Crossing Bridges

It's Saturday, and after eight nights, we've left Athens for good until we go to the airport for our flight home.  We're traveling back to the Peloponnese past Corinth to the archaeolgical site of the ancient city of Mycenae.  The Mycenaean civilization was the last phase of the Bronze Age and lasted from roughtly 1750 BC to 1050 BC.  The Mycenaeans are considered the first distinctively Greek civilization.  Their syllabic script called Linear B are the first written records of the Greek language.

Lion Gate

As with other places we've visited, Mycenae was atop a hill.  The citadel covered about 7.5 acres and is surrounded by a wall with giant boulders.  Greek myth states these walls were built by the Cyclops because only they could move boulders so large, hence the term Cyclopean walls.  The main entrance is the Lion Gate which was erected in the 13th century BC.  It remains today as it was almost 3500 years ago, a testament to the skill of the Mycenaean builders.

The wind was howling during our visit, and it was especially strong at the top where there were no walls for protection.  We could easily lean forward and not fall as the wind was that strong.  As we made our way through, we saw both large grave circles that had been excavated.  Many of the treasures found in the two grave circles are on display at the National Archaeological Museum which we saw when in Athens.  We also visited the Treasury of Atreus, also referred to as the Tomb of Agamemnon.  It was built between 1350 BC and 1250 BC and is in the shape of a beehive.  It was built into a hillside so all you see is the opening for the entrance.  Again, the fact that this is still intact thousands of years later is quite the construction feat for the Mycenaeans.

Wendy crossing a 3500-year-old bridge

After we left Mycenae, we set off for the seaside town of Nafplio where we will spend the night.  But first, we searched for two different Mycenaean bridges that date back 3500 years and are still intact.  One was next to the road, but the other required a small bit of hiking to locate. These are located on the what was the main Mycenaean trail from Epidauros to Mycenae.

I've been very fortunate in my travels and this is my third trip to Greece.  This is also my third time visiting the seaside city of Nafplio in the Peloponnese.  It's quickly becoming one of my favorite places.  It's a lovely town with three different fortresses that were used to guard against invaders over the centuries.  Tomorrow, we'll get to it explore a little more.