Direction Methoni

#TravelingLikeInHeaven Part 2

Now we continue towards Methoni. With a stopover for swimming in Finikounda. The place somehow reminds me of Brighton. Single-story houses, all with balconies, line up together. Many restaurants, many tourists, well-kept. A larger hotel on the hill with a good view of the bay filled with boats. I don't stay here long.

Methoni. What a sight. A huge fortress, bigger than the whole town, dominates the picture.

First the pirates were in Methoni, then the Venetians. The pilgrims, on their way to the Holy Land, stocked up on wine and ham here.

Around 1500 the Turks came and stayed for 300 years.

They built the fortifications, the bathhouses and the Bourtzi tower. This one stands on a small island and served as a prison and lighthouse. Today it dominates as the symbol of Methoni.

In 1828 the Turks were defeated and expelled by the French. They expanded and renovated the huge fortress.

Today you can visit the fortress for 2 euros. Wild garlic blooms between the well-preserved fortifications, clear water washes against the high walls. Signs in Greek and Braille confuse the visitors, there is talk of the Lion of St. Mark, the Venetian Morosini column and the pyramid house. The area is huge, prickly and climbable. Nobody seems to care about safety, a huge flock of goats besieges the fortification today, bleating and ignoring both the Venetians and the Turks. Only a group of French teenagers storms the fortress at a brisk pace and intones the Marseillaise.