Month: September 2024 (Page 2 of 2)

There’s a lot to Greek history, and it’s rather hard to keep track of in the Pylos area, because it involves so many eras. Nestor’s Palace is on the outskirts of the city, Nestor’s Cave is on the northern side of the bay along with the Paleo Kastro (old castle), as compared to the Nio Kastro (new castle) on the southern side near the entrance to the town of Pylos. We were on a mission to visit all of them (and to try to keep them straight).

The NioKastro was built in 1573 when the Ottomans occupied the Peloponnese, as a means of controlling the east-west commercial sea route. The castle and the area came under Venetian rule in the 1600’s and was later liberated by the Greeks in the 1800’s.

The fortress is surrounded by a huge wall, slowly crumbling away. Inside the wall at the summit is a smaller hexagonal fortress, allowing for the defense of Navarinou Bay with the help of 60+ cannons. Elsewhere on the property are buildings (ie. former barracks) that have been turned into museums.

The other building within the walls that is still in remarkable condition is the church of the Transfiguration of Christ the Savior. Originally built as an Ottoman mosque (still clearly evident in the building style), but later converted to a Catholic church under Venetian rule.

After a couple of days in town, we motored up to the north end of the bay where there was nothing more than sandy beach, clear water, and a chance to relax. Despite the heat, we were committed to the hike/climb up to Nestor’s Cave and the PalioKastro (old castle).

Nestor’s Cave is a real cave, but is rooted in mythology. It is here that Hermes, as a baby, stole 50 cattle from Apollo and hid them in this cave. We hiked along the back side of the marsh in the shade, then climbed the dunes until we made it to the cave. The cave is absolutely huge, and could easily fit hundreds of cattle, though it’s location makes it far more likely for keeping goats.

From the cave, it’s a short climb (courtesy of steel cables driven into the rocks) up to the old castle. Over 200 meters up from the shore, the castle was built by the Franks in the 13th century, and of course later used by the Venetians and the Turks.

The castle was eventually abandoned, with the building of the new castle at the southern end of the bay, and is in absolute ruin. However, climbing over the ramparts and exploring the ruins is a fabulous way to spend the day, and the views of the sea, as well as Voidokilia Beach are absolutely breathtaking.

Not a bad place to enjoy a beer and a sunset either.

Nestor’s Palace is one of those places featured both in history and in fiction. It’s considered one of the best preserved Mycenaean sites from 1300 BC, as well as featured in Homer’s “The Odyssey”.

The site was discovered in the early 20th century, and slowly uncovered over the decades. Unlike other Greek ruins that one can wander through freely, a roof was built over these ruins along with an elevated walkway. The disadvantage is that you cannot get up close, but the ruins remain in exquisite condition for more people to visit.

A fire destroyed the palace, but managed to preserve enough to tell us about life at that time in Greece. Clay jugs used for wine and olive oil can easily still be seen. A bathtub is perfectly preserved. Also found at the site were tablets called Linear B, one of the first known written scripts for mankind. (Unfortunately, the tablets and other artifacts are at a nearby museum which is closed for renovation currently.)

We spent the morning walking around the site, imagining what life would have been like thousands of years ago, and even picturing Ulysses enjoying Nestor’s hospitality.

No one warned us how much we would love Pylos. A natural hurricane hole (not that we needed one) that could fit hundreds of boats, the harbor is miles wide with lots to explore. We anchored near town the first couple of days, as we needed to clear in, do laundry, get provisions, and see town.

Pylos is somewhere between a village and a town. Mostly local Greeks and French summer here, but it’s not overwhelmed by crowds. Clearing in was easy enough, and both gas and provisions were an easy walk from the dinghy. If I had one complaint it was that there were no self serve laundry shops and it was an expensive place to have your washing done.

The Mares chandlery turned out to be our favorite shop, partly because it was such a well stocked store, partly because the owner (Fotis) greeted us with an orange drink, and partly because Fotis sent us off with a bottle of local olive oil with our purchases!

We loved watching the local kids head out in their optis for Wednesday night ‘racing’ (hard to do with the little wind they had).

We had some of the best pork gyros yet at one of the cafes in the main square, but the real treat was the wine restaurant where we managed to score a reservation. Overlooking the harbor, the food was some of the best we had in Greece so far.

We decided to split our run to Pylos over two days (we’ve got fewer daylight hours these days). The harbor of Kyparissia added on a few miles, but it was a good halfway point that came recommended by other cruising friends. With moderate winds I had a great sail down. I say ‘I’ because a belt snapped as we were motoring out of the harbor, and Trip was down below replacing the belt and tightening bolts while I was at the wheel enjoying the wind.

There’s not a whole lot to Kyparissia, but it was a quiet little harbor where we could anchor inside, see a couple of turtles, and have dinner overlooking the harbor. Then it was bedtime, as we had another full day of sailing ahead of us.