Day 1

5/14/2019

Our first official day started off strong and memorable…

The day began at 6:30 am with breakfast at the hotel. A mixture of foods was offered so that even the pickiest eater had something to sustain them through to lunch time. At 7:45am we gathered around the lobby to then get on a bus to begin our excursion to Mycenae. The bus ride was nearly two hours, where we stopped for a coffee break at a popular tourist canal site. We tried a Greek snack made of sesame which everyone enjoyed and took some pictures on the bridge overlooking the canal before we left again.

When we arrived at Mycenae, the Homeric Golden City, our tour guide explained to us that the name of the area was called the golden city because of the riches that were discovered when the site was excavated. She explained that if there was still some gold left, it is hard to imagine what valuables were taken that were considered more valuable than the gold left behind. Mycenae was a palace of treasures in its day and after the death of its people, the wealth was buried with them to follow them into the afterlife.  Walking around this site was amazing too see the impact of time on the architecture and how it continues to remain even with the constant use of tourists. Many schools seemed to be present while we were there and averaging seven tour busses at every stop. These figures suggest an importance of tourism in Greece but also indicate how they may hurt the archeological history that has been protected for so long.

From there, we then went to the Tomb of Agamemnon. The most important person buried there was Agamemnon’s father. Remains were not found when the tomb was discovered, but it was during the recorded time of his death and is a great tomb. A horse skeleton was found in the walk towards the tomb and it is assumed that it was his favorite horse, buried with him to keep him company in the afterlife. The architecture of the tomb is created with great blocks of stones and is admired by all who come across it.

From there we went to lunch at King Menelaus Restaurant where we were fed traditional meals such as Greek salad and lamb.

After lunch, we went to Epidaurus Theater. This theater was created so that people of ancient Greek could watch plays on tragedy and comedy. Men and women were both allowed to be in the theater, but women were not allowed to be in the plays and were not allowed to watch the comedies because the language was too crude for them. The theater is a semicircle to promote the best acoustics possible. From the top of the theater, when all is quiet, you can hear the person in the middle breathing. The theater is still used for concerts and plays today and has withstood time to continue to be a part of today’s culture as well.

We returned home and had dinner at our hotel later that night. There was a variety of food available to accommodate the diversity of travelers that stay here. After dinner we went out for dessert or stayed in to go to bed early for an early morning tomorrow. A good start two an awesome adventure.