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The Lighthouse on Papargyros Cape Contents Introduction Tinos Town Villages around Exobourgo Mountain The Village of Kardiani Hikes on Tinos Car Ferries to and from Tinos Car Repairs Accommodation on Tinos Links to My Other Blogs on Greece 1. Introduction to Tinos Island 1.1. Our Itinerary for the Cyclades We wanted to visit 4 of the Cyclades islands during our 3 month European road trip but I discovered that it was expensive to take a car on the ferry. I investigated leaving our car in Athens and renting cars on each island. That worked out to be even more expensive so I reverted back to using our own car. There aren't car ferries between all the islands so using our own car limited our choice of islands. I used the Ferryhopper website to determine which islands were serviced by car ferries. We wanted to avoid very touristy islands like Mykonos and Santorini. I eventually devised a circular route to 4 Cyclades islands with Naxos being the only touristy one. Our itinerary was Athens (Piraeus) - Syros - Naxos - Tinos - Andros - Athens (Rafina). We stayed 4 or 5 nights on each island. 1.2. Why we chose to visit Tinos The Rough Guide says that " Tinos still feels like one of the most Greek of the larger islands in the Cyclades ". The Tripadvisor forum mentioned that the hiking trails were excellent. We wanted to visit Andros (see my blog Andros, Greece: Travel Guide ) and Naxos ( see my blog Naxos, Greece: Travel Guide ). There are car ferries between Naxos to Andros that stop at Tinos. 1.3. Is Tinos worth visiting? Tinos is an authentic Greek island unspoiled by tourism. The main visitors are Greeks visiting the island for religious reasons. Tinos is an attractive island with pretty villages and reasonable roads for exploring the island. There are a couple of good hiking trails, but many trails are becoming difficult to follow as they aren't being maintained. See the hiking section of this blog for details. We were a bit underwhelmed by Tinos Town. It pales in comparison to Naxos Town. We enjoyed wandering around Naxos Town every evening but one visit of about an hour was enough for Tinos. The island of Tinos is definitely worth visiting but you do need a car. A stay of 3 to 4 nights is sufficient. 2. Tinos Town The main, and probably, only sight to see is the imposing Panayia Evangelistria Church. Most Greek visitors come to the church to see an icon famous for its healing powers. There are 2 long straight streets going uphill from the harbour to the church. You can enter the church and there isn't an entrance fee. The western street has a long thick runner attached to the side of the street to protect the hands and knees of devotees crawling up the hill. We didn't see anyone doing this. The eastern street is lined with stalls and shops selling religious items. We found free parking on the upper section of the western road to the church. When driving in Tinos Town ensure you have all your car papers as the Port police stopped us and asked to see them. Most of the restaurants are in the central harbour area. Panayia Evangelistria Church on Tinos Island The Harbour at Tinos Town 3. Villages around Exobourgo Mountain Exobourgo Mountain is 570 metres high. It is an imposing mountain of barren rock and is circled by several pretty Greek villages. The top can be reached by steep steps from the village of Xinara but we didn't climb up. We visited the villages of Tripotamos, Skalados, Xinara and Falatados. Tripotamos is the most interesting of these villages and is a 10 minute drive from Tinos Town. It has old buildings, tunnelled alleyways and churches. Some dilapidated buildings have been restored and turned into small hotels and holiday homes. Vehicles can't enter the village and there is limited parking on the main road above the village. Falatados is also worth visiting and has several white washed churches. There are 2 free car parks. The first one was full but there was space at the next car park. Exobourgo Mountain The Village of Skalados The Village of Xinara The Village of Xinara Tripotamos Tripotamos Tripotamos Tripotamos Tripotamos 4. The Village of Kardiani We stopped off at the beautiful village of Kardiani on our drive up north to Mamados to do a hike. We parked on the main road and walked down to Kardiani. We were concerned the road to the village would be steep and narrow but it was fine. The Village of Kardiani A Dovecote in the Village of Kardiani A Dovecote in the Village of Kardiani The Village of Kardiani The Village of Kardiani 5. Hikes on Tinos Island 5.1. The Condition of Hiking Trails on Tinos The Tinos Trails website lists 12 hikes that have well marked trails on Tinos. These trails aren't well maintained. A March 2023 review on Tripadvisor reported that many of the paths were overgrown and impassable. The reviewer said " It got to the point that I was dreading every time the trail got into nature, and was relieved when the way marking led to asphalt road. The opposite of what you're supposed to feel when hiking! ". The reviewer said that trails M3, M3a and E4 were fine and I can confirm that in June 2023 trails M3a and E4 were in good condition. The reviewer didn't walk trails T3, M2, E1, E2. It is possible that the trails will be cleared but also possible that they will become even more neglected. A good way of checking is to read recent user reviews of the hikes on the Wikiloc and Alltrails websites. 5.2. Tinos Trail M3A - Livada Beach to the Lighthouse on Papargyros Cape This is a very scenic coastal trail that takes about 40 minutes each way. It isn't a circular hike so you walk back on the same trail. The trail starts from Livada beach. There is a signpost just above the middle section of the beach. Once you have found this sign it is very easy to follow the trail. It is very well marked with red & white paint. The Alltrails app shows the route. Initially the path climbs up and then descends steeply before climbing to the lighthouse. It isn't a difficult path but there are lots of loose stones so it is best to walk carefully. The final section is a bit exposed when it is very windy. The tourist map indicates that almost the entire road to Livada beach is unpaved. In reality only the final 3 kilometres is unpaved. It is possible to carefully drive a saloon car until the last two hundred metres before the beach. We parked on the side of the road just before that section. If you want a longer hike you can add on the M3 hike from Myrsini to Livada beach. This trail was reported to be in good condition in March 2023. You would have to hike back up the same way. The Alltrails app shows that there is an elevation gain of 400 metres and that the hike takes 3 hours 15 minutes. Sign for Path M3A on Livada Beach Looking back to Livada Beach at the start of the Walk View on the Walk to the Lighthouse View on the Walk to the Lighthouse The Path to the Lighthouse on Papargyros Cape Looking down to Leivada Beach on the way back 5.3. Tinos Trail: E4 Mamados - Mali - Koumelas - Marlas - Mamados This circular trail descends from the inland village of Mamados to the coastal villages of Mali and Koumelas. The trail back ascends to the village of Marlas, close to the starting point at Mamados. The trail was well marked, except in 1 place, and is in good condition. We used the Wikilok app to help follow the route. The Alltrails app has a fairly similar route. It is an open walk with good views and takes about 2.5 hours. There is a beach at Mali so you can have a swim there. There is a free car park at Mamados. I recommend this hike and in June 2023 it was one of the few trails on Tinos island that weren't overgrown. View from near Mamados Before the descent to Mali Looking down to the Village of Mali The Village of Mali The village of Mali Looking towards the Village of Koumelas View on the way up from the Village of Koumelas 6. Car Ferries to and from Tinos We travelled to Tinos on a car ferry from Naxos and departed on a car ferry to Andros. Both ferries stopped at Mykonos. When we saw the cruise ships moored at Mykonos we were pleased that we weren't staying there! There are several car ferries sailing between Tinos and Andros but only two car ferries that sail between Naxos and Tinos. Both routes are fairly quick and take less than 2 hours. The cost for the car was between Eur 36 to Eur 40 which I felt was reasonable. 7. Car Repairs We had some problems with our car while we were on Tinos. A local recommended a garage and the mechanic was excellent. He spoke good English, was very helpful and the cost was very reasonable. The workshop is behind a Shell petrol station on the northern outskirts of Tinos Town. It is on the left hand side of the road to Tripotamos. Only the Shell petrol station is visible from the road. The workshop name is Delatolas, K., & A. O.E. 8. Accommodation on Tinos We stayed in a studio apartment that we rented through Airbnb for Eur 70 per night. We weren't very impressed with it but it gets good reviews. I have reviewed it on my blog " UK to Greek Islands Accommodation - Part 2 " (number 3). 9. Links to My Other Blogs on Greece Monemvasia, Greece: Travel Guide Mycenae, Greece: Travel Guide Tiryns, Greece: Travel Guide Epidaurus, Greece: Travel Guide Nafplio, Greece: Travel Guide Corinth, Greece: Travel Guide Delphi, Greece: Travel Guide The Monasteries of Meteora: Travel Guide Naxos, Greece: Travel Guide Mystras, Greece: Travel Guide Syros, Greece: Travel Guide Andros, Greece: Travel Guide North Macedonia to Greece - Week 4 Nafplio, Greece to the Peloponnese - Week 5 Peloponnese to the Greek Islands - Week 6 The Greek Islands - Week 7 The Greek Islands to Albania - Week 8

Monemvasia We drove from Nafplio to Monemvasia and stopped off at the archaeological sites of Tiryns , Mycenae and Mystras on the way. Contents of Monemvasia Travel Guide Introduction to Monemvasia Parking in Monemvasia What to See in the Lower Town What to See in the Upper Town A Hike around Monemvasia Accommodation in Monemvasia Links to My Other Blogs on Greece 1. Introduction to Monemvasia Monemvasia is a spectacular fortified island town. At its peak it had a population of 60,000 people. Monemvasia was founded by the Byzantines in the 6th century and it remained in their possession for almost 700 years. Monemvasia fell to the Ottomans in 1540 and was under their control for almost 300 years, except for a brief 25 year period of Venetian rule. In 1821 Monemvasia's fortress fell to the Greeks in the War of Independence and the Turks were massacred. The fortress town of Monemvasia is definitely worth a visit. The Lower Town is well preserved. Monemvasia's Upper Town has the 12th century Church of Hagia Sophia, ruins and fantastic views. A half day is needed to see both the Lower and Upper Towns. You can easily spend a whole day there as there are beaches at new Monemvasia and there is a hike around the island. There are no entrance fees for visiting Monemvasia's Lower and Upper Towns. 