I know many of you have visited the Greek Peloponnese region. Have you been surprised how attractive the east coast looks? We spent the best part of a week on Santorini and have been beguiled by its manicured beauty. The time allocated to the Peloponnese was mainly for the history lesson... we didn't expect to be stopped in our tracks by natural beauty. I think that's the difference... natural beauty.
Santorini tries so hard to look beautiful. All that blue and white decor... all those donkeys trudging up and down the cauldron wall... all those shops offering trinkets at prices that are all bargains of the century. When I look at Santorini, I think of someone who may have had botox ... had a bit of nip and tuck around those body parts that tend to sag with the passing of the years... and have gold and trinkets dangling from other body extremities. You can admire the appearance of such people, but the effort to achieve beauty is clearly evident.
Peloponnese, on the other hand, has a beauty that is not cosmopolitan... unassuming... without self-awareness... multidimensional... bright without being flashy... you know what I mean. It comes as no surprise to me that civilisation blossomed in the Peloponnese.
Our first stop for today was the Palace of the Mycenaean civilisation at Mycenae. This is the family that Homer slandered so mercilessly in the Iliad. The reputation of Agamemnon and his descendants never recovered. Standing on the heights of the fort at Mycenae, you could get a sense of feeling of how Agamemnon must have felt seeing the hordes of attacking soldiers making their way up the steep slopes towards the fort walls. It was how I felt watching those cruise ship passengers at Santorini launching themselves towards shore.
Our second stop was visiting ruins from a civilisation that blossomed just before Roman times (300-400 BC) at Epidavros. With our daughter's recent entry into the medical profession, this spot held special interest for us. This civilisation made a fortune from selling medical services to the old world. It had the first hospital... and it was a large institution... probably enough for 50 beds. They made a killing when Rome suffered from a plague and the senators sent their wives to Epidavros for treatment (or preventative treatment). No doubt, the peace and quiet enjoyed by the senators back in Rome was well worth the expense.
Medical science has changed a bit over the years. Today, I would not be keen to defend the professional damages claim from the poor lass struggling with conception problems (see photo below). Let's hope the god that laid his hand on her belly proved to be a reliable witness. Even the guy with the sore leg being left alone overnight in a pit of snakes seems a bit of a high risk by today's standards (see photo below). (Jodie, I just hope none of such nonsense like this goes on today!)
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