We set off to Sparta which was a long drive from Napflio. On our way we had a few stops as it was a long winding road so it was good to get out of the van to see the view. Our first stop had a little shrine like we have seen all over Greece. Konstantin explained that they were to commemorate people who had died on the road nearby.
Next stop was the unexcavated Byzantine city of Mouhli. This city was established in 1296 and destroyed in 1460 by the Turks. There is a little chapel that had a lit candle and small offerings inside.
Our destination was Sparta where we stopped to view the statue of a Spartan worrier before visiting the site of ancient Sparta. Not a lot is left of the ancient city as like most ruins the building materials have been removed over the centuries and a Byzantine church was built on the site, also now in ruins.
After Spata we headed for the Castle of Mystras, another UNESCO world heritage site. We didn’t visit the upper castle due to time constraints but made our way from the top entrance down through the castle city visiting a number of Byzantine churches and a place where there are still 3 very old Nuns. One of which gave us some “Greek delight” . The frescoes in the church were amazing, some were not in good condition but some were excellent. They are in the process of restoring the large Palace of Palaiogoi, the last of the Byzantine emperors. (I had left my phone in the van so will have to wait to get pictures from Sue and Caroline before I can post them)
Once we made our way to the bottom of the site we set off for lunch in the new town of Mystras.
Our final destination was Monemvasia, a uniquely preserved medieval castle-city on what is known as Greek Gibraltar. Our accommodation is in an amazing little apartment with a balcony in a 700 year old building. We wandered the small laneways and stopped to have a drink at a rooftop bar with the group before heading back to open one of the bottles of wine we bought yesterday and sharing it with the others.
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