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When a local drives by in a pickup truck yelling, "THIS IS SPARTA!" You might be in Sparta. Or at least where ancient Sparta is believed to have been. Today our journey took us to Mystra, an isolated picturesque site set in the Peloponnese in the old Spartan territories.
It was once the capital of the Byzantine Despotate of Morea when Constantine XI reigned. We started at the top of the mountain where a once fortified citadel was posted. The ruins of the castle were spectacular with a 360 degree view of the valley below! Kyle was brave enough to scale the walls and take in the panoramic view from a vantage point some of us were not willing to reach. We worked our way down looking at preserved frescos in monataries like the Mitropolis and Pandanassa, which my guide book captures in the picture above. We were greeted by one of the nuns of the convent where she took us to a reception room and offered us a confection much like that of Turkish Delight. We finished our hike and had lunch at a quaint local tavern that had many local dishes like lamb with orzo. Afterward we ate gelato sampling each other's flavors like tiramisu, ferrero rocher, pistachio, bitter chocolate, and raspberry. Always a good way to end a meal! We finished up with playful group pictures and "Spartan kick" pictures at the statue of Leonidas. Fitting no? The four hour drive back was a nice way to catch up on sleep. We leave for Rhodes in the morning...
When a local drives by in a pickup truck yelling, "THIS IS SPARTA!" You might be in Sparta. Or at least where ancient Sparta is believed to have been. Today our journey took us to Mystra, an isolated picturesque site set in the Peloponnese in the old Spartan territories. 
It was once the capital of the Byzantine Despotate of Morea when Constantine XI reigned. We started at the top of the mountain where a once fortified citadel was posted. The ruins of the castle were spectacular with a 360 degree view of the valley below! Kyle was brave enough to scale the walls and take in the panoramic view from a vantage point some of us were not willing to reach. We worked our way down looking at preserved frescos in monataries like the Mitropolis and Pandanassa, which my guide book captures in the picture above. We were greeted by one of the nuns of the convent where she took us to a reception room and offered us a confection much like that of Turkish Delight. We finished our hike and had lunch at a quaint local tavern that had many local dishes like lamb with orzo. Afterward we ate gelato sampling each other's flavors like tiramisu, ferrero rocher, pistachio, bitter chocolate, and raspberry. Always a good way to end a meal! We finished up with playful group pictures and "Spartan kick" pictures at the statue of Leonidas. Fitting no? The four hour drive back was a nice way to catch up on sleep. We leave for Rhodes in the morning...
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