2. Parking in Monemvasia Monemvasia's entire lower town is pedestrianised. You can park on the road between the causeway and the ancient gate into the lower town. It can be difficult to find a parking place. Alternatively you can park in the new town and walk across the causeway. From there it is a 20 minute walk to Monemvasia's old town. 3. What to See in Monemvasia's Lower Town Monemvasia's Lower Town once had forty churches and over 800 houses. Only a few of the churches remain but there are still a lot of buildings and an intricate network of alleys. The western fortified entrance gate is narrow and Z shaped for defence purposes. When we arrived we weren't even sure there was a way through! There is a single main street leading from the gate to the main square. It is lined with cafes, restaurants and souvenir shops. The main square is a beautiful public area with a Byzantine church, a museum housed in a 16th century church and a cannon in the centre. There are places to sit at the far end to enjoy the square and views of the Upper Town. You can walk through Monemvasia to the eastern gate. If you walk through the gate and continue eastwards you will reach the lighthouse. See the section on hikes . From the eastern gates you can follow the southern wall back to the centre of Monemvasia's Lower Town. You can walk along the top of the wall in places. We spent an hour wandering around Monemvasia's Lower Town. Monemvasia Island The Main Street in Monemvasia's Lower Town. Monemvasia's Main Square Church of Christ Elkomenos in Lower Monemvasia Canon Ball Bowling! Monemvasia's Lower Town Panagia Chrysafitissa Church in Monemvasia's Lower Town Monemvasia's Lower Town The Eastern Wall at Monemvasia 4. What to See in Monemvasia's Upper Town Monemvasia's Upper Town was the home of the Monemvasia aristocracy. During the 17th century A.D. there were more than 500 mansions. Very little remains today except stone ruins and the Church of Hagia Sophia. It is a 10 to 15 minute steep walk to the Upper Town. There are good views of the Lower Town on the way up. Halfway up is an impressive tunnel and entrance gate. The church of Hagia Sophia was built in the 12th century A.D. and has been recently restored. It is the most important building in Monemvasia. It is reported to only be open at weekends but we went on a Friday and it was open. The Citadel is at the very top, which is about 300 metres above sea level. The ruins aren't that impressive but it is worth going for the views. We spent just under 2 hours seeing Monemvasia's Upper Town, including the walk up. The Path to Monemvasia's Upper Town A Tunnel on Way to Monemvasia's Upper Town A View of Monemvasia's Lower Town on the way to Upper Town The Church of Hagia Sophia in Monemvasia's Upper Town The Interior of Hagia Sophia Church The Citadel in Monemvasia View of New Monemvasia from Monemvasia's Citadel A View of Monemvasia's Lower Town from the Upper Town A View of the Tunnel and Gate between Monemvasia's Lower and Upper Towns 5. A Hike around Monemvasia You can hike around the island of Monemvasia. The full circuit is around 4 kilometres and would take about an hour. The route is described on the Alltrails website , although this route also includes a walk up to Monemvasia's Upper Town. Other options would be to: Walk along the south side of the island from the east gate of lower Monemvasia to the lighthouse and return the same way. This would probably take half an hour. Walk along the northern shore from the causeway to the lighthouse and return the same way. This route is described on the Alltrails website . 6. Accommodation in Monemvasia Accommodation in Monemvasia's Old Town is expensive. We booked a small apartment in Monemvasia's new town which is on the other side of the causeway. It was a 20 minute walk to the Old Town. We booked through Booking.com and paid Eur 53 per night. My review of this apartment is on the blog " UK to Greek Islands Accommodation - Part 1 " (number 15). 7. Links to My Other Blogs on Greece Mycenae, Greece: Travel Guide Tiryns, Greece: Travel Guide Epidaurus, Greece: Travel Guide Nafplio, Greece: Travel Guide Corinth, Greece: Travel Guide Delphi, Greece: Travel Guide The Monasteries of Meteora: Travel Guide Naxos, Greece: Travel Guide Mystras, Greece: Travel Guide Tinos, Greece: Travel Guide Syros, Greece: Travel Guide Andros, Greece: Travel Guide North Macedonia to Greece - Week 4 Nafplio, Greece to the Peloponnese - Week 5 Peloponnese to the Greek Islands - Week 6 The Greek Islands - Week 7 The Greek Islands to Albania - Week 8

The Theatre at Epidaurus We visited Epidaurus while staying in Nafplio ( Nafplio, Greece: Travel Guide ) as it is only a 30 minute drive from there. Many people also visit the archaeological sites of Tiryns ( Tiryns: Travel Guide ) and Mycenae ( Mycenae: Travel Guide ) on the same day. Contents of the Epidaurus Travel Guide Opening Hours for Epidaurus Best Time to visit Epidaurus Tickets Getting to Epidaurus, Parking and Toilets A Brief History of Epidaurus What to See My Other Blogs on Greece 1. Opening Hours for Epidaurus Winter From November to February: 08:00-17:00 March: 08:00-18:00 Summer: April : 08:00-19:00 From 2 May - 31 October: 08:00 - 20:00 Holidays 1 January 25 March 1 May Easter Sunday 25 December 26 December 2. Best Time to visit Epidaurus We arrived at 08.30 and virtually had the Epidaurus to ourselves. The first tour group arrived at 09.15 and others soon followed! It is best to arrive at Epidaurus early or late to avoid the tour groups and the heat in summer. However, in summertime they have evening shows and they start preparing the theatre in the late afternoon. That isn't good for photos. If you arrive at the start of the day see Epidaurus's theatre first before it becomes crowded. Conversely if you visit later leave visiting the theatre until the end so more people will have left the site. We took our time and spent 2 hours at Epidaurus to justify the high entrance fee! You could certainly see everything at Epidaurus in 1.5 hours. 3. Tickets for Epidaurus The ticket prices for Epidaurus have been significantly increased and tickets now costs Eur 20. Admission is free for EU citizens up to the age of 25. From October 1 to 31 May a 50% reduction is granted to over 65's from EU countries. Documentary proof is required for these reductions. Admission to Epidaurus is free on the following days: 6 March 18 April 18 May The last weekend of September 28 October Every first and third Sunday from November 1st to March 31st 4. Travelling to Epidaurus, Parking and Toilets Epidaurus is a 30 minute drive from Nafplio through pretty rural countryside. There is plenty of free parking and there are free toilets near Epidaurus's entrance gate. 5. A Brief History of Epidaurus According to ancient Greek mythology, Epidaurus was the birthplace of Asklepios, the healing god and son of Apollo. Epidaurus was the most popular healing center in antiquity. In the sanctuary, there was a temple, dormitories and baths to help patients recover from various diseases. Epidaurus's heyday was in the fourth and third centuries BC. The main monuments date back to the 4th century BC. In 395 AD Epidaurus was sacked by the Goths and 30 years later it was closed by Emperor Theodosius II as it was a pagan sanctuary. 6. What to See at Epidaurus 6.1. The Theatre at Epidaurus The theatre is the main attraction at Epidaurus and it is spectacular. It was built in 340 BC and is the best preserved theatre in Greece. The theatre has a capacity of about 14,000 spectators. Epidaurus's theatre is famous for its remarkable acoustics which allows voices to be heard from the stage all the way to the last row. All groups, and a lot of individual visitors, try to demonstrate the acoustics. They either drop a pebble on the stone in the centre of the stage, clap or sing! It is entertaining, although in peak season the guards stop people singing. The Theatre at Epidaurus 6.2. The Propylon The Propylon is the outer monumental gateway to Epidaurus's gymnasium. The Propylon 6.3. The Temple of Asklepios The temple of Asklepios was built in the early 4th century BC. The Temple of Asklepios 6.4. The Abaton The Abaton is a 2 level structure and you can enter the lower part of the building. Patients would sleep here awaiting a visitation from the healing god, which was believed to be a serpent. Harmless snakes were released at night for this purpose. The Abaton 6.5. The Stadium at Epidaurus Epidaurus's stadium was constructed in the 5th century B.C. to host the nude athletic games! These games were hosted every four years to honour Asklepius, the god of healing. The participants and spectators were mainly pilgrims at Epidaurus's sanctuary. The Stadium 6.6. The Museum at Epidaurus The entrance ticket for Epidaurus's main site includes entry to the small and interesting museum. The Museum 7. My Other Blogs on Greece Monemvasia, Greece: Travel Guide Mycenae, Greece: Travel Guide Tiryns, Greece: Travel Guide Nafplio, Greece: Travel Guide Corinth, Greece: Travel Guide Delphi, Greece: Travel Guide The Monasteries of Meteora: Travel Guide Naxos, Greece: Travel Guide Mystras, Greece: Travel Guide Tinos, Greece: Travel Guide Syros, Greece: Travel Guide Andros, Greece: Travel Guide North Macedonia to Greece - Week 4 Nafplio, Greece to the Peloponnese - Week 5 Peloponnese to the Greek Islands - Week 6 The Greek Islands - Week 7 The Greek Islands to Albania - Week 8

The Temple of Apollo Our visit to Delphi was part of a 3 month road trip from the UK to the Greece. We drove to Delphi after visiting the famous monasteries at Meteora . We have also done travel guides for the following archaeological sites in Greece: Mycenae Tiryns Epidaurus Mystras Contents of Delphi Travel Guide When to Visit Delphi Entrance Tickets Opening Hours Parking & Toilets Delphi's Main Archaeological Site Delphi's Museum The Sanctuary of Athena Pronaia Accommodation My Other Blogs on Greece 1. When to Visit Delphi The main factors to consider when visiting Delphi are the heat and the crowds: 1.1. The Heat at Delphi From mid June to mid September it is likely to be very hot and tiring walking up and around Delphi's archaeological site. The solution would be to visit early or late in the day. If you visit early aim to get there when Delphi opens at 08.00. Walk around the archaeological site first and the museum afterwards If you visit Delphi later get to the ticket office between 17.00 and 17.30 and visit the museum first. Unless you have a special interest in archaeology 2.5 hours is sufficient to see the museum, the main archaeological site and the Sanctuary of Athena Pronaia. 1.2. Crowds at Delphi The main problem at Delphi is tour groups and there can be many of them! Just 2 to 3 large groups in the museum can spoil your experience as it will be crowded and noisy. There is more space at the archaeological site but large groups can still spoil your visit. The way to avoid the tour groups at Delphi is to come at opening time or later in the day. Many tours come from Athens. They won't arrive until mid morning and will leave mid to late afternoon. We visited Delphi in the off season (mid May) and when we arrived at 14.45 we saw the last of the tour buses leaving. 