Lion Gate

An ‘Acropolis’ is a city up high and there are the remains of several in the Athens area.

Today we visited the Acropolis of Mycenae.

We went on a coach trip. We rarely do coach trips, much preferring to organise ourselves, but it was nice today to ‘be organised’. Picked up at our hotel, we were taken on a great trip which took us along the coast to Corinth, Mycenae and Nafplio and places in between . . . and lunch.

The Mycenaean civilisation developed in mainland Greece in the beginning of the 16th century BC. Hard to imagine that there was such a civilisation so far back in the past. In the 14th century BC they built a fortification at Mycenae a construction that so exceeds human capabilities that it was later attributed to superhuman beings, the mythical Cyclopes. In fact the civilisation itself is closely bound up with mythology and with Homer.

My blip is the huge gate of monumental dimensions, the Lion Gate, which gives entrance to the Acropolis of Mycenae. One has only to look at it and wonder - how did they do that?

Extras
Gordon’s photo of the Corinth Canal, something he knew about and was pleased to see at last.
The North Western wall of Mycenae showing its position in the mountains.
The ancient water castle of Nafplio, the first capital of Greece.

An excellent day.