Text: Peter Johansson
Editing: Christer Lundstedt
Photos: Christer Lundstedt, Peter Johansson
Videos: Christer Lundstedt
Sunday 31st of December
08.39 It is the morning of the last day of the year here at Hotel Marily (https://www.hotelmarily.gr) in Pyrgos. Something will probably happen today with that. Yet another morning we wonder if there are any other guests in the hotel besides us. This time the question is really relevant. It feels completely dead here at the hotel.
09.41 We are most likely the only guests in this hotel. In any case, we were completely alone at breakfast. It was a breakfast that was perfectly OK and set all visible staff in the hotel in motion. Now we will structure the time until midnight. First we have to fill the hours until our bus leaves. It was time we had intended to spend in Olympia, but now there was no trip there.
10.37 There is nothing like waiting times. Nothing is as boring as waiting without having any detailed plans. Although there may be more boring things, but what do I care about that now?
11.21 As an end to our stay here at Hotel Marily, we drank eleven o´clock coffee on our balcony. We have also thought about where we will be a year from now. Returning to Greece or Spain now does not feel right. We have heard but not seen a small orchestra out in town. Other than that, everything is calm and quiet in the town of Pyrgos.
11.58 At check-out, another key was on the reception desk. Was it left by another guest or presented to an upcoming guest? On our walk to a marble bench in front of the archeological museum, we met two smiling teenage girls who asked us something, first at a normal pace and then they spoke clearly and slowly. Regardless of the pace, I don't understand Greek. They probably asked for money for something. We have also seen a waving, happy, elderly man on a motor-driven older flatbed vehicle.
12.25 We have moved to a lively square with various activities for children, Paidikí Chará Dímou Pýrgou. The name roughly means Pyrgos public playground. Just as we sat down on a bench, it appeared, the small orchestra we heard earlier today. They play music and collect money for some cause unknown to us. We will probably sit down for a lot of the hours we have ahead of us because we have our bags with us.
12.42 There are various activities happening here in the square. There are children playing football or swinging on swings. Some young teenage girls ride around on different animals that roll by themselves. So they are not live animals but simply large toys. However, the orchestra has finished playing and soon we will have finished sitting on this bench as well.
21.34 In our search for a restaurant, we were quickly joined by two dogs who were almost impossible to get rid of. From the hotel room, we had seen a nice little restaurant next to the hotel, which also received good reviews online, Το Κατώφλι (The threshold). We happily went there and saw that they had many free tables. However, we were told that it was fully booked. All tables were reserved for future guests. Now we are looking for something else.
Monday 1st of January
We look out from our room on the last day of the year.
It is quite empty in our hotel.
Christer is having breakfast at Hotel Marily.
We have checked out and are leaving our hotel.
An orchestra collects money.
Some teenage girls still have a child's mind.
Church of Saint Nicholas (Ιερός Ναός Αγίου Νικολάου) in Pyrgos.
Peter is having a snack at the bus station.
Agia Kiriaki Church in Pyrgos.
Christer is enjoying a late lunch at Salt & Sugar.
The bus terminal in Pyrgos.
We got dog company in Kalamata.
A few journal entries before the restaurant hunt continues.
Kalamata is ready for the new year.
The wine is ready for midnight.
00.03 Accompanied by ship horns from the sea and fireworks in the dark night sky, we toasted 2024. This time the year was toasted with Allotino, a dry white Greek wine. Wait, it was balcony wine, our latest tradition. The new year 2024 is here and we say goodbye to the eventful 2023 that began in a hotel room in Montpellier, France. Where are we next year?