2. Entrance Tickets at Delphi The admission cost is Eur 20 and the ticket covers both the archaeological site and the museum at Delphi. There are 2 ticket offices and some ticket machines. If there is a long queue at one ticket office try the other one. Admission is free for EU citizens up to the age of 25. From October 1 to 31 May a 50% reduction is granted to over 65's from EU countries. Documentary proof is required for these reductions. There is no charge for visiting Delphi on 6 March, 18 April, 18 May, the last weekend of September, 28 October, and every first Sunday of each month from November 1st until March 31st. 3. Opening Hours at Delphi Summer (1 April to 31 October) Delphi is open from 08.00 to 20.00 every day except Tuesdays. On Tuesdays Delphi's opening hours are 10.00 to 17.00. Winter (1 November to 31 March) Delphi is open from 08.30 to 15.30. The exceptions to this are: 1 January: closed 6 January: 08:30 - 15:30 Shrove Monday: 08:30 - 15:30 25 March: closed Good Friday: 12:00 - 17:00, Last admission 16:40 Holy Saturday: 08:30 - 15:30, Last admission 15:10 1 May: closed Easter Sunday: closed 15 August: 08:00 - 20:00 25 December: closed 26 December: closed 4. Parking & Toilets at Delphi There is a small free car park near Delphi's museum but if it's full you have to park on the road. It can be difficult to find a vacant spot and that is another reason to avoid peak times. There are modern and clean free toilets outside Delphi's museum but none in the archaeological site. 5. Delphi's Main Archaeological Site Delphi's archaeological site is on a hill with the stadium at the top. Some visitors and tour groups don't walk up to the stadium but I think it is worth the effort. It took us slightly more than an hour to see everything on Delphi's main archaeological site. There were a lot of ruins but Delphi was one of the most interesting ancient archaeological sites that we saw in Greece. The main things to see are: 5.1. The Treasury of the Athenians This is the first building that you will encounter as you walk up the site. This impressive building was constructed to house offerings to the sanctuary of Apollo. It was originally built in 490 BC and was completely reconstructed in 1906. The Treasury of the Athenians 5.2. The Temple of Apollo The Temple of Apollo dates back to the 4th century BC. There are only six columns standing and they were re-erected after the temple was uncovered in the late 1800's. The Temple of Apollo at Delphi 5.3. The Serpent Column The Serpent Column was an offering dedicated to Apollo at Delphi in 447 BC by the 31 Greek city-states which had fought in the Battle of Plataea. In 324 BC it was moved to Constantinople by Constantine I the Great and it is still there. In 2015 a replica of the column was made and erected at Delphi. The Serpent Column at Delphi 5.4. The Theatre Delphi's impressive theatre was constructed in the 4th century BC and it could seat 5,000 people. The Theatre at Delphi 5.5. The Stadium Delphi's stadium was built in the 4th century BC and is in a scenic location. The Stadium at Delphi 6. The Museum at Delphi Some people recommend visiting Delphi's museum first so you can obtain an understanding of the archaeological site. However, apart from an illustration of what the site may have looked like in ancient times the information at the museum was only about the artifacts on display. I am not a huge fan of museums but I enjoyed Delphi's. It is in a modern building and the artifacts are well displayed. We visited the museum first and wandered around for 45 minutes. There were some interesting displays, but a lot of the narrative was complex and difficult to understand. Charioteer of Delphi The Twin Kouroi The Sphinx of Naxos Statue of a Philosopher 7. The Sanctuary of Athena Pronaia The Sanctuary of Athena Pronaia is a 10 minute walk, or a 2 minute drive, east along the main road from Delphi's museum. Entrance is free. The main thing to see is the ancient Tholos which is a circular building with a conical or vaulted roof. The Tholos 8. Accommodation at Delphi We stayed in the pretty town of Arachova which is a 10 minute drive from Delphi. We booked a 1 bedroom apartment through Booking.com at a cost of Eur 45.50 per night. See my review on the blog " UK to Greek Islands Accommodation - Part 1 " 9. My Other Blogs on Greece Monemvasia, Greece: Travel Guide Mycenae, Greece: Travel Guide Tiryns, Greece: Travel Guide Epidaurus, Greece: Travel Guide Nafplio, Greece: Travel Guide Corinth, Greece: Travel Guide The Monasteries of Meteora: Travel Guide Naxos, Greece: Travel Guide Mystras, Greece: Travel Guide Tinos, Greece: Travel Guide Syros, Greece: Travel Guide Andros, Greece: Travel Guide North Macedonia to Greece - Week 4 Nafplio, Greece to the Peloponnese - Week 5 Peloponnese to the Greek Islands - Week 6 The Greek Islands - Week 7 The Greek Islands to Albania - Week 8

Acrocorinth Contents Introduction Corinth Canal Acrocorinth Ancient Corinth Links to My Other Blogs on Greece 1. Introduction We visited Corinth while we were staying at nearby Nafplio. We opted not to stay in Corinth as it isn't a particularly attractive city. It is definitely worth a visit to see the spectacular Corinth canal, the fortress of Acrocorinth and ancient Corinth. It takes about 4 to 5 hours to see these 3 sights. 2. Corinth Canal The 6 kilometre long Corinth canal was opened in 1893. It provides a short cut for vessels sailing between the Aegean and Ionian seas. Corinth canal is a spectacular sight. Unfortunately you rarely see ships sailing on the canal nowadays as it isn't wide enough for most commercial vessels. The best view of Corinth Canal is from the bridge at the northern end of the isthmus. Enter" Díolkos " on Google maps to locate it. There is free parking on the eastern side of the bridge where there are several restaurants. There is a path on both sides of the bridge for viewing Corinth canal. The Corinth Canal 3. Acrocorinth 3.1. About Acrocorinth Acrocorinth is the ancient acropolis of Corinth and dates back to the 7th century BC. The Romans destroyed Acrocorinth in 146 BC and then rebuilt it in 44 BC. Fortifications and buildings were erected and added to over the centuries by the Romans, Byzantines, Crusaders, Franks, Venetians and Turks. Acrocorinth is a massive site on top of the mountain and still largely encircled by 2 kilometres of defensive walls. Acrocorinth is definitely worth visiting to see the fortifications, historic buildings and the views. 3.2. How to get to Acrocorinth Acrocorinth is a 15 minute drive from modern Corinth and the final 5 minutes is up a steep paved road. There is a free car park at the top. From there it is a 5 minute walk on some slippery stones to the entrance gate in the fortifications. 3.3. Opening Times & Entrance Fee for Acrocorinth Acrocorinth is open from 08.30 to 15.30 each day. Surprisingly it is free to enter. I cannot see this large site getting crowded even in peak season. The slippery stones and the walk up the hill means that there will be very few tour groups. 3.4. What to See at Acrocorinth We spent an hour and 45 minutes exploring Acrocorinth's large site. The rocky paths, particularly from the car park to the entrance, can be very slippery. Wear good footwear and be careful. If it is raining it would be advisable to postpone your visit. There is very little shade. The main things to see are: Acrocorinth's Fortifications The double wall fortifications are the most impressive feature of Acrocorinth. You get a good view of them from the Frankish Tower at the top of the mountain. Also if you turn right after the entrance gate you can walk on a section of the walls. When looking back the walls are very impressive. The Path to the Entrance of Acrocorinth Acrocorinth's Walls The Chapel of St Dimitrios This small chapel was built in the 17th century. The Chapel of St Dimitrios The Interior of the Chapel of St Dimitrios Acrocorinth Mosque or Sultan Ahme d III Mosque This mosque was commissioned by Sultan Ahmed III after the Ottoman reconquest of 1715. You cannot enter the mosque but you can look into the interior. Acrocorinth Mosque The Interior of Acrocorinth Mosque The Southwestern (Frankish) Tower The exact date of its construction isn't known but it was during the Frankish occupation of Greece in the 13th and 14th centuries. The Frankish tower was restored in 2014. It is possible to enter the Frankish Tower and climb up. You cannot get onto the roof nor see any views. There are good views from the area outside the Frankish Tower. The Southwestern (Frankish) Tower The Interior of the Southwestern (Frankish) Tower A View from the Frankish Tower A view from the Frankish Tower 4. Ancient Corinth 4.1. About Ancient Corinth Ancient Corinth is a 10 minute drive from modern Corinth and is below the Acrocorinth. Corinth was raised to the ground by the Romans in 146 BC and then rebuilt in 44 BC. It was a large city and became the capital of Greece in the Roman era. The city declined after it was plundered in 1147. Ancient Corinth is a massive archaeological site but is mostly overgrown ruins. It is still very impressive and worth a visit to see the Temple of Apollo, Fountain of Peirene, the main street (Lechaion Way) and the museum. 4.2. Opening Hours and Entrance Fee Both the site and the museum for ancient Corinth open at 08.00 and close at 20.00 in the peak season. It closes slightly earlier at other times. See the odysseus.culture website for details There is an entrance fee of Eur 15 and this covers both the site and the museum for ancient Corinth. 4.3. Parking and Toilets There is free parking and toilets are outside the museum. 4.4. What to See You can spend 1 to 2 hours at Ancient Corinth. There is an interesting museum. The other main sites to see are: 4.5. The Temple of Apollo This impressive temple was built in the 5th century BC and has 7 Doric columns. The Temple of Apollo 4.6. The Main Road (Lechaion Way) This was the main north-south artery of the Roman city. It linked Corinth with the harbour of Lechaion on the Corinthian gulf 3 kilometers to the north. Lechaion Way 4.7. Peirene Fountain The beautiful Peirene Fountain was constructed by the Romans. It had been a simple spring for many centuries before that. The Romans added a grandiose façade, a great court, and an open-air basin holding 81,000 gallons of water. The Fountain of Peirene was the city’s most important water supply. Peirene Fountain 5. Links to my other blogs on Greece Monemvasia, Greece: Travel Guide Mycenae, Greece: Travel Guide Tiryns, Greece: Travel Guide Epidaurus, Greece: Travel Guide Nafplio, Greece: Travel Guide Delphi, Greece: Travel Guide The Monasteries of Meteora: Travel Guide Naxos, Greece: Travel Guide Mystras, Greece: Travel Guide Tinos, Greece: Travel Guide Syros, Greece: Travel Guide Andros, Greece: Travel Guide North Macedonia to Greece - Week 4 Nafplio, Greece to the Peloponnese - Week 5 Peloponnese to the Greek Islands - Week 6 The Greek Islands - Week 7 The Greek Islands to Albania - Week 8

