This post will be shorter. After the first 10 days, we were exhausted from all the impressions and the strain, so we allowed ourselves some rest. After all, this road trip is also our annual vacation, and relaxation is part of it. But let’s get on with the next few days.

Day 9

South with a spontaneous change of plans

Waking up early to pack was on the agenda again. It takes us about an hour if we don’t rush. Especially since, besides the drive, only two (and a half) destinations were on the plan for today: visiting an old church near Mantineia, driving through Tripoli, and seeing the theater of Megalopolis.

Off to the highway. To be honest, the toll for regular cars is so low that I wonder if it even covers the salaries of the staff at the toll booths. Mantineia isn’t really a place to visit, but just a church in a field. We didn’t know that and drove right past it at first. As a reward, we got to watch a flock of sheep changing pastures. The small, old church is beautiful and worth a visit, but not a place where you’d spend hours. So, on we went, off to Megalopolis. According to the travel guide, it’s the largest ancient theater in Greece with a capacity of 20,000 people.

We routed through Tripoli on the way. A lively city with narrow streets, almost reminiscent of oriental cities. But not a place where you’d need to stop, which is why we continued on to Megalopolis.

After taking a wrong turn there as well (thanks, Google Maps…), we found ourselves in front of closed doors. A worn path led to an overgrown parking lot. A fence and two construction containers behind it, with a sign attached: Megalopolis is being renovated from 2021 to 2027. If you walk a few meters, you can get a glimpse of the theater. In reality, only the two lowest rows of seats still exist, and they’re in terrible condition. For the renovation, there was a small crane, but nothing else. If it hadn’t been for the sign, I wouldn’t have thought any renovation was happening here. Until 2027, my recommendation is definitely: skip Megalopolis and go to Epidaurus instead.

Disappointed, we looked at the clock and realized it was only 11 in the morning. Our options were to either drive directly to the campsite near Gythio and relax for the afternoon, or to visit Mystras and Sparta on the way to Gythio. To gain more pure relaxation days, we chose the second option and set off for Mystras.

Mystras is not an ancient site, but from the Middle Ages. A city built on a mountainside, it changed hands regularly over the centuries through conquest until it was destroyed during the Greek War of Independence and never resettled. Unfortunately, there were no explanatory signs here either, and the path layout was confusing. At the entrance, we were told to first see the lower part, then drive up and see the upper part. So, we followed the signs up the mountain from the bottom. Churches, a museum, a palace. Above us, another large building and a castle. So we went back down and drove up. Realization 1: The palace wasn’t the palace, but the large building that was previously above us. Realization 2: We were already almost at the top anyway and could have just kept walking. Annoyed, we looked at the palace from above and skipped the largely destroyed castle.

The modern city of Sparta is clearly visible from Mystras, so the route was clear. Off to the ancient excavation site in Sparta. Who doesn’t know Sparta, the city of well-trained warriors? The excavation was free, but there wasn’t much to see either. An acropolis with some ruins - a small theater (also currently under renovation), two temples, a Byzantine church ruin, and two buildings of unknown purpose. You can get through it in 30 minutes, but at least it’s fairly flat and the layout is easy to recognize. On the way out of the city, you pass a statue of Leonidas, and that’s pretty much all there is to Sparta. Nice enough, but not as impressive as the legends.

The rest of the day? To the campsite, set up our spot, relax, and plan the next few days. Day 10 was supposed to be a pure relaxation day, until the severe weather warning came via Cell Broadcasting. The technology already works in Greece, unlike in Germany.

Day 10

Sightseeing in bad weather

It was windy and rainy during the night. No problem for our tent, but the morning was also heavily overcast and windy. Not so great for a beach day. So, change of plans. According to the weather forecast, the weather in Monemvasia was perfect. So, another day of sightseeing it is. We got in the car and zipped over through the mountains. 90 minutes for 74 kilometers, that’s as fast as you can go on these roads.

Once there, we parked the car in the lot and walked the kilometer to the old town. In the sun. I was feeling the effects of the last few days, and we hadn’t eaten yet. A small restaurant quite close to the entrance looked good. We went to the terrace and ordered food and drinks. But the wind made the sunshades flap so much that we preferred to go inside. Good idea, because shortly after, the unannounced rain started, and everyone else had to come inside too. The food was eaten, the drinks were finished, and the rain had subsided. Time to explore the town. A hundred meters further, the rain got heavier again. And heavier. And heavier. We sought shelter in an archway, planning to wait out the rain. It got stronger and stronger, and a thunderstorm rolled in as well. The alley through our archway increasingly turned into a torrent, the main street into a river. An exciting experience.

The downside? When the rain stopped, the sun came back with full force. Within minutes, the city was steaming. We strolled through the city a bit more, visited the lighthouse, and looked up at the fortress. The exhaustion was deep. A look at Google told us that the climb wasn’t worth it, at least not for us on this vacation. Back to the car through the oppressive heat.

Our return journey was via the country road south of Monemvasia, through the mountains. The storm had also raged in the mountains, and rocks had been thrown onto the road in several places. The drive back took even longer, over two hours, but the landscape is beautiful and the drive was worth it. The southern part of the Peloponnese is not nearly as green as the eastern part.

Days 11 to 13

Pure relaxation

We moved Mystras, Sparta, and Monemvasia up in our schedule. That means three days of relaxation are now on the agenda. Beach, saltwater pool, campsite. Just lying around, reading, and relaxing. And being surprised by how many German-speaking tourists there are in the south of the Peloponnese. Caravans, camping trailers, and vans from Germany, Switzerland, and Austria dominated our campsite. And it’s not even vacation season. Really unusual.

That’s it for now. Soon we’ll be heading west. There aren’t many sights left on our list. The Mani coast, Kalamata, Messene, Pylos, and Olympia. We still have six days for that.