It was a relaxed start to the day because all I really needed to see was the ruins, and surprisingly they were open all the time........because there are hotels and shops and restaurants inside the walls.
After breakfast I met a group of Italians who were on their annual holiday together and were departing Hotel Filoxenia. For the past 25+years the same group of friends have holidayed together over the last week of May and first week of June. This year they were touring the Peloponnese on their various motorcycles while two joined them in the support vehicle.
I spent a few hours in the in the morning, and again in the early afternoon updating this website in Hotel Filoxenia's lobby.
As a break from the computer I walked the short distance around corner to the port area for lunch. As mentioned in the earlier post, Monemvasia is very quiet and relaxed.
The small Monemvasia Port
Port-side dining.
I met the owner of an old BMW who had bought the bike for less than 1000Euro and had since spent several times that amount getting it running and into the condition it was in. He was happy with it and said it was great to ride around town with the small engine.
1952 250cc BMW
I wonder if my bike will still be running in 2060…………?
The rear view of 2011 BMW 1200
After I had spent enough time on the computer working on this website I headed out for Monemvasia's walled town and ruins.
It is a short walk across the bridge from the mainland to the island and then up the road to the gate through the wall into the town inside.
What remains inside of the earlier township is now a dense and upmarket attraction with boutique hotels and small workshops and galleries with several cafes, restaurants and bars.
Churches.
Cafes and restaurants.
Church bells.
Densely and steeply arranged.
With great views out to the sea.
Magazine worthy courtyards.
To get to the old ruins and to get a feel for what Monemvasia was previously like you need to climb a few stairs to get to the top of the hill. From above you have many wonderful vantage points to look down over the small village and across the water to the new township and the distant coastline.
The village below.
Once towards the top of the hill you can follow clearly marked and constructed trails to some of the points of interest and there are also options along barely noticeable paths to other areas.
Ruins of a mausoleum.
The view back to new Monemvasia.
The view back to new Monemvasia - through a break in the wall.
On the way back down there is a 12thC church, that was also a mosque during the two separate Turkish periods of rule/occupation.
Byzantine Church of Hagia Sophia or Panagia Hodegetria
From what I understand the church may have been regularly used, until recently.
I peeked through the keyhole.
And was surprised at how good a picture I got.
Back in the village I wandered the main shopping street which seems to be popular and viable. Old spaces are in the prices of being renovated to become additional shops and/or restaurants/cafes.
A new shop in Monemvasia soon.
After the fair walk in reasonably hot temperatures I decided to stop for a refreshing beer before heading down the hill to the hotel.
I found a place with a good view.
And birds that would take the chips out of your mouth…
It had been a good walk around and it would be interesting to have stayed inside the walls.
The way out through the wall.
Back in the new Monemvasia I considered my options for dinner. I settled on something simple and then went to the nearby cafe/bar for a couple of drinks before bed. In talking to the staff it seems they wish Monemvasia was busier while at the same time being thankful that it is so quiet. One of the staff members had been working in Australia before coming back in the hope that "this season will be better that last years". It sounded as though over the past few years it has kept getting worse each summer season.
They were surprised I had come to their small town on my travels….Perhaps reflecting the attitude of many areas of Greece that seems to focus on going to the well-known Greek Islands.
It is a recurring theme throughout Greece that many people feel hopeless about the state of affairs.
(This update is courtesy of the much faster WiFi at Grand Nefeli Hotel - fabulous and wish I'd stayed there…)