Bourtzi Fort Contents Nafplio Town Akronafplia Fortress Palimidi Fortress Accommodation in Nafplio Excursions from Nafplio My Other Blogs on Greece 1. Nafplio Town Nafplio is an attractive upmarket destination with many designer shops. It is a popular weekend retreat for Athenians. It is very pleasant wandering through Nafplio's streets and along the waterfront. From Nafplio's harbour there is the iconic view of Bourtzi Castle which sits on a small island. It is particularly special at night time when it is lit up. It was recently renovated and was opened to the public in August 2023. It costs Eur 7 to enter Bourtzi Castle and the return boat ride costs another Eur 5. The boat only leaves when there are at least 4 people. It is only a 10 minute boat ride each way from the centre of Nafplio. Parking can be difficult in Nafplio. We used to park on the road called 25is Martiou . It's a wide street and in the off season we always found a place to park. The Waterfront at Nafplio The Waterfront at Nafplio Nafplio with Palimidi Fortress in the Background 2. Akronafplia Fortress Akronafplia fortress is the oldest part of Nafplio and until the 13th century it was a town. The Franks and Venetians made it part of the Nafplio's fortifications. There is a road to Akronafplia fortress from the south side of central Nafplio. You can drive up and there is limited free parking. Most people walk and it is only a 10 minute walk along the road to the top of the 85 metre high fortress. There is no entrance fee and it's always open. Akronafplia fortress hasn't been well maintained and there is very little to see apart from the fantastic views of Nafplio, Bourtzi Castle and Palamidi Fortress. A View of Palimidi Fortress from Akronafplia Fortress A View of Nafplio A View of Bourtzi Fort There is an Abundance of Prickly Pears 3. Palimidi Fortress 3.1. About Palimidi Fortress The Venetians completed the construction of Palimidi fortress in 1714. Just one year later the Ottomans captured it. They held Palimidi fortress until the Greeks won the war for their independence in 1822. 3.2. What to See at Palimidi Fortress It is definitely worth visiting Palimidi Fortress and it took us 1 hour to explore it. You should visit early or late to avoid the heat and the tour buses. The main, and well preserved, part of Palimidi fortress is by the entrance gate. On the bell tower there is a plaque with the emblem of Venice, the winged lion of Saint Mark. You can enter the small cell where Theodoros Kolokotronis, a hero in the Greek war of independence, was imprisoned. There are excellent views from the large terrace. Tour groups mainly visit this main part of Palimidi fortress but there is a lot more to explore. The remainder of Palimidi Fortress consists of fortified walls and ruins with superb sea views. The paths are a bit rough at times. Unfortunately there are very few signs at the site providing information about Palimidi fortress. 3.3. How to get to Palimidi Fortress The hard way is to climb 999 steps, and ascend 216 metres, from the centre of Nafplio. We took the easy option of driving up the good road to Palimidi fortress! Another option would be to take a taxi for the 10 minute drive up. There is a small free parking lot at the top and if it is full you can park along the road. 3.4. Entrance Fee, Opening Hours and Toilets In summer Palimidi fortress is open from 08.00 to 20.00 and the entrance fee is Eur 20. There is a reduced ticket charge of Eur 10 for certain categories of visitors. You can find more details of the hours and tickets on the odysseus.culture.gr website. There is a portable toilet in the parking lot and there are better toilets inside Palimidi fortress near the entrance. Night View of Palimidi Fortress from our Apartment View towards Nafplio from Palimidi Fortress The Main Part of Palimidi Fortress A plaque with the Emblem of Venice's Lion is below the Bell 4. Accommodation in Nafplio We booked a very spacious 1 bedroom apartment in Nafplio through Booking.com at a cost of Eur 77 per night for 3 nights. The apartment was on 2 levels and was fantastic. I reviewed it on my blog " UK to Greek Islands Accommodation - Part 1 " (number 14). 5. Excursions from Nafplio We used Nafplio as a base to see the famous archaeological sites in the vicinity: 5.1. Epidaurus It is only a 30 minute scenic drive from Nafplio to the archaeological site at Epidaurus. The highlight of Epidaurus is the theatre dating back to 340 BC. See my blog Epidaurus, Greece: Travel Guide for further information. The Ancient Theatre at Epidaurus 5.2. Corinth It's an hour drive from Nafplio to Corinth where there is a lot to see in the area. In the new town of Corinth the only worthwhile site is the spectacular Corinth Canal. Acrocorinth is located a few kilometres away from the new town and  is the ancient acropolis of Corinth dating back to the 7th century BC. Ancient Corinth is nearby and is the ruined old city of Corinth. See my blog Corinth, Greece: Travel Guide for further information. The Corinth Canal 5.3. Tiryns and Mycenae The little visited archaeological site of Tiryns is only a 7 minute drive from Nafplio. From there you can drive a further 20 minutes to the famous archaeological site of Mycenae. See my blogs Tiryns, Greece: Travel Guide  and Mycenae, Greece: Travel Guide for further information. The Lion's Gate at Mycenae 6. My Other Blogs on Greece Monemvasia, Greece: Travel Guide Mycenae, Greece: Travel Guide Tiryns, Greece: Travel Guide Epidaurus, Greece: Travel Guide Corinth, Greece: Travel Guide Delphi, Greece: Travel Guide The Monasteries of Meteora: Travel Guide Naxos, Greece: Travel Guide Mystras, Greece: Travel Guide Tinos, Greece: Travel Guide Syros, Greece: Travel Guide Andros, Greece: Travel Guide North Macedonia to Greece - Week 4 Nafplio, Greece to the Peloponnese - Week 5 Peloponnese to the Greek Islands - Week 6 The Greek Islands - Week 7 The Greek Islands to Albania - Week 8

Outer Wall of Tiryns Contents Introduction Opening Hours Tickets What to See My Other Blogs on Greece 1. Introduction I researched the history of Tiryns and there is a lot of conflicting information. It seems that the impressive fortifications were built in the 13th century BC to protect the palace complex. The palace was destroyed and only the ruins remain. Tiryns was one of the most important centres of the Mycenaean world. If you stay in Nafplio ( Nafplio: Travel Guide ) it is only a 7 minute drive to Tiryns. It is on the way to Mycenae ( Mycenae: Travel Guide ) so you can combine the 2 sites. Tiryns isn't visited by tour groups so there are very few visitors. Although the walls are very impressive there isn't much else to see. We visited on one of the 6 free admission days - see the section on tickets . It only takes about 30 minutes to see Tiryns' archaeological site. There is plenty of free parking and toilets before you enter the site. 2. Opening Hours at Tiryns Winter & Summer: 08:30-15.30 Good Friday: 12.00-17.00 Holy Saturday: 08:30-15:30 Closed on the following holidays: 1 January 25 March 1 May Easter Sunday 25 December 26 December 3. Tickets for Tiryns When we visited Tiryns in 2022 tickets only cost Eur 4 from April to October and Eur 2 from November to March. Unfortunately since then the price has dramatically increased to Eur 10! Admission is free for EU citizens up to the age of 25. From October 1 to 31 May a 50% reduction is granted to over 65's from EU countries. Documentary proof is required for these reductions Admission is free on the following days: 6 March 18 April 18 May The last weekend of September. 28 October Every first Sunday from November 1st to March 31st. 4. What to see at Tiryns From Tiryns' entrance there is an ancient ramp that was built wide enough for chariots. The remains of impressive fortified walls are on either side. The ramp leads to a large area with the remains of the palace. The remains are no higher than about 1 metre. From the palace you can descend to the other side of the site to admire the high fortified walls. You can return to the entrance along these walls. The Entrance Ramp Looking down to the Entrance Ramp The Remains of the Palace Outer Wall Outer Wall Outer Wall 5. My Other Blogs on Greece Monemvasia, Greece: Travel Guide Mycenae, Greece: Travel Guide Epidaurus, Greece: Travel Guide Nafplio, Greece: Travel Guide Corinth, Greece: Travel Guide Delphi, Greece: Travel Guide The Monasteries of Meteora: Travel Guide Naxos, Greece: Travel Guide Mystras, Greece: Travel Guide Tinos, Greece: Travel Guide Syros, Greece: Travel Guide Andros, Greece: Travel Guide North Macedonia to Greece - Week 4 Nafplio, Greece to the Peloponnese - Week 5 Peloponnese to the Greek Islands - Week 6 The Greek Islands - Week 7 The Greek Islands to Albania - Week 8

Lion Gate Contents Introduction Opening Hours Tickets Parking What to See My Other Blogs on Greece 1. Introduction to Mycenae Mycenae is one of the most important archaeological sites of Greece. The period of Greek history from 1600 BC to 1100 BC was called the Mycenaean period because of its importance. At Mycenae's peak in 1350 BC, the citadel and lower town had a population of 30,000 people. Mycenae is a very popular and busy site. The main path from the Lion Gate to the Citadel can look like Mount Everest on summit day! All groups stop at Lion Gate and are given a talk there. As a result Lion Gate becomes very congested and it is difficult to take photos. It is important to time your visit to Mycenae so it doesn't coincide with the peak time of tour groups visits. It is best to arrive at Mycenae early or late in the day and this also avoids the summer heat. In the mornings aim to arrive at opening time but by 09.00 at the latest. In the afternoon you should arrive after 17.00, the later the better. Parking will also be a lot easier. We visited the nearby archaeological of Tiryns ( Tiryns: Travel Guide ) and the Palimidi Fortress in Nafplio ( Nafplio Travel Guide ) on the same day. Many organised tours also visit Epidaurus ( Epidaurus: Travel Guide ) on the same day. 2. Opening Hours at Mycenae Winter: From 1 November to 31 March 08:30-15:30 Summer: April : 08:00-19:00 2 May - 31 October : 08:00-20:00 Good Friday: 12.00-17.00 Holy Saturday: 08:30-15:30 Holidays 1 January 25 March 1 May Easter Sunday 25 December 26 December 3. Tickets for Mycenae Tickets for Mycenae cost Eur 20. There is free admission for EU citizens up to the age of 25. From October 1 to 31 May a 50% reduction is granted to over 65's from EU countries. Documentary proof is required for these reductions. Admission to Mycenae is free on the following days: 6 March 18 April 18 May The last weekend of September. 28 October Every first Sunday from November 1st to March 31st. 4. Parking at Mycenae There is a car park at Mycenae which is usually full with buses. You can park along the road but at peak times you may have a problem finding a parking place. 5. What to See at Mycenae It would take about 1.5 to 2 hours to see everything at Mycenae including the museum. It all depends on your level of interest in ancient Greece. The main sights at Mycenae are: 5.1. Lions Gate Mycenae is fortified with Cyclopean walls of huge irregular stones and has two triumphal entrances. Mycenae's larger entrance is the Lion's Gate and it was built around 1400-1300 BC. The heads of the lions are missing, but they would have faced frontally to fulfil their role as guardians of the entrance. The Lion Gate at Mycenae 5.2. The Cyclopean Walls Mycenae's Cyclopean walls are the most famous example of Cyclopean masonry. The term derives from the mythical Cyclopes. He was believed to be the one who built them as only he would have had the strength to move such huge boulders. There are good views of the Cyclopean walls to the right of Lions Gate, before entering it. Very few people come here. Fantastic Stonework Mycenae's Cyclopean Wall 5.3. Grave Circle A Grave Circle A is a 16th-century BC royal cemetery. The burial complex was initially constructed outside the walls of Mycenae. It was later enclosed in the acropolis when the fortification was extended during the 13th century BC. A total of nineteen men, women, and children were buried here. Among the funerary gifts found were several gold death masks, full sets of weapons, ornate staffs, gold jewellery, as well as gold and silver cups. It has been estimated that Circle A contained about 15 kilos of gold. Grave Circle A View of Grave Circle A from the Top of the Citadel 5.4. Mycenae's Royal Palace Mycenae's palace is in a central location atop the citadel and was the main building within the fortified walls. The state rooms were arranged around a central court which led to the Megaron (a grand reception hall). The ruins are only at ground level but you can distinguish what was a great court, the throne room, the megaron and the royal apartments. Looking up the Site to the Citadel and Palace 5.5. The Royal Tombs There are 3 spectacular royal tombs outside the walls of Mycenae. We found them to be the most interesting thing after Lion Gate. They aren't busy like the rest of the archaeological site. 5.6. The Tomb of Aegisthus The Tomb of Aegisthus is among the earliest examples of Tholos Tombs. It was built of small stones in the early 15th century BC. Aegisthus organized the assassination of Agamemnon along with his mistress. There is no evidence that Aegisthus was buried in this tomb. Tour groups usually just look down into the tomb and don't bother to go down and enter it. It is worth doing so. Aegisthus Tomb at Mycenae Interior of Aegisthus Tomb at Mycenae, Greece. 