Nafplio 2

We decided to take the hop on bus because it's the easiest way to get to the top of the mountain to see the castle. The other way is to walk the steps; people like to say there's 1000 but there's really only 913. We saw some people walking down on the way there but we're not sure if they also walked up.

We didn't know where to catch the bus so we missed it by 5 minutes and had to wait for the next one which was fine because the Mediterranean Yacht Show is at the dock. We walked the length of it looking at the hundred charter yachts. Last year, over 600 yacht brokers attended to see the charters and meet their crews. On the opposite side of the walkway were tents that selling their services--champagne, interior design, catering, equipment and other services. 

The trip both up and down the mountain to the fortress is a nightmare, probably especially today because May 1 is a national holiday and there's crowds of people here for the three day weekend. All public buildings and services will be closed tomorrow but restaurants and stores will be open. The road up the mountain might be 2 lanes but cars park on one side and there's loads of pedestrians walking to and from the cars. Cars go up to the top to turn around and find a parking place facing downhill. They wait for other cars to leave which stops traffic. Going up was especially scary; the bus was hugging the side of the road with the view of a steep drop off.  No guardrails. 

They limit how many people can get in the site so we had to wait in line for awhile. All communication was in Greek which is a little surprising since at tourist attractions, English is usually the other language used. Inside the fortress, information about the site is in both Greek and English.

The Palimida fortress was built by the Venetians, fell to the Ottoman Empire and was  captured by the Greeks in 1822.  There are 8 independent bastions responsible for defending themselves in the case others were breached.

We wandered around the fortress but didn't climb to most of the buildings because they are all similar and there's nothing in the rooms.

Joyce at the top of a staircase. 

  

The views are worth the price of admission:

We were shocked when the hop on bus returned on time. It made one other stop at the lion sculpture before we got off. 

The Lion of Bavaria. Created in 1836 by a German sculptor to honor Bavarian soldiers who died of typhus in 1833 and 34. 

By the time we got back, we were starving but the restaurants, especially for outdoor seating, were packed. We finally wandered into a restaurant that was almost empty. We tried tomato salad because all the tomatoes we've had have been delicious and this did not disappoint. It had real kalamata olives too which are so much better than what we can buy. Another major crop of Greece are fava. We've been meaning to get a fava appetizer but other dishes seem more appealing so we haven't.  I got bean soup for lunch and the fava beans were really tasty. 

On the way here yesterday, we passed by olive fields and orange groves. The olives grown in this region are used only for making olive oil. The oranges are especially aromatic, juicy and available for much of the year. I've been interested in the lack of livestock where we've traveled. Pan said goats are the main animals they raise. We finally saw a herd on the way here. 

There's a small island, Bourtzi,  very close to this city. We had planned to take  boat there but with the dock full of yachts, I doubt there's a tourist boat. 

Bourtzi 

The fortress was built in 1471 to protect against Pirates. It's been used as a residence for the executioner of prisoners at Palamidi castle, a hotel and is currently the site of a summer music festival. 

Since all museums are closed tomorrow, we'll have to amuse ourselves with shopping and seeing the yachts again. It's our last day in the city, then we're off to stay one night close to the airport.