Assault on the Senses

Today was not the best day ever (or was it)? We left Monemvasia bright and early and cruised the 60 kms to Sparta. As expected, the young male car drivers were more aggressive than normal... I was given lots of advice from overtaking motor bike riders. Millennia of leaving wussy male babies on the open mountain to die must have nudged the DNA a little towards the aggressive end of the spectrum. We drove through the ruins... they seem to attract little attention, even though they date back to the Mycenaean civilisation (see picture below). You have to give the early Spartans credit... they gave Athens a run for their money way back in 400 BC. Our Athens guide (who may have authored 'My Fat Greek Wedding' stated that the Greeks invented fascism... Hitler copied everything he knew from the Spartans... who would have guessed.)

The next bit may sound familiar... ravines... high mountain passes... goats... wild flowers... hairpin turns... hilltop villages. Well, after Sparta, we headed for the coast through a spectacular gorge leading to a 2000 metres pass. Gee, driving these roads gets the adrenalin pumping.

The coastal side of the mountain pass opened into country painted with colours that assaulted your senses... visual senses... in a very pleasant way. Whole hillsides were alight with yellow gorse. Avenues of wattle trees (Australian) caught the light in dazzling colour. The cherry blossom today were perfect. Sprinkle their irredescent pink amongst the yellow wattle and the effect is staggering. The highest peaks of the mountains had large trees burdened with brilliant white flowers (they were cultivated trees... probably some type of nut tree). The orange fruit trees are all heavy with flowers and smell heavenly. Mix in the Flanders poppy (brilliant red) with buttercups and dandelions along the side of the road... you can understand why our senses felt assaulted!

Tomorrow, we do Olympia... more history... see the stadium where the boys did their 'nudy' runs... see the rock from which the girls were pushed if they dared take a peek.