5.7. The Tholos Tomb of Clytemnestra Near the tomb of Aegisthus is the Tholos Tomb of Clytemnestra, the legendary wife of Agamemnon. Its name implies that Clytemnestra was buried in it but there is no such evidence. The tomb was looted by Veli Pasha during the Ottoman rule, but otherwise is in excellent condition and shows exceptional masonry craftsmanship. When we visited Mycenae we had the tomb to ourselves! Tholos Tomb of Clytemnestra 5.8. The Treasury of Atreus The Treasury of Atreus is four hundred metres down the road from Mycenae's main site. It was built between 1350 and 1250 BC and is the best preserved Tholos tomb. It's an architectural masterpiece displaying the high level of craftsmanship reached by the Bronze Age masons. The entire monument is constructed with exceptionally well cut stones. The tomb was never buried by earth and always remained visible throughout the centuries. It was robbed in antiquity and there is no indication of who was buried there. Its function as the tomb of Atreus, the father of Agamemnon, is by no means certain. Tomb of Atreus at Mycenae Tomb of Atreus at Mycenae 5.9. The Museum The entrance to the archaeological site of Mycenae includes the museum. It contains many valuable items excavated from this site. Unfortunately the gold masks found in Grace Circle A by Schliemann, the archaeologist, aren't here. There is a copy of one. Mycanae's Museum 6. My Other Blogs on Greece Monemvasia, Greece: Travel Guide Tiryns, Greece: Travel Guide Epidaurus, Greece: Travel Guide Nafplio, Greece: Travel Guide Corinth, Greece: Travel Guide Delphi, Greece: Travel Guide The Monasteries of Meteora: Travel Guide Naxos, Greece: Travel Guide Mystras, Greece: Travel Guide Tinos, Greece: Travel Guide Syros, Greece: Travel Guide Andros, Greece: Travel Guide North Macedonia to Greece - Week 4 Nafplio, Greece to the Peloponnese - Week 5 Peloponnese to the Greek Islands - Week 6 The Greek Islands - Week 7 The Greek Islands to Albania - Week 8

Essaouira, Morocco Contents 9 April 2024 - Granada to Ronda, Spain 10 April 2024 - Ronda, Spain 11 April 2024 - Ronda to Arcos de la Frontera, Spain 12 April 2024 - Arcos de la Frontera to Algeciras, Spain 13 April 2024 - Algeciras to Asilah, Morocco 14 April 2023 - Asilah to El Jadida, Morocco 15 April 2024 - El Jadida to Essaouira, Morocco 16 April 2024 - Essaouira, Morocco Links to other blogs about our road trip 9 April 2024 - Drive from Granada to Ronda, Spain We drove from Granada to Ronda and stopped on the way to walk the Caminito del Rey which is a walkway attached to the walls of a steep and narrow gorge. It was finished in 1905 and it took 4 years to construct. T he Caminito del Rey was built to provide access for the workers at the hydro electric power plant. The original path for the Caminito del Rey was constructed of concrete and steel. It deteriorated over the years and the concrete collapsed in numerous sections. Several hikers died on the old walkway and it was closed. The Caminito del Rey was rebuilt and it reopened in 2015. The Caminito del Rey is an easy walk with great views but it has become extremely popular and commercialised. You have to buy tickets for specific start times and most of the tickets for the Caminito del Rey are for guided walks with a group. We didn't want to walk with a group and I only just managed to buy tickets online for doing the Caminito del Rey on our own. There were a lot of people doing the group walks. We paced ourselves so that we slotted in between two large groups on guided tours and managed to enjoy most of the Caminito del Rey in relative peace. We arrived in Ronda at 18.00 and checked into a 3 bedroom duplex apartment. It was very spacious and comfortable and only a 10 minute walk to Ronda's historic centre. There was also free off the road parking. We booked the apartment through Booking.com and paid Eur 235 for 2 nights. 10 April 2024 - Ronda, Spain In the morning we walked around Ronda which is probably the most well known and popular White Town (Pueblo Blanco) in Andalusia. Ronda is perched on a massive rocky outcrop straddling a deep gorge. Ronda was one of the last Moorish strongholds to fall to the reconquest in 1485 because of its impregnable position. We walked across the Puente Nuevo (New Bridge) to reach Ronda's old town. The bridge was completed in 1793 and was the world's highest bridge until it was surpassed by a French bridge in 1839. There is a chamber inside the bridge that was used as a prison. During the civil war both sides used the prison as a torture chamber for captured opponents. Some prisoners were thrown to the rocks at the bottom of the gorge. Our first stop in Ronda was to the cathedral of Santa Maria la Mayor. It was built on the site of a 13th century mosque. The original Minaret and Mihrab of the mosque still stand. Afterwards we visited the nearby 14th century Palacio de Mondragon which was probably the palace of the Moorish kings. In the afternoon we drove from Ronda to 3 other White Towns. They are fortified hilltop towns and all the buildings are painted white. We first stopped at Setenil de las Bodegas. The main sights were the castle and the houses built into the cliffs. We then drove through beautiful countryside to Olvera and climbed up to the fort. The last white town was Zahara de la Sierra with its fort perched high above. We decided not to climb up to the fort as it was hot and getting late. 11 April 2024 - Drive from Ronda to Arcos de la Frontera, Spain We left Ronda at 11.00 in beautiful sunshine and fortunately the air conditioning was working as it got to 28 centigrade today! We were heading for Arcos de la Frontera which is another White Town. We reached Arcos de la Frontera at 14.00. I had booked a 2 bedroom apartment with parking through Booking.com for Eur 72. We opted to have a rest at the apartment, to avoid the heat of the day, before heading off to see the sights. We paid to enter the church of Santa Maria de la Asunción and climbed up its bell tower. It was built in the 15th century on the remains of a former Moorish mosque. There is a castle on the same square as the church. It was built as an Arab fortress but became the residence of the Duke of Arcos after the Reconquest and remains in private hands. It isn't possible to visit it. We then continued walking along the main street of Arcos de la Frontera past a convent and the church of St Peter to a Mirador. The views from the Mirador weren't very good and unfortunately the better Mirador by the castle was closed due to construction. For supper we bought a whole grilled chicken, chips and salad and ate it in our apartment. 12 April 2024 - Drive from Arcos de la Frontera to Algeciras, Spain It is only a 1.25 hour drive from Arcos de la Frontera to Algeciras. We stopped off at Medina Sedonia on the way. It's a reasonable sized White Town and its medieval walls, the Church and the Alcazar (fort) are the main historic sights. Unfortunately the Alcazar isn't open to visitors. In Algeciras we stayed at the Hotel AC Algeciras which is a Marriott Hotel. It cost a very reasonable Eur 70 and was only 10 minutes drive from the ferry port. 13 April 2024 - Algeciras, Spain to Asilah, Morocco We got up early at 06.15 to catch the 09.45 ferry to Tangier Med as our tickets stated we had to be at the port of Algeciras 2 hours before departure. As I suspected this wasn't really necessary and a few cars arrived at the port only 30 minutes beforehand. I had read that the ferries to Morocco were often late and I was therefore pleased to see that our ferry was at the port. However, the ferry only sailed at 10.30 despite the ferry not being very full. We had a good view of Gibraltar as we left Algeciras and soon afterwards had a view of the coast of Africa. The ferry took 1 hour 45 minutes to reach the port of Tangier Med which is 40 kilometres from the city of Tangier. It took us over an hour to clear customs as all cars were being X-rayed by a large machine mounted on a track. If this is done in the peak season there will be chaos. We then spent another hour buying 3rd party car insurance and obtaining Moroccan SIM cards and dirhams. At Tangier's port a lady representing the Inwi telecom company tried to sell us a very expensive SIM card and data package for Eur 60. I knew it should be a lot cheaper and declined. Fortunately the car insurance agency sold SIM cards with 7.5 GB of data and they only cost Eur 10! As we needed 2 SIM cards it was a big saving. I had reserved a very nice hotel room in Asilah through Booking.com for Eur 48. Asilah is south of Tangier on the Atlantic coast and was only an hour's drive away from the port of Tangier Med. It was an easy drive on a toll highway and a good introduction to driving in Morocco! After checking into our hotel we walked to Asilah's interesting medina. The Medina is largely residential with white houses decorated with lots of vivid blue. It is surrounded by sturdy fortified walls built by the Portuguese in the 15th century. There are two main gates and several towers spread along the walls. We had dinner at a local fish restaurant outside Asilah's medina's walls. We both had mixed platters of seafood and chips and it only cost Eur 8 per platter. 14 April 2023 - Drive from Asilah to El Jadida, Morocco We drove southwards from Asilah to El Jadida on the toll road. Google Maps estimated that the drive would take 4 hours but it actually took 6 hours. The toll road was very busy between Rabat and Casablanca and there weren't enough lanes open at the frequent toll stations. Police were everywhere, particularly on the bridges crossing the toll road where there were usually 4 policemen monitoring the traffic. El Jadida is on the Atlantic coast and was founded by the Portuguese in the early 16th century. In the late afternoon we walked from our apartment hotel along El Jadida's sea front to the Portuguese fortress. There is a long sandy beach, which is very popular with Moroccans, but it didn't look very appealing to us. We got to the fortress's ramparts at 17.50 just as they were closing the access to the walkway along the top of them. The ramparts were meant to be open up to 18.00. The only other attraction in El Jadida was the famous Portuguese cistern but it has been closed for a few years due to structural issues. The Portugese cistern is likely to remain closed for a long time due to the lack of funds for restoration. We walked around El Jadida's fort but it was neglected and dirty. Unfortunately our 1 bedroom apartment had also seen better days. We wished we hadn't stopped off at El Jadida! 15 April 2024 - Drive from El Jadida to Essaouira, Morocco We drove from El Jadida to Essaouira today, relieved that the car's air conditioning was working as the outside temperature hit 35 centigrade! The first part of the journey was along toll roads which were so much quieter than yesterday. It seems that many people had visited family at the end of Ramadan and had been making their way home yesterday. After a while the toll road ended and we drove on public roads through bustling towns. I had to drive very carefully as people, carts pulled by donkeys, motor bikes etc were all over the road. The scenery was much more arid and rural than it had been coming down southwards from Tangier to El Jadida over the past two days. We passed sheep farms and farmers were ploughing their fields using horses. There were lots of carts being pulled by horses and donkeys. Essaouira is on the Atlantic coast and it was a bit cooler because of a breeze. Strong trade winds make its crescent shaped beach popular with wind and kite surfers. We had a quick walk around Essaouira's medina in the late afternoon. We have 2 nights in Essaouira and have plenty of time to explore. We stayed in a 2 bedroom apartment which we had booked through Booking.com for Eur 61 per night. We were very pleased with it as it was a modern apartment, quiet and a pleasant 10 minute walk to Essaouira's medina. 