Nafplio, on the coast, is a charming town in spite of being very touristy.
1 Our first evening in Nafplio, we ate in a nice outdoor restaurant where the bartender knew how to make martinis. Hence, the happy Swede.
2 Colors of Nafplio.
3 Cat outside a shop for tourists.
4 Nafplio was the first capital of Greece after it regained its independance in 1829. This mosque became the first Greek Parliament.
5 Part of the old Parliament Building.
6 The Plateia Syntagmatos (Constitution Square) is paved with marble and surrounded by cafes and restaurants.
7 At the far end of the square is the Archaeological Museum in a lovely Venetina building.
8 Funny statues in the Archaeological Museum.
9 A refrigerator jar from 2700-2200 BCE. Water in the upper part kept the lower chamber cool.
10 3500-year-old Mycenean bronze armor.
11 And a bronze helmet.
12 Good ice cream cafe on the square.
13 Mmmmmm...
14 The quiet streets of Nafplio are filled with taverna.
15 A greener street.
16 The fountain in this old building...
17 ... has an inscription in Arabic letters and so must date from the Ottoman occupation of Greece, before 1821.
18 A Greek tuxedo cat, like ours.
19 Above the roofs of Nafpliio, the Palamidi Fortress, built by the Venetian occupiers between 1711 and 1714.
20 Quiet street with oleanders and a pleasant cafe.
21 Lovely oleanders.
22 A komboloi shop.
23 Komboloi, Greek "worry beads", of all sorts.
24 Happy tourists inside the komboloi shop. The famly who runs it were very pleasant and friendly. The oldman at the back makes the komboloi.
25 The elderly dog of the komoloi shop.
26 Cannons which once defended the port of Nafplio.
27 In the middle of the bay. the island fortress of Bortzi was built by Venetians in 1473.
28 The Bortzi fortress.
29 Lovely display of bottles seen passing a closed shop.
30 Colorful palm fruit.
31 Large square down by the bay.
32 Monument to the Battle of Navarino, when French, British and Russian warships sank the Turkish fleet. Probably the last time those three agreed on anything. Actually, the Brits and French were trying to inhibit Russian expansion into the area.
