lion's heads are missing, but the site is still truly amazing and was supposedly built by the Cyclops.

Lion's Gate entrance at Mycenae

Magna Grecia Farm Tour

Magna Grecia Farm Tour Fun

On the Holland America Zuiderdam in June of this year, we went to a tour called Magna Grecia Farm Tour at Katakolon. As much as I liked the Olympia tour in 2008 (especially the museum), I just couldn't see do it a second time. There were not many choices, and I knew hanging around Katakolon would be a bit boring. It is lovely but a really small town, at least the shopping area. 

Magna Grecia Farm Tour turkey

At the time I was there, I thought the tour was just so-so. In retrospect, I think it was actually a pretty good tour. We had good food and drink, a small lecture about what the farm does, including growing and harvesting grapes for wine and growing olives and processing the olive oil. The food was amazing, and after of course we did Greek dancing. Everywhere you go in Greece, they have dancing after the meal.

Magna Grecia Farm Tour chicken

The owner said they grow everything that we ate, so unfortunately I don't think either this chicken or the turkey are long for the world.

If you go to Katakolon and don't want to do the dusty and hot site of Olympia, think Magna Grecia Farm tour! More info can be found here.