16 April 2024 - Essaouira, Morocco In the morning we walked along the promenade to Essaouira's harbour. It was absolutely packed with fishing boats and there were a lot of stalls selling an interesting variety of fish. We wanted to visit the bastion at the harbour as it has a good view of Essaouira. However, they charge an entrance fee of Eur 5 which is far too much. Instead I took photos of Essaouira from the nearby beach. After that we spent a few hours wandering around the medina. Essaouira's medina has a mixture of restaurants, art galleries, tourist shops, hotels and homes. It is an interesting medina with good facilities and no hassles. I can understand why Essaouira is very popular with foreigners. Links to other Blogs about our Road Trip from England to Morocco Week 1 - Salamanca, Toledo, Cordoba & Granada Week 3 - Southern Morocco Week 4 - Marrakesh to Todra Gorge Week 5 - Todra Gorge - Merzouga - Fes - Chefchaouen Week 6 - Morocco to Cadiz & Seville Week 7 - Seville to Portugal Week 8 - Porto to Pontevedra, Spain Week 9 - Muxia & the Lighthouse Way Week 10 - Muxia, Spain to Plymouth, UK

Contents 17 April 2024 - Essaouira to Agadir 18 April 2024 - Agadir to Sidi Ifni 19 April 2024 - Sidi Ifni to Tafraoute 20 April 2024 - Ait Mansour Gorge nea r Tafraoute 21 April 2024 - Tafraoute to Taroudant 22 April 2024 - Taroudant and Tioute 23 April 2024 - Taroudant to Marrakesh Links to other blogs about our Road Trip 17 April 2024 - Drive from Essaouira to Agadir It took just over 3 hours to drive south from Essaouira to Agadir. Agadir is a large resort town on Morocco's Atlantic coast and it is popular with foreigners seeking winter sun. We drove through misty weather which thickened into a sea mist by the time we arrived in Agadir. It was only 20 centigrade in Agadir whereas it had reached 31 centigrade further inland on the drive down. In 1960 Agadir suffered the most destructive and deadly earthquake in Moroccan history. Most of the city was destroyed and about 15,000 people died. Agadir was rebuilt in the 1960's and only the beach is of interest to tourists. We therefore only stayed for a one night in Agadir to break up our journey southwards. We had booked a 2 bedroom apartment at an Agadir hotel through Booking.com for Eur 59. The staff were very helpful and gave us a quiet room as requested. The apartment was better than expected. It took us 10 minutes to walk from the apartment to Agadir's beach. Even though the weather was misty the beach seemed very nice. There is a huge expanse of sand and lots of Moroccans were playing soccer on the beach. We walked for about half an hour along the beach to have a meal at a restaurant on the esplanade. The weather started to clear in the evening and we hoped that the next day's weather would be better. 18 April 2024 - Drive from Agadir to Sidi Ifni Fortunately the weather improved and we continued our drive southwards to Sidi Ifni. It was mostly dual carriageway as we left Agadir but there were far too many roundabouts. Agadir sprawls out in a messy development. It took about an hour to get out of this very poorly planned area of Agadir. We stopped off for lunch at the seaside town of Aglou Plage. Sadly it has been ruined by overdevelopment as there is a mass of ugly holiday accommodation for Moroccan holidaymakers. My old Lonely Planet guidebook described the next 40 kilometres of coast from Aglou Plage to Mirleft as "exceptionally picturesque". The coastline didn't seem very special to us and there was ugly development on sections of it. Twenty years ago Mirleft had a "totally undeveloped beach" according to Lonely Planet but now Mirleft is a large and ugly resort town. We were relieved to find that Sidi Ifni has retained its character. Spain was given Sidi Ifni by treaty after the Spanish-Moroccan war of 1859, which Morocco lost. Spain didn't take full possession of Sidi Ifni until 1934 and most of the buildings only date back to then. Spain handed Sidi Ifni back to Morocco in 1969. There isn't much to see in Sidi Ifni but it is a pleasant and laid back town. Sidi Ifni is a popular surfing destination and is also popular with foreign recreational vehicles. There were more than 30 camper vans lined up along the sea front. We couldn't be bothered to swim but did walk along the beach. Afterwards we had dinner at a seafront restaurant and watched the surfers. We stayed at the Logis la Marine Guest House in Sidi Ifni and it cost Eur 86 for their best and newest room on the top floor. It was a really nice room overlooking the sea. We live next to the sea in England but were still surprised at how much louder the waves were here. 19 April 2024 - Drive from Sidi Ifni to Tafraoute We left the coast of Morocco today and headed north east to Tafraoute which is at an altitude of 1,200 metres in the Anti Atlas mountains. Tafraoute is known for its palm groves where almonds and olive orchards grow. Tafraoute is also popular with climbers, hikers and tourists. We were pleased to be heading inland as the scenery on Morocco's Atlantic coast isn't very interesting. We won't see the sea again until we reach the port of Tangier in 2.5 weeks time! I didn't want to repeat yesterday's drive along the more commonly used road between Sidi Ifni and Tiznit. Instead we drove on roads (P1918 and P1916) that weren't on our map but were on Google Maps. The road was good, except for one section, until about 5 kilometres from Tafraoute. Then the road really deteriorated and the surface was badly corrugated. This bad section of road was very scenic. We booked a suite at the Hotel Salama in Tafraoute for Eur 42 a night. The Hotel Salama was very good value for money as we had a living room and a bedroom. It was very central and we could park our car in front of the hotel. 20 April 2024 - Ait Mansour Gorge near Tafraoute It felt surprisingly cool in the morning as it was about 17 centigrade and there was a chilly wind. We drove to the Ait Mansour Gorge which is a 50 minute drive south of Tafraoute. There is a tarred road there but it is narrow in places I parked the car on the road side just before the Ait Mansour Gorge and a woman immediately appeared and said she was a parking attendant. We were pleased to have secure parking even though we would have to tip her. We walked along the narrow road through the best section of the Ait Mansour Gorge. The green oasis at the bottom of the Ait Mansour gorge was a stunning contrast to the pink hills and rocks towering above the gorge. After the Ait Mansour Gorge we continued driving south to the village of Afla Ighir and then had the choice of retracing our steps to Tafraoute or doing a circular route via the Tizerkine gorge. I wasn't sure about the condition of the road through the Tizerkine gorge. However, a Tripadvisor forum report from about a year ago indicated it was driveable in a saloon car. We decided to try the circular route and the road to Tizerkine was excellent. I was surprised that we didn't see any other vehicles and I soon found out why! The condition of the road deteriorated badly as soon as we passed Tizerkine although the scenery was excellent. The road surface alternated between broken up tar and dirt! The mountain road was also very narrow and in several sections it wouldn't have been possible to get past any oncoming vehicles. Luckily there were none! I drove very carefully to avoid damaging our Ford Focus as last year we had broken a front spring in Greece. It was a relief to reach the village of Taghaout where the condition of the road improved. From there it was a pleasant drive back to Tafraoute. The entire circular drive through the Ait Mansour Gorge had taken about 5 hours. 21 April 2024 - Drive from Tafraoute to Taroudant We drove 4 hours from Tafroute to Taroudant in the Sous valley. The first part of our route followed the road to Agadir and then we branched off north-east to Taroudant. The mountain road out of Tafraoute was narrow and just wide enough for 2 cars to carefully pass. There wasn't much oncoming traffic and I slowed down to a crawl for oncoming vehicles as the Moroccan drivers hardly slowed down at all. It was possible to pull off the road but neither myself or the oncoming vehicles wanted to. The scenery on this section was very good. After about an hour the road widened and there was then a good road all the way to Taroudant. I hadn't been sure about the condition of the road that branched off to Taroudant as it wasn't shown on my map but the road was on Google Maps. We stopped in the countryside for a picnic lunch and there were wild camels everywhere. We eventually joined the main Agadir to Taroudant road. The scenery was bleak and we drove through numerous scruffy developments. I had booked a room at Riad Amnay in Taroudant's medina. A Riad is a traditional Moroccan house built over two or more storeys around a central courtyard which usually contains a fountain. We had been given the location of a nearby parking lot but the challenge was to find it. We had the location on Google Maps but with the one way streets inside Taroudant's city walls it was difficult to locate. A motor bike rider kindly stopped to help us and we followed him to the parking lot. He then walked us to the Riad. I gave him Eur 2 for his help which was probably too much. Riad Amnay was of a high standard and had very good reviews. Lani was very happy with it. However, the rooms in Riads are usually dark as the windows face into the courtyard and I like natural light. Otherwise it was very good. We booked through Booking.com and paid Eur 54 a night. 22 April 2024 - Sightseeing in Taroudant and Tioute We had booked two nights at the Riad in Taroudant. In the morning we drove 40 minutes to the village of Tioute to see the old Kasbah on the hilltop and the oasis below it. On the way we saw several goats in the trees eating leaves. We had read about goats climbing trees and had wanted to see it. Tioute's Kasbah was a huge disappointment. It was built in 16th century and is described as being magnificent, perched on the hill overlooking the oasis. Sadly, most of Tioute's Kasbah is falling to pieces and has been closed off. The only part open was a large restaurant that has been built in the Kasbah and tour groups come for lunch. We then visited Tioute's Oasis which unfortunately is very popular with tour groups. A guy on a motor bike wanted to give us an hour's tour for Eur 15. Eventually we settled on Eur 5 and we followed him in our car to a parking lot by the Oasis. He then told us he wanted Eur 15 and drove off when we didn't agree to pay it. We were pleased as he had led us to the Oasis and we could wander around by ourselves. It was pleasant but Tioute's Oasis has been spoiled by tourism. The paths through the Oasis are paved. There are a few cafes, handicraft stall and locals offering donkey rides. Not our scene at all and it was a wasted morning When we got back to Taroudant we again had problems finding the parking lot. This time the driver of a Caleche stopped to help us and we followed him to the parking lot. He was a nice man and I gave him Eur 2 for his help. We had lunch in the nearby square and the same Caleche driver came over to say hi. He spoke English and he asked if we wanted a ride in his Caleche around the 7 kilometre long city walls. Apparently Taroudant is referred to as Little Marrakech because of its ramparts. We wouldn't normally ride in a Caleche but we wanted to see Taroudant's city walls and walking around in the heat wouldn't have been fun. We had been told that the fair rate was Eur 10 per hour and that was what he offered. We therefore agreed to meet him at 15.00. We enjoyed the ride and certainly wouldn't have enjoyed walking. Afterwards we wandered around the large under cover market in Taroudant. I buy very little but needed a leather belt. The asking price was Eur 31! I wouldn't negotiate as he started with an absolute rip off price. In the end I got the belt for the Eur 5 that I initially offered. 