We began the day at the ancient hilltop fortress site of Mycenae…a 30-minute bus ride from our home base in Nafplio, Greece. As tremendous as these ancient sites have been…since most require trekking up rocky, uneven surfaces with stairs to match…I’m ready for a commercial break. And that’s exactly what I had this afternoon in Nafplio’s very quaint old town of tourist shops and restaurants. The entrance to the Treasury of Atreus or the possible tomb of Agamemnon located at the ancient site of Mycenae, Greece. The fortress city of Mycenae, atop a hill, dominated the Greek civilization between 1600 and 1200 B.C. May 27, 2015

Inside the Treasury of Atreus or the possible tomb of Agamemnon at the ancient site of Mycenae where royalty were buried in these underground chambers. This 3,300-year-old domed burial chamber is 47 feet in diameter and 42 feet tall. May 27, 2015

The Lion Gate, circa 1300 B.C., guards the entrance to the fortress city of Mycenae. May 27, 2015

The ruins of Mycenae. May 27, 2015

The old town section of Nafplio, Greece, is where the shops and restaurants cater to us tourists. May 27, 2015

Spirals, the symbol of eternal life, are everywhere in Greece. I even bought a beautiful silver bracelet with little spirals in Nafplio.
May 27, 2015

Another cute shop and restaurant filled street highlighting some beautiful bougainvillea in Nafplio. May 27, 2015

That’s actually my roommate Rosie walking up the stairs to our hotel in Nafplio. I found out that Greece is 80 percent mountainous and even though it is beautiful, one must be able to climb steps in order to enjoy the beauty. May 27, 2015

This wonderful gem is the Palamidi Fortress in Nafplio. It is one of three Venetian fortresses that attempted but failed to fend off the Ottoman invasion. Conquered by the Ottomans in 1715, Nafplio remained in Turkish hands until the Greeks retook the city in 1822. After climbing stairs to and from the hotel and to the hilltop of the fortress in Mycenae, my climbing legs screamed for a rest. Next time Palamidi. May 27, 2015

We left Nafplio today and stopped at Epidavros, the famous healing center of the ancient Greek world. This was our last ancient site for this Rick Steves tour. From here we take a two-night vacation from our vacation at the Greek island of Hydra. The entrance to the Epidavors theater. Epidavors began as a temple to Apollo and later to his son Asklepios…whom pilgrims prayed to for their health. The sanctuary of Epidavros reached its popularity in the 4th and 3rd centuries B.C. when it boasted medical facilities, housing for the sick, mineral baths, a stadium for athletic competitions and a theater.
May 28, 2015

The Epidavros theater is considered the finest and best-preserved of the 132 ancient theaters in Greece.
May 28, 2015

I’m just chilling out on the ancient steps of Epidavros. I did end up climbing to the top. It was easy to climb up, but going down those rickety, ancient stairs was a bit scary. May 28, 2015

Here we are, our tour group arriving at the Greek island of Hydra for two nights of island fun and relaxation. May 28, 2015

Approaching the Greek island of Hydra. The water was actually this blue and extremely clear. May 28, 2015