00.30 The fireworks continued with full force and were documented with pictures and film. The wine, a reasonably good wine, was consumed. Now we let the night take over. 08.39 Even this night and this year it was good to sleep. I hope this day begins with more dinners than the last one ended with. 09.10 Goodbye the room! Now we get down to the ground floor to get something we haven't had in a while, not since last year anyway, namely food. 09.40 Breakfast in the sunshine on the patio is not bad. We are at Marina Garden Bistro, the restaurant part of our hotel Vista Marina. Here we think about, among other things, what we get to participate in today. What is open? What are we going to eat? 10.21 It's almost time to get ready for today's activities, a day when we intend to explore Kalamata city. There are not many days on this trip that we are in the same place without changing destination. It is important to enjoy such days. What can we do today? Will we make it to Sparta tomorrow? 10.55 It's quiet among all the boats down in Kalamata Marina very close to our hotel. Taverns and restaurants are cleaned. Is it cleaned for us? Were the places being cleaned really open last night. We weren't actually here to check.
Fireworks worth waiting for.
The Greek night is illuminated.
The first day of the new year offers sunny weather.
Peter is having breakfast at Marina Garden Bistro.
Vista Marina, Kalamata.
Kalamata Marina.
10.59 We left the peaceful harbour and blue sea behind to begin our walk north towards the city centre. Our hope for open supermarkets probably stops at just one hope. The huge supermarket AB Vassilopoulos does not seem to have any plans to open today. It's a shame that we can't buy something nice to our nice balcony.
11.17 We have walked through what is known in English as the Kalamata Municipal Railway Park. It is a park where we have seen a railway station, various trains, locomotives and other railway-related things from the history of the railway. Here was the Kalamata railway station from 1892 to 2010. All train traffic in the Peloponnese ceased in connection with the economic crisis and it then became an open-air museum with a train theme of all things. 11.37 We are again on our way to the more central parts of the city. We're a little less desperate now compared to when we walked here hungry last night. 12.14 Now we take a short bench break again. We are quite close to the BP station that saved the New Year's Eve nutritional intake. That's where we bought the food or the snack. 12.45 New goals and new plans are drawn up. We are sitting at yet another one of all these small old Greek Orthodox churches/chapels that exist in the country. This is Agioi Apostoloi, the Church/Chapel of the Holy Apostles. The church is located in the middle of the historical center of Kalamata and was built during the Byzantine era. Nearby there is also a beautiful mural that refers to the 200 years that have passed from 1821 to 2021. On March 23, 1821, the start of the revolutionary struggle in Messinia was proclaimed right here. It is considered the start of the Greeks' struggle for independence against the Turkish Empire. 12.55 It's nice to sit on a chair at a table. Christer looks at a menu here at Pralina (https://pralina.gr). We are about to order coffee with accessories. Now a fly landed in the travel journal.
Somewhere behind these mountains is Sparta.
Kalamata railway station has become a museum.
Christer by a locomotive that has been standing still for a few years.
Aristomenous street leads to the center.
Plateia Agiou Georgiou, Kalamata.
Kalamata old town.
13.04 The waitress misheard when Christer ordered his filter coffee. She heard Irish Coffee. I break my tradition from previous trips in the country and do not drink Greek coffee. Not because it's too strong, but because this place serves it decaffeinated. To the coffee I order a baklava.
13.27 Coffee time in the sun is over. It's time to get back in order and get something sensible done. 13.51 We went on to the bus station. Here, Christer has bought two bus tickets for tomorrow's trip to Tripoli. Once there, we buy new tickets for Sparta. Those tickets cannot be bought here. Christer was asked when tomorrow we wanted to go. He said ten o'clock. The answer then was that we cannot leave at 10.00. The buses to Tripoli leave at 12:00 and 17:00. Wouldn't it be better to ask which of these buses we wanted to travel with? You can go directly from Kalamata to Sparta but only on certain days of the week. Greece has many bright sides, but the bus service is not one of the country's strong points. 14.25 Ypapanti Metropolitan Church stands before us yellow and beautiful. Behind us are busts of the church's metropolitans, bishops. The church itself has been destroyed over the years by invading troops and an earthquake but it has risen again and is one of the most beautiful buildings in Kalamata. 14.49 Time flies. I think we will cancel the late lunch and instead have an earlier dinner in the immediate area around our hotel, in case something is open of course. 15.01 Finding a small shop or a kiosk that is open is not going so well. We want to make some kind of purchase of drinks and snacks.