23 April 2024 - Drive from Taroudant to Marrakesh via the Tizi n'Test Pass The fastest route from Taroudant to Marrakesh is on the A3 toll road and it would take about 3.25 hours. However, there is a much more scenic road over the 2,100 metre high Tizi n'Test mountain pass which Google Maps said would take about 5.5 hours. I wanted to drive over the Tizi n'Test pass to see the Atlas mountains even though the road is much more difficult to drive on. Unfortunately it was a hazy day and it spoiled the views on the south side of the Tizi n'Test pass. This area was badly affected by the earthquake of September 2023. Over six hundred thousand people were affected and many are still living in tents and temporary buildings. The road over the Tizi n'Test  pass was also damaged by the earthquake. On the south side of the Tizi n'Test pass there were many cracks along the side of the road and pull over areas were cordoned off. On the north side of the Tizi n'Test pass sections of the road surface were badly damaged. A lot of fallen rocks had been cleared to both sides of the road. The first hour of the journey was along the main road east of Taroudant. It is pretty bleak road that goes through messy towns and the scenery isn't great. It is very similar to the main road west of Taroudant which I also disliked. The scenery improved once we turned off the main road and headed north towards the Tizi n'Test pass. Initially it was a very good two lane road. As we got nearer to the top of the Tizi n'Test pass it became a one lane tarred road but it was easy and safe to pass other vehicles. Before we reached the top of the Tizi n'Test pass the road surface deteriorated and didn't improve for the next 50 miles! It was very slow going and tiring constantly watching out for potholes. We finally reached Marrakesh after 7 hours of driving and checked into our 3 bedroom apartment in the suburb of Gueliz. We booked it through Airbnb for Eur 75 a night. We were too tired to go into Marrakesh and had 3 nights there anyway. We spent the evening relaxing and did some much needed laundry. Links to other blogs about England to Morocco Road Trip Week 1 - Salamanca, Toledo, Cordoba & Granada Week 2 - Spain to Morocco Week 4 - Marrakesh to Todra Gorge Week 5 - Todra Gorge - Merzouga - Fes - Chefchaouen Week 6 - Morocco to Cadiz & Seville Week 7 - Seville to Portugal Week 8 - Porto to Pontevedra, Spain Week 9 - Muxia & the Lighthouse Way Week 10 - Muxia, Spain to Plymouth, UK

The Theatre at Delphi Contents 10 May 2023 - Sightseeing at Lake Ohrid 11 May 2023 - Lake Ohrid to Meteora, Gr eece 12 May 2023 - Sightseeing at Meteora, Greece 13 May 2023 - Sightseeing at Meteora, Greece 14 May 2023 - Meteora to Delphi, Greece 15 May 2023 - Delphi to Nafplio, Greece 16 May 2023 - Day Trip from Nafplio to Corinth Links to My Other Blogs 10 May 2023 - Sightseeing at Lake Ohrid It continued raining during the night, but to my relief it was dry when we woke up. We had a leisurely start and at 10.30 started to drive 30 kilometres south from Ohrid Town along the lake to the 16th century Monastery of Sv Naum. It is virtually on the border with Albania. The Bradt guide book says that the road is narrow and can be quite busy. I didn't think the road was particularly narrow and luckily it wasn't very busy. It took about 30 minutes to drive to the Monastery of Sv Naum and there was good car parking for Eur 0.60. We were concerned that the Monastery of Sv Naum might be overwhelmed with tour groups, but we were relieved to see only 1 coach in the car park. The 2 chapels in the old monastery are very small and beautiful. We were pleased that for most of the time we were the only ones in the chapels. By the time we got back to Ohrid Town the weather was brightening up. We could have driven to a couple of villages on the north western side of Lake Ohrid, but decided to have a relaxing afternoon and walk around the very nice town of Ohrid again. See my blog Ohrid Town, North Macedonia: Travel Guide . 11 May 2023 - Lake Ohrid to Meteora, Greece We woke up to cloudy weather again, but since we were driving down to Greece it didn't matter. We left Lake Ohrid at 10.30 and soon found that our sat navigation was directing us towards Albania! It probably did that as it may be the quickest route to Greece. However, we don't have car insurance for Albania and it isn't possible to buy it at that particular border crossing. I therefore input the name of the Greek border town and that put us on the correct route. The cost of petrol is 37% higher in Greece than North Macedonia so we filled up just before the Greek border and also used all our left over North Macedonian currency. It only took us about 10 minutes to cross the border. Both the Greek passport officer and the customs officer were very friendly. Our UK car insurance covers us for Greece so we didn't have the hassle and cost of buying car insurance at the border. As we got closer to Meteora it began to rain. Google maps as usual was very good at finding our apartment, although it didn't help that we had been told the wrong street number. We arrived at 16.40 but we had lost an hour due to Greece being in a different time zone. The apartment was compact but nice. We bought some groceries at Lidl's and had our evening meal at the apartment. See my blog " UK to Greek Islands Accommodation - Part 1 " for further details of the apartment. 12 May 2023 - Sighteeing at Meteora, Greece Meteora is famous for its medieval monasteries that are perched on high pinnacles of rock. See my blog " The Monasteries of Meteora: Travel Guide " for useful information about visiting Meteora. Unfortunately none of the 6 monasteries at Meteora open before 09.00 and they all close by 17.00. We woke up earlier today as my plan was to start visiting Meteora's monasteries early in order to avoid the tour groups for an hour or so. We left our apartment at 08.25 and it was a 20 minute drive to the first monastery of Agios Stefanos (St Stephen's). We got stuck behind a tour bus and as we drove up we could see several other tour buses ready to depart for the monasteries. It seemed that my plan wasn't going to work! We managed to get to the entrance gate of St Stephen's monastery before the tour groups. When it opened at 09.00 we were the first people at the ticket office and then we immediately walked to the small chapel. We had the chapel to ourselves for 5 to 10 minutes before the tour group arrived and broke the tranquility. The Chapel at Agios Stefanos (St Stephen's) Tour groups take over the monasteries and have little consideration for others. Luckily we had seen enough of the chapel and looked around outside. More and more groups came and soon there was a long queue to enter the chapel. By the time we returned to the car park there were 13 tour buses parked there! After visiting Agios Stefanos (St Stephen's) we drove to the nearby monastery of Agia Triada (Holy Trinity). Agia Triada is famous for being a film location in the James Bond film For Your Eyes Only. It is certainly in a very spectacular location. Luckily it isn't frequented by many tour groups. We parked at about 09.50 and there was only 1 tour bus parked there. It was about a 10 minute walk from the car park to the ticket office and we could see a small queue of people waiting to enter, as the Agia Triada monastery only opens at 10.00. The queue had dissipated by the time we got to the ticket office. We looked around the exterior of the Agia Triada monastery until the tour group had left the chapel so we could enjoy the chapel in relative peace. At 11.00 we drove back to our apartment for an early lunch. We intended to visit the Monastery of Great Meteoron after our lunch. My plan was to visit Great Meteoron at about 12.30 when hopefully the tour groups were having lunch and the half day tours had been completed. As we drove from our apartment to the Great Meteoron we could see a lot of tour buses parked outside restaurants. At the monastery itself there were only 2 tour buses but a lot of cars. It takes about 10 minutes to walk to the entrance and we were pleased to see a large group of school children leaving the monastery. The Great Meteoron is the largest monastery at Meteora and probably the most popular. We spent an hour looking around and our visit wasn't spoiled by too many visitors. Our final monastery visit for today was the small nunnery of Roussanou. Parking was easy to find and it was a 10 minute walk down to the Roussanou nunnery. The chapels at the Meteora monasteries are small and this was no exception. Roussanou Monastery Roussanou Monastery Before driving back to our apartment we drove to a couple of view points so that we could admire the dramatic scenery of Meteora. 13 May 2023 - Sighteeing at Meteora, Greece We had 2 more monasteries to visit today. We went to the Agios Nikolaus (St Nicholas) monastery first and reached the steps leading up to the monastery 10 minutes after it had opened. We were pleased to see that there were very few cars parked there and even happier that there weren't any tour buses! Apparently Agios Nikolaos isn't usually visited by tour groups due to the steep climb up to it. It is certainly a steep climb up and it took us about 10 minutes. We went straight to the 2 room chapel and spent about 15 minutes enjoying the beauty of the chapel in relative tranquility. Independent visitors are usually quiet and don't spend too much time in the chapels. In comparison tour groups take over the entire area whilst the tour leader explains the paintings at great length. At Agios Nikolaos visitors only have access to the chapel and roof top. There are really good views of Meteora's impressive scenery from the roof top. Agios Nikolaus (St Nicholas) Monastery at Meteora After visiting Agios Nikolaos we drove to the view points that we had visited yesterday. Apart from the dramatic scenery there are very good views of Meteora's monasteries. A lot of visitors come here at sunset, but yesterday it was cloudy and this evening there is meant to be a nice sunset. At 11.15 we returned to our apartment for an early lunch like we had yesterday. The plan was to visit Varlaam Monastery when the tour groups were having their lunch. We got to Varlaam monastery at 12.30 and although it was busy there were very few tour buses parked there. It took about 10 minutes to climb up to the ticket office and we had to queue for about 5 minutes to buy our tickets. Unfortunately we had a group in front of us and some of the women had to buy wraps as they weren't wearing dresses. We got to the chapel before the group