We woke up early to get a start on our last full day in Greece; I could hardly believe how quickly the time had flown by. We had arranged to have breakfast at 8 AM, and when we walked to the separate house where we were to have breakfast, there was a lovely classic Greek spread: hard boiled eggs, bread, breakfast cookies, cheese and meats, Greek yogurt, a selection of jams, fresh squeezed orange juice, and hot coffee. We dined indulgently, and soon after finishing breakfast packed up the car and headed to Mystras: our first stop of the day.
Mystras is a site of an upper and lower town on the mountainside. Many of the structures are restored, so along with the crumbling ruins, there are churches and houses that you can walk in to. This was a wonderful last archeological site to explore; despite the sweaty and winding walk up the mountainside there was always a breath-taking vista and the beautifully designed architecture depicted the age of the site.
We left feeling satisfied with the morning, and drove to Nafplio for a relaxing afternoon. Nafplio is an absolute must-stop for the Peloponnese (and for Greece as a whole, for that matter). It's a relatively small city, but is adoringly charming because the 'old town' feel, which is a result of the original stone buildings and cobbled streets. It was a slight hassle to find our hotel, but once we did, exploring the streets felt nothing short of magical.
After having walked around gotten a drink and some gelato (we had skipped lunch unintentionally, but who needs it when you can just go straight to the good stuff!), we went back to our hotel to put on bikinis, grab our towels, and headed back out to the beach. The walk down to the beach was pleasant, but extremely windy (at points I thought my glasses would fly off my head). Arriving at the beach, I saw that it was quite busy and the bar was blasting dance music.; it wasn't the relaxing afternoon that I was expecting, but nonetheless the water looked inviting, and I was excited. The water––which was again pretty warm––was extremely wavy; so much so that you had to watch out to not get salt water in your face, and floating on your back was out of the question. But the intense waves made the swim exciting, and my cousin and I spent time talking while treading in the water.
Although a wonderful beach visit, by the time we got out of the water the sky was clouded over, so we weren't able to do any sunbathing. Either way, we sat watching the waves and enjoying life. Eventually we made our way back to the apartment to shower and change for dinner. We eventually made it to our restaurant, Aiolos––one recommended by the woman at our hotel and TripAdvisor––around 8PM. We got a lovely outside, though it was already bustling with diners. We decided to order a number of dishes to share, rather than just get our own. The grand selection included grilled vegetables with balsamic glaze, tzatziki, baked feta, a green salad, grilled bread, and fried calamari. I also got a sweet wine, which although was too sweet for my liking, was still a nice addition to the night. This was possibly the best meal of our trip, so it seemed the perfect way to end the last day.
After dinner we meandered around town, and had the pleasure of stumbling upon an orchestra concert in one of the small squares. It was wonderful luck and the playing was beautiful; particularly in the warm night. We headed back to the apartment for relaxing at the end of the night, but around 11:30, my cousin and I headed back into town for a last gelato in Greece. I had thought it would be winding down by this time, but it was still bustling: people eating dinner, children playing the streets (what?!), and an overall happy atmosphere. We sat happily eating our gelato on the steps of the main square, gleeful to be there.
Back at the apartment, a little after 12AM, we said good night, and had our last night's sleep in Greece. It was a phenomenal trip, and although it felt short, we packed in a lot. Greece is a country filled with rich history, absolutely wonderful people, and a variety of scenery––all of which are equally beautiful. It is undoubtedly a country to have on your bucket list, and I hope one day to go back.
If you have any questions about Greece, or our trip, please comment of email me!! I would love to talk with you about it!
xx
Erin
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