Chasing The Odyssey- Day 3, Greek Independence Day, Nafplio- March 25th

Still on Day 2:

After seeing the unique history at Mycenae, we boarded the bus for the fourth time (remember we had left Athens this very morning) and headed out.  But before our hotel in Nafplio, we first stopped at a large Greek sculpture factory and jewelry store…..to make some pottery that we would not see again and spend, spend spend on Greek curios.  It was great.

So we finally finished our shopping and headed out, heading south to a larger city in the Peloponnese, Nafplio.  Interestingly enough, on the way from the sculpture and jewelry store to the hotel, we drove by one of the most significant Mycenaean Citadels of the Bronze Age (not withstanding Mycenae itself) and one of of the best examples of “Cyclopean” walls left from that age….the remains of ancient Tiryns.  Our bus literally drove by this site, without most even knowing.  Bit of a bummer to have missed it.  But we were bound for the Nafplia Hotel….and we were in for a lesson on bus driving as our driver squeezed the large tour bus past a second story balcony and tiny car on each side through an alley with the least amount of clearance I’ve ever seen….it was impressive.

But our day of sights and sounds wasn’t over yet.  After dinner and various instructions from our group leaders, we were able to head to our rooms and take some time for a deep breath.  But this was soon interrupted by far off music and merrymaking.  After turning on the TV, we were amazed to see views of Nafplio live, opposite of where we were toward the water.  What we didn’t know was that the local Orthodox church had started the procession for the Feast of the Annunciation, which corresponds to the same date as Greek Independence Day….March 25th.  And, we were told people from Athens and the Peloponnese make the trip to Nafplio on this day to watch the procession and parade.  Yep, we were there in Nafplio during Greek Independence Day and our bus wasn’t going to be able to leave until after the celebrations the next day.

Day 3, Greek Independence Day In Nafplio- March 25th

Yep, Greek Independence Day falls on the same day as the Feast of the Annunciation is traditionally celebrated on…with the church doing their processional the night before and then the ENTIRE town turning up for the Independence Day Parade down the main street on the 25th.  No way our bus was getting out of town quickly, even though the bus driver parked down by the marina in order not to get jammed in by traffic.  This was cultural education for us, a neat thing to see.

So after a brisk morning walking around and finding yummy bakeries to try out, our group headed up the many, many stairs to check out the Orthodox Church.  After seeing the church, we wandered through the open air market and street fair….then we lined up for the parade. And….yep ALOT of people started to push through for prime spots along the parade route….I had never experienced a culture with no shame in pushing through or telling me they were old ladies and they needed to see.  Finally, there were too many people for me so I retreated to the back area where others from our group had found ample room, like where no one was because they had crushed to the front to see.  Despite what sounds like a bit of spite as I type, I’m profoundly happy to have been a part of this day and immersed in this cultural event.

Here’s some of my photos of Nafplio, the church and the parade:

After the parade, we were released into the wild to find lunch then find the bus to take off for another cross country drive.

Then it was back on the bus….we were off for Olympia.  Yeah, you read that right, we were heading for the home of the ancient Olympic Games….which were mostly played in the nude!

After the long ride to Olympia, we stopped at an Olive Oil and Curio shop and shopped, shopped, shopped.  It was getting dark as we finished up there….taking the time to hit an ATM in town before we proceeded to our hotel, the Arty Grand Hotel.  This was a nice place, with an indoor pool where most of the kids took advantage of some pool time.

The next day….we were off to visit the home of the Olympics, get a Greek Cooking Lesson and take another long bus ride back to the Greek mainland.

Wanna read the rest of my writing in this Greece Travel Series?  Click the links below:

Overview: Chasing The Odyssey, An American Family Visits Greece

Chasing The Odyssey- Day 1, Getting On The Ground In Greece

Chasing The Odyssey- Day 2, The Corinth Canal

Chasing The Odyssey- Day 2, The Sanctuary Of Asclepius At Epidauros

Chasing The Odyssey- Day 2, Mycenae And The Tomb Of Atreus