Agioi Apostoloi, Church of the Holy Apostles.
A mural about the start of the Greek independence struggle.
Agioi Apostoloi on the inside.
Peter visits Pralina for a coffee stop.
Peter has ordered baklava for the coffee.
The castle of Kalamata.
15.29 After a light purchase each in an open newsstand, we take another bench break at a church. This one is of a larger model and is called Agia Taxiarches.
15.41 In the absence of anything else open, we have visited a petrol station. At least they had ice cream. 16.14 One advantage of hotels anywhere in the world compared to my simple apartment in small Bjästa is that I come home to a clean room and a finely made bed. This also applies here at Vista Marina. 17.39 We have sat down and read in our books and refreshed ourselves with some purchased drinks on our balcony. It's so big that maybe we should call it a terrace instead? 18.25 Now we're going out and trying the culinary scene in Kalamata. We've been here for almost a day but haven't eaten much cooked food. We have only eaten breakfast and had a little coffee stop. 18.53 Last night we were hungry and couldn't find anywhere to eat. Tonight we have almost too much to choose from. The Threshold, who didn't want to make room for us yesterday, we probably don't want in the first place. 19.19 We have made a decision after a lot of thinking, wandering and wishing. We are sitting at the tavern Peinakothiki 111, a fairly new restaurant overlooking the marina. We have ordered red wine and a small mixed grill each.
Ypapanti Metropolitan Church, Kalamata.
Agia Taxiarches, a beautiful church in the center of Kalamata.
Peter examines the menu at Peinakothiki 111.
Christer is waiting for the food at Peinakothiki 111.
New Year's Day dinner made us forget the hunger of New Year's Eve.
Balcony ouzo, a temporary Greek tradition?
19.53 The food has arrived. If this is a small mixed grill, I don't want to see a big one. That's a lot of food. We are served by a young girl of high school age who, despite her age, does a superb job.
20.38 The food is eaten and a cat has come by to visit. It's a cool evening but we're enjoying life right now. Good wine and good food do a lot for the mood. 21.07 That was the new year's best (in narrow competition, of course) and probably the best meal of the trip so far. Everything ended with Greek coffee, with caffeine, which they offered us. We extend a big thank you to everyone at the restaurant. This meal has made us forget yesterday's disappointment. Here at home in the room, the AC wouldn't start. Only when Christer opened the balcony door did the display wake up and show +24˚C. However, it doesn't seem to start. 22.11 The AC is alive and well again. It bodes well for the night. This time of year you need AC to heat the rooms. In the summer, you need help to keep it cool. 23.33 We're in Greece, so we have to try a new tradition, balcony ouzo. Ouzo is Greek spirit with anise flavour for those who don't know.
Tuesday 2nd of January
08.32 It's easier to write if I turn on the ceiling light. It makes it easier to see what you write. Today we will travel from Kalamata to Tripoli, unknown travel time, and then continue to Sparta. We currently do not know when that bus departs. Everything will work out. We take one step at a time.
08.51 It's time to make a copy of what we did yesterday. We'll go down, get out and enjoy the wonderful breakfast selection at Marina Garden Bistro. 09.39 Now that we've had breakfast outside in the fresh air, we're going to breathe room air for a while. The stay here in Kalamata has been great. The opening night of hunger continued with a nice full day here in the city yesterday and the closing dinner was perfect. However, we hope that the next stay will be spartan. 10.36 In an hour we should be at the bus station. It is about two kilometers to walk there. So there is no panic yet and we can take a break, listen to the sounds of birds and soak up the city air. 11.08 Now we are close to where we intended to go. We are on a bench at a playground and very close to an outdoor gym like that we have seen before on our travels. Not quite so close but not far away, 700 meters away, is the station for buses, KTEL Messinias. 11.44 We arrived at the bus station and the bus stops. Now we just wait for our bus to show up. 11.53 In the luggage compartment under the bus there are boxes and bags. We have boarded the bus which has the final destination Athens. However, we will disembark already in Tripoli, the city in the interior of the Peloponnese where many roads meet. 12.43 After going on smaller roads, we are now finally out on the E65 highway. The sky is overcast but we move steadily towards the change of bus. 13.31 Arriving at the KTEL Arkadias bus terminal just outside Tripoli, we have bought tickets for the onward journey to Sparta. The warm weather we experienced earlier is as if blown away here in the interior. We are certainly not at sea level anymore but around 650 above sea level. Here in Tripoli, a city of 44,165 inhabitants, 8,000 civilians (Turkish Muslims and Jews) were murdered during the Greek War of Independence in the 1820s.
