It’s almost impossible for us to wake up, we are really tired! We struggle to get up and we confirm our suspects last night: We are the only guests in the hotel. The buffet is totally dismantled and the owner offers us a breakfast at the table. Everything is very tasty! Just in the line of previous days. The fresh made orange juice is awesome!
Regarding oranges, I’ve not told that in this area they have orange trees even in the streets, it’s funny to see so much oranges waiting to be picked, maybe I’ll get one if nobody is concerned.
Anyway, we finish packing and we drive towards south, to Mistra, next to Sparta. We are going to visit the former Bizantine city of Mistra. Its construction started by a castle in the year 1249 by the Acaya prince. But it got captured by the bizantines, and they built a three ring fortified city around the castle. The city ended up being the capital of the Greek Bizantine.
Tickets are 6 euros, like almost every monument. We start the visit from the lower part of the city. Here we can visit churches, each one in a different restoration state. Pandanassa convent stands out, sitll in use and inhabited. The convent is next to the Monemvasia door, that gives access to the upper part to the city, but we decide to finish visiting the lower part, as there is a big slope to reach the castle in the top of the hill and then take the car to go up and visit the castle.
The state of the churches is striking, quite good compared to the rest of the houses in the city. Or perhaps we can say better, the bad conservation of the city draws attention since there are hardly any remains to be a medieval city.
Finally after the harassment of some other cat asking for food (I would say that they are the real owners of the country), we left the lower part and went up to the castle. We parked after a moment of doubt and climbed a difficult trail that climbs up the hill. The state of the castle is deplorable but there are still some of its walls standing and you can walk inside, so we spent some time to enjoy the views of the region from above. Of course they could spot anyone who came miles away.
After the visit, it’s already 3 o’clock so we’re going to eat at a joint that we saw on the slope of the hill, and we eat very well and again, what a bargain! The tzatziki with a toast with oil is great and the pork skewer very rich, and Maria some spaghetti with roast beef, very good everything! How well you eat here.
With full gut we go to Sparta, to take a walk, have a coffee and buy some gifts. The town does not have much to do, they are supposed to have a statue in honor of Leonidas that we were not able to find, and we looked for it a while…
And we are going to look for our lodging, today we stay south of Sparta in a very nice and economic rural accommodation, as soon as we arrive they invite us to a distilled liquor of grape called tsipouro and a sweet and they teach us the room, which is a big room at two heights with living room that we love… Very happy with the Taleton Country House! And again, it seems we are the only guests.