and could enjoy it before they arrived. When the group took over the chapel we decided to stay and benefit from the tour leader's commentary! We left at 13.30 and by then groups were streaming into Varlaam monastery and it was like a zoo. I much preferred the 4 smaller monasteries to the 2 largest and most popular monasteries at Meteora. Varlaam Monastery 14 May 2023 - Meteora to Delphi, Greece We woke up to grey skies and light rain. At 09.45 we started driving from Meteora to Arachova and Google maps showed that the journey should take 3 hours 10 minutes. Arachova is 10 kilometres from Delphi and is a nicer town to stay in. The weather improved as we drove south and after a couple of hours it was sunny and 22 centigrade. About an hour before Arachova we were stopped by a policeman as we were entering a town. We feared the worst, but he just wanted to inform us that we should take a new and better route. Neither Google maps nor our Tomtom sat navigation liked this change of route and directed us back into the town on another road. This time 2 policemen stopped us and told us that we should continue on the new road as it was better. In reality there must have been something happening in the town and they didn't want us to enter. The new road was in a very good condition and it went over the mountains. It was very scenic and we could see snow on the distant mountain. However, it was certainly longer than our original route and we only arrived at Arachova at 13.50. I had booked an apartment and a reviewer had reported that the streets around the apartment were narrow and difficult to park on. He was unfortunately right! We checked in and very soon afterwards drove to the archaeological site at Delphi. See my blog " Delphi, Greece: Travel Guide " for useful information about visiting Delphi. By the time we reached Delphi at 14.45 the number of visitors had greatly subsided and virtually all the tour buses had left. As a result we found a very convenient parking spot, which would have been very difficult to find earlier in the day. We visited Delphi's museum first and wandered around it for 45 minutes. They had some nice displays, but a lot of the narrative was complex and difficult to understand. The most famous exhibit is the bronze Charioteer that dates back to the fifth century BC. Afterwards we walked around the archaeological site of Delphi which is on a steep hill. It was a bit underwhelming to begin with but became more interesting as we went on. It was quiet and peaceful as there were very few visitors and no groups. It was also hot and I wouldn't want to visit Delphi in the summer. We spent 3 hours at Delphi and then returned to Arachova for dinner. We walked around the nice town in the evening. 15 May 2023 - Delphi to Nafplio, Greece We had a relaxing morning in Delphi and only left for Nafplio at 11.30. The drive was very scenic through mountainous countryside. We easily managed to locate the apartment we had booked and were very pleased with it. It is very spacious with 2 floors, 2 bathrooms and 2 balconies for about Eur 78 per night. See my blog " UK to Greek Islands Accommodation - Part 1 " for further details of the apartment. In the early evening we walked into Nafplio and wandered around. It is fairly upmarket and is popular with well off Athenians as it is less than a 2 hour drive from Athens. See my blog " Nafplio, Greece: Travel Guide " for useful information on visiting Nafplio. There are 3 fortresses in Nafplio and we wandered up the Akronafplia fortress, which is the closest to the town. The fortress is derelict but there are good views from the top and it is free! 16 May 2023 - Day Trip from Nafplio to Corinth We could have stopped at Corinth yesterday on our way to Nafplio, but I was worried about the security for our luggage in our car. In hindsight we should have stopped and it would have saved a 1.5 hour round trip drive to Corinth today. See my blog " Corinth, Greece: Travel Guide " for information on visiting Corinth. We set off at 10.15 to visit Acrocorinth which is the ancient acropolis of Corinth. Its fortifications and ruins were erected by the Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, crusaders, Venetians and Turks. We were pleased to find on arrival that entry was free and there were no tour buses. The old, worn stones on the path are very slippery at the start and we were pleased that it was dry, as in the wet they must be treacherous. We spent an hour and 45 minutes exploring Acrocorinth's large site. The double wall fortifications are the most impressive feature of the site. We were lucky to finish just before it started to lightly rain. We had driven over the Corinth canal many years ago but hadn't stopped. In those days the main road from Athens to the Pelopennese had a good view of the canal. When we drove over the Corinth canal yesterday it was on the new toll road and we didn't see the canal at all. We therefore went back to the bridge that we drove over a long time ago. We parked the car at the southern end of the bridge and walked over both sides of the Corinth canal. Unfortunately no ships were in the Corinth canal and the weather was a bit dismal. The Corinth Canal Links to My Other Blogs Cornwall to Venice - Week 1 Venice to Serbia - Week 2 Serbia to North Macedonia - Week 3 Nafplio, Greece to the Peloponnese - Week 5 Peloponnese to the Greek Islands - Week 6 The Greek Islands - Week 7 The Greek Islands to Albania - Week 8 Albania to Montenegro - Week 9 Montenegro to Croatia- Week 10 Brac to Rab, Croatia - Week 11 Rab to Dolomites, Italy - Week 12 Dolomites to Home - Week 13 UK to Greek Island Accommodation - Part 1 UK to Greek Island Accommodation - Part 2 Corinth, Greece: Travel Guide The Monasteries of Meteora: Travel Guide Delphi, Greece: Travel Guide

Seceda in the Dolomites Contents 13 July 2023 - Hike in the Dolomites (Alpe di Suisi) 14 July 2023 - Hike in the Dolomites (Sassolungo) 15 July 2023 - The Dolomites to Metz, France 16 July - Metz to Cornwall, England Links to my Other Blogs 13 July 2023 - Hike in the Dolomites (Alpe di Suisi) The forecast was for rain to start late morning. After yesterday's experience we decided to take the cable car from Ortisei to the nearby Alpe di Siusi at 08.30 and walk around the plateau for 2 to 3 hours whilst it was dry. It was a good walk and it didn't rain. At midday we took the cable car back down to Ortisei and walked around the shops before returning to our apartment. The weather forecast was wrong and it didn't rain at all! I was frustrated as we could have done a longer walk. See my blog " Hiking in Val Gardena, Dolomites " for full details of our hikes. 14 July 2023 - Hike in the Dolomites (Sassolungo) I had intended to do today's hike in 2 sections over 2 days, but the weather prevented this. It looked like it might be feasible to do my intended route in 1 long hike. The usual routes taken are either a hard 6.5 hour hike around the entire Sassolungo massif or a shorter 3 to 4 hour circular hike around half of the mountain. The latter route involves taking a chairlift up to the Furcela de Sassolungo in the centre of the massif and then hiking down. We decided to try a variation of this latter option. Instead of doing a circular hike we would take the bus to St. Christina, take the chairlifts up to the base of Sassolungo, walk around Sassolungo to the chairlift up to the Furcella de Sassolungo, descend down to the other side of Sassolungo and then walk back to Ortisei using chairlifts where possible. We started early and at 08.30 we were the first on the chairlifts going from St Christina to the base of Sassolungo. It was a beautiful walk around to the chairlift to Furcella de Sassolungo, which is known as the "Coffin". Lani was apprehensive about the "coffin" as it was reported that it is difficult getting into the small 2 person gondolas. In reality it was a lot of fun as the attendants were very helpful and friendly. After admiring the great views from the top of Furcella de Sassolungo we started the long and steep descent down to the other side of the massif. Lani is a bit nervous descending steep slopes with loose stones so it was a bit slow going. Once down we walked along the base of Sassolongu and then took the "Florion" chairlift down to the Alpe di Suisi plateau that we were on yesterday. It was now 16.00 and it would take another 1.25 hours to hike up to the gondola that descends down to Ortisei. We were tired and weren't looking forward to that final hike up the hill. I then saw a crowd of people waiting at a bus stop and was told that it was going to the gondola station. That was wonderful news so we got on the bus. Unfortunately the bus went to a different gondola station on the other side of the plateau! A Norwegian couple had made the same mistake and together we found a bus that was just leaving that would take us down to the valley. We were shocked to find out that the fare was Eur 16 each but there was no better alternative. Once down in the valley we took one of the free buses back to Ortisei. We reached there after 18.00. It was a long and tiring day but an excellent hike with stunning views. 15 July 2023 - The Dolomites to Metz, France It was meant to be an 8 hour drive from Ortisei to Metz. This became a 10 hour drive as a section of highway had been closed. It was a hot day and in southern Germany the temperature reached 39 centigrade! I was shattered by the time we arrived in Metz. Our hotel was similar to an Ibis hotel and it was right in the centre. Metz is a very nice town and we walked around and had dinner. We had Chinese food for the first time on the trip. It made a nice change from the western food we had been eating for the last 3 months. 16 July - Metz to Cornwall, England It was going to be a long drive back to England so we got up early and left the hotel at 07.00. We were booked on the 14.00 ferry from Dunkirk. As we were getting close to Dunkirk we realised that we might make the earlier ferry at 12.00. We were fortunate as the 12.00 ferry was running half an hour late and we were allowed to board. Despite being on an earlier ferry we didn't get back home until 20.00. It was another very long day, but not as tiring as yesterday as we could relax on the ferry and Lani did some of the driving in the U.K. This was the end of a very enjoyable 3 month road trip. It went very well, but it took a lot of planning. We were concerned about driving through countries like Albania, but our fears were unfounded. We were also concerned about our 10 year old car, but there were only relatively minor problems like the broken spring and worn brake pads. The engine management warning light had been on for about 4,000 miles of the 8,000 mile trip. It turned out that the catalytic converter needed to be replaced. I am now planning our next road trips. In 2024 we would like to take the ferry to Spain and drive down to southern Morocco. If the car is still in good shape in 2025 we might drive through Turkey to Armenia and Georgia. That would be a long trip and we would need at least 4 months to do it. Links to my Other Blogs Cornwall to Venice - Week 1 Venice to Serbia - Week 2 Serbia to North Macedonia - Week 3 North Macedonia to Greece - Week 4 Nafplio, Greece to the Peloponnese - Week 5 Peloponnese to the Greek Islands - Week 6 The Greek Islands - Week 7 The Greek Islands to Albania - Week 8 Albania to Montenegro - Week 9 Montenegro to Croatia- Week 10 Brac to Rab, Croatia - Week 11 Rab to Dolomites, Italy - Week 12 UK to Greek Island Accommodation - Part 1 UK to Greek Island Accommodation - Part 2 Hiking in Val Gardena, Dolomites