Due to the great roads, we arrive here way ahead of schedule. The town is dominated by three forts, one on a huge mountain overlooking the town, another on a small island protecting the harbour and the last one, a series of walls and towers and mini-forts that protect the town.
Apart from some horrific intersections, (one has 5 entrances and two stop signs, another requires a left through six lanes of on coming traffic sort of akin to island hopping from one safe place to the next while slowly making a left turn), this is beautiful town. Gorgeous red-purple bougainvilleas sprawl from balconies and climb up walls. Small shops line the three commercial streets, one also a museum to Kombolio (small prayer-like beads). Tables spill into the street but sit empty at the moment, menus unread as it is too early for most people to eat. All in all, despite being the first capital of Greece, it has a very Italian feel to it. Iron-wrought balconies. Bright colored plastered walls. Pillars. Marbled Squares.
Lovely.
M did amazing navigational slight-of-hand by getting us to just above our hotel. We found parking and debagged the car. Then we marched down to find our place to stay. After a moment, M got a feeling though that we’d marched too far and like any good mule train, stopped so the mules could rest while she scouted up one street and down another. As luck would have it, she encountered a nice couple who directed her to the hotel, back up a few stairs, right underneath the wall.
Sure enough, we’d passed it while avoiding a German couple and their playful kids. But find it we did and book ourselves in we did and what did we get?
Read on.
Read on.