Mycenae and Corinth Canal

Although it was difficult leaving Nafplio, our attentions were quickly diverted to the fascinating Mycenae archaeological site.

We had been joined by seemingly stray dogs in Thessaloniki and Olympia, so it wasn't surprising to run across another at Mycenae.

Mycenae is set on a hill, so it's not surprising that it offers some outstanding views.

There was a lot of green vegetation outside of the Lion Gate even in early November.

The Lion Gate is the main entrance to and one of the highlights of Mycenae.

The Gate of the Lions has been described as "modern man's passing to ancient history."

Grave Circle A is another visually interesting site.

There are paths that allow one to walk down closer to Grave Circle A.

There are more outstanding views from Mycenae after passing by the Grave Circle A and heading away from the Lion Gate.

There are nice views of the several tombs areas that are lower down the hill.

This is how it appears from the path heading up to the palace area.

Although the palace area is not that interesting to view in and of itself, the views here are outstanding.

These are the Artisans' Quarters.

This olive tree near the palace area is full of olives in various stages of ripeness.

Outside of the Citadel, the two Tholos (beehive) tombs (Tombs of Aegisthus and Clytemnestra) are interesting to see.

The Treasury of Atreus (Tomb of Agamemnon) is an especially impressive Tholos, especially from the inside.

After Mycaenae, we had a nice lunch at Kolizeras Restaurant.

We stopped at the Corinth Canal on our way to Athens.

The Corinth Canal cuts through the Isthmus of Corinth and it connects the Saronic Gulf (Aegean Sea) to the Gulf of Corinth (Ionian Sea).

We stopped just briefly at the Corinth Canal, but that was sufficient to see it and take several photographs. The canal would have likely been more interesting if it had been in use, but it has been closed for almost a year.

Ancient Mycenae was the highlight of the day with its beauty and historical and mythological significance. For a very detailed history of Mycenae with illustrations, see Mycenae (PDF) provided by John S. Latsis Public Benefit Fouundation. Another interesting read is Magic of Mycenae.