Christer at the bus terminal in Tripoli.
Peter eats a snack and surfs the net.
Bus terminal KTEL Arkadias.
We have arrived in the historic city of Sparta.
Sparti (Sparta).
Agios Nikonos Church in Sparta.
14.01 Coffee and baguettes with cheese and ham have helped us in the past. That will also be the case here at the bus terminal in Tripoli. We are thinking about what kind of bus we can take to Sparta. Will it be a large long-distance bus or a small local bus. There are no seat numbers on the tickets we bought.
14.59 Cold winds blow at Tripoli's bus station. Will our bus arrive at the promised time, i.e. around 15.15 or what time will it be? 15.17 The departure time has passed but our bus is not here. Here it is only us and a few older gentlemen who eagerly discussed with words and hands. 15.37 Our bus has finally arrived at this strangely designed bus terminal. Before we got on the bus, we talked a little with the driver. He wondered where we were from, was it obvious we weren't Greek? First he heard Switzerland and thought we came from a great country. The same comments came after we said we were from Sweden. 16.08 A gray-haired old lady who has been eagerly talking to the driver has been stopped on the bus, apparently in the middle of nowhere. Is she going to get off or is someone going to get on board? 16.15 No one new has arrived and I don't see the old lady. She probably stepped off. 16.30 A new city has been reached, a new city to see and sleep in, Sparti (Sparta). During Antiquity this was a great power but today a small Greek town with 32,786 inhabitants. It is now time for both Christer and me to find our way to the next hotel. The dedicated bus driver wanted to check with us if we really should stay here. He assumed we would continue with another bus to Monemvasia by the sea. 17.04 After walking from the bus terminal through a crowded Sparti (Sparta), we have arrived at the statue of King Leonidas. It was he who together with 300 Spartans and a number of hoplites in 480 BC stopped the Persian army at Thermopylae, for a while anyway. The hoplites were elite heavy infantry recruited from among the well-to-do landowning peasants. They themselves were responsible for acquiring weapons and equipment. The statue of Leonidas stands in front of a sports arena, Leonidas Stadium. Behind it are the remains of Ancient Sparta. Unfortunately, we won't have time to visit these ruins before it gets dark tonight.
We photograph the statue of King Leonidas.
The road to the ruins of ancient Sparta.
Nice view outside our hotel room.
Christer in Sparta.
Central Square of Sparta (Κεντρική Πλατεία Σπαρτης).
Evening in Sparta.
17.34 The two travelers have now checked in at Hotel Lakonia (https://www.lakoniahotel.gr) and are now in room 533. The lift was cramped and we had to go one at a time to floor 4 and then take the stairs up. The room is fine with a coffee machine, kettle and large balcony/terrace. In addition to the name of the hotel, Lakonia is also the region we are in in the south-eastern Peloponnese.
