A warm, sunny, rather muggy day in Nafplio. I had a mooch, window-shopping and taking photos, and meeting cats, and then a leisurely coffee.
I went to the Archaeological Museum at about midday. I visited it back in 1989 and I had remembered it as a very enjoyable small museum, about the size one could do thoroughly in a bit more than an hour.
It's been re-done. Superbly, I might add.
I finally staggered out at 2.30pm and headed to the nearest café for some lunch. As it was, by the end of the collections, the Hellenistic and Roman material, I had been just skimming.
The way it's now set out is an object lesson in explaining the archaeology of a region and how the settlements of different sorts all link up, historically and geographically; farmsteads, fortresses, palaces, holy places... There are lovely short videos of some of the places where finds were discovered - Ermioni, for instance, which I'm going to have a hard time reaching by public transport unless I have an overnight stay there.
The collection of ceramics is fantastic, especially for the earlier eras. Beautiful forms, lovely decorations and burnishing...
They have at a guess easily a dozen Bronze Age swords and daggers.
There are an enormous number of wonderful little Goddess-figures, covering right the way from the late stone age to Classical and Roman times, many of them from a shrine deposit at Tiryns, the birthplace of Herakles. Tiryns is very near here, incidentally; I'll probably walk there one day.
The continuity of worship this represents is amazing. Centuries - nay, millennia - of devotion to the Great Mother Goddess, who becomes Hera, Queen of Olympus, and then Juno, but never fades.
The other big showpiece besides the myriad Goddess images is the amazing suit of Mycenean armour from Dendra, with the reconstructed boars'-tusk helmet crowning it off. They've now got parts of a second boars'-tusk helmet on display as well. According to the interpretation it would have taken about 40 boars to provide enough tusks to make each one (well, Homer does say they're heirlooms). The display also includes some of the rest of the bronze treasure buried with the owner of the panoply.
I wrote that far at the café, and then had to stop and pack up before I got rained on. While I was in the museum the morning sunshine had vanished and been replaced by clouds, and as I was eating and making my notes there was thunder coming nearer, quite quickly. Just after I got back to my hotel we had some rain, and it's been overcast since, with the odd further shower, and more thunder on and off in the distance.
Sadly, I'm afraid I'm now paying the price of such a late lunch, with a disappointingly high blood sugar reading two hours later. I am going to have to be more scrupulous, I can see. My morning readings have been up lately too - not dangerously so, but higher than normal - and I know I've been letting myself cheat on things like bread these last two weeks. Greek bread tends to be good; but it also tends to be white. I've almost completely given up white bread and this is reminding me why I should be sticking with that. It's pretty easy in general to avoid the obvious sugars, but fast-reacting carbs like potato and rice, pasta and white bread are harder to dodge. It's been harder to accept having to dodge them, too; come on, bread, spuds, pasta, how can these be bad, they're staples, aren't they?
I have toyed with not mentioning this issue. I know my family read this blog and I don't want to worry them. But dealing with my diabetes is an intrinsic part of my daily life now, and has to be part of this trip. It's part of the challenge I've set myself, travelling alone like this. How well will I manage with it? How much is it going to have to dominate my thinking?
Well, I'm the one who has to take care of herself, and I do know what I have to do.
Incidentally, if you're interested in ancient arms and armour, here are some very knowledgeable enthusiasts talking about the Dendra panoply, including a link to a photo of a chap wearing a replica set (which he built) http://www.swordforum.com/forums/showthread.php?6971-Dendra-Armour
The view from my hotel window (leaning out a bit) looking up at the Venetian fortress on Palamidi
King Otho in "native dress"
The church of Agios Spiridon, on the threshold of which Greece's first Prime Minister, Ioannis Kapodistrias, was assassinated
Another church, near the harbour
Archaeologist at work, photographing pots in the museum depot
Fox Mulder's house perhaps? The Latin motto means "I doubt everyone"
If I were a rich woman (& had a stylish man to buy presents for) ...
Panoramic shot of the harbour and the Venetian Bourtzi fort
Memorial to French fighters who lost their lives in the Greek War of Independence
17th century Venetian cannon. Decorated, of course; with cupids...
