Greece 3: Monemvasia

 

If you ever get to visit the Peloponnese Peninsula do NOT miss Monemvasia.  It is an amazing place: a giant rock of an island, connected to the mainland by a causeway.  The name means "one entrance" because the only way to get onto the island by land is a tunnel carved into the rock.  No car can make the right-angle turn so there are no motor vehicles in Monemvasia (I watched our luggage being delivered to the hotel by handcart.)  

I took hundreds of pictures in Greece but managed to miss the two key shots in this town: a view from the mainland, and a view of the tunnel entrance.  I am linking to fine photos to show you what I missed.

There no roads worth mentioning in Monemvasia, just crooked cobblestone paths and occasional plazas.

Below is a view of the sea plaza.  Our hotel is the pink 17th century building.  Notice that hill behind it?  The next picture shows the same plaza from the top of that hill, which we hiked up.  Look really closely and you can see those same black balls decorating the plaza.

The web says more than 20,000 people live in Monemvasia but the guidebook says most of them actually live in the village on the mainland.  I believe that. 

There are no natural water sources on the island except rain, so that's a challenge for residents.

 

 

 

 

 

 

At the top of the cliff is the Agia Sophia church.

The roof of our hotel had fantastic views.  We went out during the first night and it was so dark and clear that for the first time in my life I could see all the stars in Orion.

The second night got windy and we could not make the shutters stay shut.  I opened the closet looking for a blanket and found: a lace tablecloth.  It wasn't very warm, either.

 The bird is a cormorant we saw as we walked on the causeway to the mainland.  He graciously posed for his portrait.

 

Some more pictures from Monemvasia. 

       

Next stop: Mystras.