Pylos

 

Varied countryside as we drove from Kalamata to Pylos, mountain peaks

 

 

 

 followed by elaiones, olive fields.

 



 

 

 

 

This is Kalamata olive country after all, and the elaiones followed one after the other in an endless procession

 

 

 



We stopped when we first caught sight of the bay of Pylos or the bay of Navarino, to call it by its proper name

 

The bay is formed by a deep indenture in the Morea, shut in by a long island, called Sphacteria or Sphagia in ancient times, Sfaktiria today, famous for the defeat and capture of the Spartans in the Battle of Pylos during the Peloponnesian War.

 

The bay of Navarino is where the naval Battle of Navarino was fought in 1827, during the Greek War of Independence. An Ottoman armada was destroyed by an Allied force of British, French and Russian vessels and ensured the independence that the Greeks had been fighting so hard for.

 

This island has been divided into three or four separate sections by the violence of the waves and this allowed boats to pass from the open sea into the port in calm weather, using the channels that were formed.

 

 

It was a stunning view

 that took our breath away

 

 

 

 

 

 

This shrine was by the side of the road.

 

 

 



 

Ten minutes later we stopped again at the first sighting of the town itself and its little harbour

 

  

 

 

 

Pylos was inhabited in Neolithic times and was a significant kingdom in Mycenean Greece. The remains of the so-called Palace of Nestor were excavated nearby, named after Nestor, the king of Pylos in Homer's Iliad.

 

 

 

 

 

a closer look of the town: red roofs, white houses 

 

 

The first thing we did once we arrived was to visit the remains of the castle







the castle wall

 

The whole area around the castle is full of eucalyptus trees with their characteristic peeling trunks 

 

 

 

 

 and affords great views of the Navarino bay

 

 

 

 

 as well as the town itself.

 

 

 

 

 

We then walked down the path to the town - some buildings were in need of restoration

 

 

 

 

 

while some had been restored beautifully.

 

 

 

 

The sea front is lined with palm trees 

 

 

 

 

while a lot of the houses have these arched passageways that afford welcome shade from the unforgiving sun 

 

 

 

 

 

the square was buzzing with life

 

 

 

 

 

 

one more view of the square 

 

 

 

 

most of the houses around the square had these arches 

 

 

 

 

 

and were lined with shops 

 

 

 

 

these balconies are so small 

 

 

 

and most streets around the square had steps leading up the hill

 

 

 

 

luscious produce

 

cranberry beans

 

 

 

 

summer fruits 

 

 

 

 

more steps

 

 

 

 

I don't remember what this shop was called, but they had a nice collection of studio ceramics

We then reached the little harbour we had seen from the top of the mountain

 

 

 

 

nice view of the town from that spot 

 

 

 

 

 

and then back to the busiest part of the sea front which is lined with the palm trees seen earlier

The Town Hall

 

 

 

 

 

a closer look at the monument of the Unknown Soldier

 

We had a drink in one of the cafeterias and had the opportunity to enjoy the view 

 

 

 

 

On the way out of the town we came upon this dilapidated building. The red sign says: 'Beware, this building is about to collapse'.

 

Once we reached one of the mountain peaks we had to stop again as the view of the bay was breath taking 

  

 

 

 

Silver and black under the midday sun 

 

 

 

 

looking closer.