18.14 As soon as Christer has written a new bus tag with Greek letters, we will go out to buy bus tickets, do some evening shopping and have dinner. There may also be other things done. Left in the room will be our small backpacks that may not be welcome inside the grocery store and also the diary. 19.32 We walked back to the bus station. There, Christer bought two tickets to the station KTEL Isthmos outside Kórinthos (Corinth). Once we are there, we have to buy two more tickets to get on. Why was it not possible to buy all the tickets at once? The answer is probably that the Greek buses are divided by region and manage their own tickets. On the way back we shopped at AB Vassilopoulos supermarket. Now we take it easy before the upcoming dinner. 20.21 Now we go out into town for an ocular, culinary inspection. 20.50 We decided to give Parnonas Grill House a chance. Here we sit at a table with a plastic tablecloth and a block of dishes in Greek. Are we supposed to tick off what we want, if we now understand what is written? 21.15 It worked out because we eventually got a readable menu. First we ordered our dinners and then I had to reorder. The lamb chops were, due to Christmas when a lot of lamb is eaten, out of stock. First I tried another lamb dish with the same result before making a copy of Christer's order.
We have found tonight's dinner restaurant.
Christer at Parnonas Grill House.
Evening in room 533.
Just before midnight in Sparta.
22.25 It took a while to get the food but it was really good. After walking around the central square for a bit, I'm going to take a bath here at home in our room, as I'm not used to.
22.40 There was a small dip in a small bathtub. Now I have bathed in yet another country. It is now time for evening coffee. During the day, Finland, the Czech Republic and the USA reached the semi-finals of the Junior World Championships in ice hockey. In the fourth quarter-final, Sweden vs Switzerland, it is 2-2 in the third period. 23.16 The match went to extra time and there Axel Sandin-Pellikka scored for Sweden. Next up is the Czech Republic in the upcoming semi-finals. 23.45 We celebrate the victory and round off the day with a combo of balcony and evening beer. The view from the terrace over the city and the nightlife is magnificent. Although there is not much speed in the nightlife, if the truth be told. It's interesting to visit historical places like Sparta but it's a pretty tame city, at least in winter. It feels like a lot is closed waiting for a warmer season.
Wednesday 3rd of January
08.02 Traveling and experiencing new things is wonderful, but now I'm slowly starting to long to return to the gray everyday life at home. Is this a mental adjustment to the fact that we are traveling home in a few days? This is not how you usually think and feel after a week of traveling in the summer.
09.17 We took the stairs down to breakfast here at Hotel Lakonia. Once in the breakfast room, we were completely alone. Only when we finished the meal did we see two other guests. Now we're going to push, pack down what was picked up yesterday. We then make our way down to reception for check-out. 10.02 It was quick to check out. A leisurely walk has brought us back to the KTEL Sparti bus station. Now we just have to wait for the first of today's two buses. 10.24 Lack of clarity and information made it difficult for us to find the right bus. We found it though and are now in boot mode. It does not make matters any easier that several buses leave for Athens at approximately the same time. Some buses come in and stop, some leave directly from here and some leave from here with certain stops along the way. 11.31 No spectacular events or superlative views to report. It is mostly another transport route in a hilly Greek winter landscape. We first returned to Tripoli and then continued on the highway to the northeast. 12.22 Goodbye bus! Thank you for allowing us to get off here at the station KTEL Isthmos a stone's throw from the Corinth Canal. Here, first of all, a new bus ticket must be written and then new tickets must be purchased. Then there is something to do while waiting for the next bus. This bus station in the middle of nowhere serves mostly as a place for people who need to change buses.
It's just us in the breakfast room.
Morning view in Sparta.
We say goodbye to Hotel Lakonia.
Mountainous landscape north of Sparta.
We have just got off the bus at the KTEL Isthmos station.
Strong espresso at Olympic Café.
12.42 There are different forms of espresso. The one we just drank at the Olympic Café here in the bus terminal was really strong. We sit with our bags at an outdoor table and wait for the next bus to show up here. There are strong winds today.
