Day 9 (Tuesday, May 19):
Today a little side note on the history of the hotel I am staying at. Its in the middle of the historical center of Nafplio, at the foot of the fort Akronafplia, and is exactly in front of Spiridona's church (the first governor of Greece was murdered there). When Naflion was the first capital shortly after Greece gained independence, the building of Hotel Byron was used as an embassy. It was then a private mansion until the second World War. From 1945 to 1975 it was a home for poor people, and then in 1990 it was converted into a hotel.
At breakfast today, the hotel staff looked at me like I was crazy. It was pretty funny. I asked for some orange juice and some cheese. They served a “continental breakfast”, i.e. bread and croissants. I didn't want anything else, but the man didn't believe me and kept asking. Then when he brought out a giant tray of bread for another girl, he looked at me and said, “This is how we eat breakfast here,” obviously trying to show me the error of my ways... :)
Later we walked up what is reported to be 999 steps to Fort Akronafplia, (actual count proabably 850 – 900). It was amazing. It was like one of the medieval castles you picture in England. Unfortunately I was tired, and feeling poorly, and it was cold and windy, so I only wandered for about an hour before returning to the hotel, and sneaking away from the ruins to rest. Its hard when we've been going for over a week now and we haven't had ANY days to just rest. My body is protesting.
After the ruins we had a picnic lunch and a short discussion. After which, at 4:30, I was finally able to take my nap, which felt very good. :)
Tomorrow we are going to Epivadros, and Thursday to Mycenae. I feel a little selfish, or bad, but its hard to keep going. After eating only bread and gelatto for days due to budgetary constraints, combined with constantly moving and not getting any free time to just rest, my body is protesting. I have hives all over. My hands, my feet, my arms, my legs, my toes. And bug bites that itch. My body aches from being tired too, and all I want is a day of rest! I don't know how everyone else is doing it. I feel like there isn't enough balance, but I am a little unsure of how to create it. We are scheduled for a “Free Day” on Friday, but to me that seems silly. Friday will be day 12 – I think that after almost 2 weeks, its a bit late to be “recuperating” and to think it will make it all better. I can tell already that I am going to need at least a week when I get back just sleeping in every day and eating either nothing to clear my system, or just broccoli in order to get back to a “normal” body status. I have been walking a ton, but my diet has been horrendous and I can tell I've gained weight. Traveling is HARD on your body. Uhg.
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How could you get up all those steps? I'd never make it!
ReplyDeleteSorry to hear you're feeling poorly. Do you have access to places that sell fruit? Does food cost about the same there as here?
I'm so endlessly amazed at how you manage to keep track of all those interesting details about the places you stay, the places you visit, local folklore and all that. It just astounds me! Are you keeping a notebook as an aid or is this all coming from memory?!
ReplyDeleteI completely agree that the idea of a "free" day when you're almost about to go home is pretty ridiculous--as is the fact that they outright lied to you when they said that MSU was paying for meals that turned out to be all-inclusive hotels (i.e., LITE breakfast served along the lines of a continental breakfast). That's not a meal, that's--at best--a snack!!!
My love, I guarantee you that when you return we shall sleep in every day (class doesn't start until 10, hehe), and eat entirely fruits, vegetables, and lean meat.
So, I'm curious, they keep you guys running that much visiting places? I would think that it'd get really old looking at ANOTHER pile of old rocks (to exaggerate in the extreme), but that's just me. I mean, I think I'd probably be really enthused about it if it were less intense and not quite as jam packed with seeing EVERYTHING...but the impression I get from your accounting is that you're seeing so much in so little time that I'd think you'd be "over it" pretty soon. It kind of sounds like you are with each progressive blog post. lol. By the time you come home you might not be a fan of Greece at all...then again, maybe you've already reached that point. Yep, for me trips need to include sufficient time for relaxation and processing what I'm seeing and experiencing otherwise it just becomes an aggravating/miserable experience. Plus, I don't know about you--but given how similar you and I are in many ways, I'm guessing maybe you're somewhat like me in that I dislike being uprooted every day or two or few to go travel to another site. I'd rather operate from one place and see less than run all over helter-skelter without a place which temporarily functions as "home." Then again, home for me is where YOU are--so wonder being apart is so miserable!