Monemvasia, Greece

What a treat to visit this beautiful castle city today!  Monemvasia is a fortress town, filled with tight cobbled streets, exposed stone masonry, and pretty Byzanatine churches all built on an island linked to the mainland by a single causeway.  The top of the island is guarded by impressive ancient walls and a forbidding fortress.  Venetians and Ottomans have occupied this place several times in its history, and traces of both these cultures can easily be found today.

This is a view of the charming tiled rooftops with the beautiful view of the coastline beyond.  There is no vehicular traffic in the city itself, as the cobblestone streets are far too narrow.  We saw a team of ponies being used to transport construction debris out to the main road, which is the only way it can be accomplished, and restaurant supplies are delivered via hand cart from the city gates.  It probably comes as no surprise that there are a mere 11 permanent inhabitants here!