13.36 It's nice when the bus comes in where it's supposed to be and we get to do the same. The bus from Athens to Nafplion will be the second and last means of transport of the day. 14.30 During the journey we have passed near the ancient city of Mycenae which we intend to visit tomorrow. 15.09 On arrival in Nafplion we started with a short walk in the town before sitting down at Prego Café & Snack for coffee and toast. Nafplion was quite insignificant in ancient times. However, the battle of Nafplion took place here sometime in the 2nd century BC. In the 13th century, the city belonged to the Franks. It was bought in 1388 by the Venetians and held from 1540–1580 and until 1686 and 1715–1822 by the Ottoman Empire, before it was conquered by the Greeks in the latter year. Nafplion was the capital of Greece in 1824–34. In February 1862, a military revolt broke out in the city, which led to King Otto's deposition. We are here mostly because Christer found information that it is supposed to be one of the most beautiful places in the Peloponnese. In addition, we need a base near Mycenae, which we would like to visit. 15.21 Coffee goes well and tastes good in this city too. We look up at a castle on a hill, a mountain nearby. It is the fortress of Palamidi.
Our bus has arrived in Nafplion.
The church of Agios Georgios at the square with the same name.
Some cats enjoying the winter sun.
We take a break at Prego.
Coffee and toast at Prego Café & Snack.
We walk along Staikopoulou street.
15.44 Nafplion is a cozy town with narrow streets. There are plenty of tourists here, even at this time of year. We take a quiet walk through the town on our way to our hotel, which will be near the sea. Here in Nafplion there are 14,714 inhabitants. The town is the capital of the region of Argolis.
16.04 We took some photos by the sea before entering the hotel but now we are checked into the last Greek hotel on this trip, Hotel Agamemnon (https://www.nafplioagamemnon.gr) and in room 216. Now we have to unpack and test the pillows. 16.59 The pillows in the beds were not much to cheer about. As if this wasn't enough, our plan to visit Mycenae tomorrow seems to be too difficult. There are no direct buses at this time of year. The alternative is to take a bus to the village of Fichti, walk 4 kilometers, see Mycenae, walk back 4 kilometers and hope to get on a bus. This is not our thing. We'll probably take a nice full day here in Nafplion tomorrow instead. 18.14 In the absence of Mycenae, we have to do something else fun. First, we're going out to buy something for tonight. 19.12 We have been to the Sklavinitis grocery store and bought some food and drink for the evening. Now we're going to take a short quiet moment before we head out for the imminent dinner. 19.49 There are a lot of different restaurants to choose from here in the center and they all seem to offer roughly the same thing. However, none of these are here in the room, so we have to go out to choose a restaurant where we will eat tonight's dinner.
Bourtzi fortress outside Nafplion.
Dusk in Nafplion.
Hotel Agamemnon, Nafplion.
Peter in room 216.
The new year is celebrated.
Christer at the tavern Elatos.
20.21 We have made some choices regarding all eating places and decided on one that seems nice. It's time to go inside and sit down at a table to order food and drinks.
20.36 Now the beer comes to us here at the tavern Elatos (https://www.elatos-nafplio.gr). We are getting used to ordering our Greek dinners. 22.06 It was quiet in the outside part of the restaurant, except at the table next to ours, where a large family dinner was taking place. After we finished our main courses, they offered us a light dessert for free. The way home took a detour through the old town centre. Among other things, we saw a statue of Otto, the Austrian monarch who became the first king of modern free Greece. 22.38 At home in Sweden, there is a snow chaos in the country. A snowstorm has moved in over the southern part of the country and scores of motorists are stuck on the E22 in Skåne, completely covered in snow. That's when it's extra nice to have a nice quiet evening by the Mediterranean Sea. 23.08 It is a calm and peaceful evening at Hotel Agamemnon. We have no panic or any direct plans. Tomorrow will be a day of enjoyment as we stay here in Nafplion and do what we feel like doing. Agamemnon, who gave his name to our hotel, was in Greek mythology king of Mycenae. As Greece's most powerful king, he was the self-proclaimed leader of the war march to Troy. If he really existed, however, there is no real evidence.
Peter has dinner at Elatos's.
We got free dessert. Thank you!
Evening in Nafplion.
The statue of King Otto.
You can see 30 photos from December 31st in this photoalbum.
You can see 79 photos from January 1st in this photoalbum.
You can see 45 photos from January 2nd in this photoalbum.
You can see 53 photos from January 3rd in this photoalbum.