...and lions' heads
Nafplio old town is a prosperous, boutique-y little place these days, yet even here there are abandoned buildings
And this is another sight I'm seeing all too often, even here; houses and businesses for sale (or "enoikiazetai", for rent, the other common sign)
Backstreet kitten
Side-street cat
The cat in the pension window
I went to the Archaeological Museum at about midday. I visited it back in 1989 and I had remembered it as a very enjoyable small museum, about the size one could do thoroughly in a bit more than an hour.
Nafplio Archaeological Museum occupies the top two floors of the restored Venetian Arsenale
It's been re-done. Superbly, I might add.
I finally staggered out at 2.30pm and headed to the nearest café for some lunch. As it was, by the end of the collections, the Hellenistic and Roman material, I had been just skimming.
The way it's now set out is an object lesson in explaining the archaeology of a region and how the settlements of different sorts all link up, historically and geographically; farmsteads, fortresses, palaces, holy places... There are lovely short videos of some of the places where finds were discovered - Ermioni, for instance, which I'm going to have a hard time reaching by public transport unless I have an overnight stay there.
The collection of ceramics is fantastic, especially for the earlier eras. Beautiful forms, lovely decorations and burnishing...
They have at a guess easily a dozen Bronze Age swords and daggers.
There are an enormous number of wonderful little Goddess-figures, covering right the way from the late stone age to Classical and Roman times, many of them from a shrine deposit at Tiryns, the birthplace of Herakles. Tiryns is very near here, incidentally; I'll probably walk there one day.
The continuity of worship this represents is amazing. Centuries - nay, millennia - of devotion to the Great Mother Goddess, who becomes Hera, Queen of Olympus, and then Juno, but never fades.
The other big showpiece besides the myriad Goddess images is the amazing suit of Mycenean armour from Dendra, with the reconstructed boars'-tusk helmet crowning it off. They've now got parts of a second boars'-tusk helmet on display as well. According to the interpretation it would have taken about 40 boars to provide enough tusks to make each one (well, Homer does say they're heirlooms). The display also includes some of the rest of the bronze treasure buried with the owner of the panoply.
Mycenean bronze body armour, and other bronze treasures buried in the tomb of a warrior or a lord, at Dendra
A Mycenean painted offering-table, decorated with lilies and (I think) parrots
Ivory decorative plaques
A set of linked gold beads (this should really be vertical but it keeps reverting to landscape orientation, I don't know why)
A Classical bronze mirror supported by a Goddess figure and animals
Hellenistic treasure; gold coins of Philip the second of Macedon, his son Alexander the Great, and various of Alexander's successors
By the time I reached these tremendous pieces of Roman glassware I was quite blasé about them
I wrote that far at the café, and then had to stop and pack up before I got rained on. While I was in the museum the morning sunshine had vanished and been replaced by clouds, and as I was eating and making my notes there was thunder coming nearer, quite quickly. Just after I got back to my hotel we had some rain, and it's been overcast since, with the odd further shower, and more thunder on and off in the distance.
Sadly, I'm afraid I'm now paying the price of such a late lunch, with a disappointingly high blood sugar reading two hours later. I am going to have to be more scrupulous, I can see. My morning readings have been up lately too - not dangerously so, but higher than normal - and I know I've been letting myself cheat on things like bread these last two weeks. Greek bread tends to be good; but it also tends to be white. I've almost completely given up white bread and this is reminding me why I should be sticking with that. It's pretty easy in general to avoid the obvious sugars, but fast-reacting carbs like potato and rice, pasta and white bread are harder to dodge. It's been harder to accept having to dodge them, too; come on, bread, spuds, pasta, how can these be bad, they're staples, aren't they?
I have toyed with not mentioning this issue. I know my family read this blog and I don't want to worry them. But dealing with my diabetes is an intrinsic part of my daily life now, and has to be part of this trip. It's part of the challenge I've set myself, travelling alone like this. How well will I manage with it? How much is it going to have to dominate my thinking?
Well, I'm the one who has to take care of herself, and I do know what I have to do.
Incidentally, if you're interested in ancient arms and armour, here are some very knowledgeable enthusiasts talking about the Dendra panoply, including a link to a photo of a chap wearing a replica set (which he built) http://www.swordforum.com/forums/showthread.php?6971-Dendra-Armour
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