the extra pics at http://picasaweb.google.com/findthebinghams/GreecePartII
Greece kept us longer...... we feel very relaxed here in the warmth and have easily settled back into our ‘European Home’ and nomadic life. We also like being on the coast...and there’s a lot of it!
Nafpaktos (on the north coast of the Gulf of Corinth) was a Byzantine Metropolis and is famed for a naval battle with the Ottoman Empire (1571). The narrow passageways and alleys leading up to its castle are surrounded by little higgledy-piggledy houses, tucked into improbable spaces. Unsurprisingly for Greece, we also saw the ubiquitous half-finished buildings. (This seems to be a national sport here – how long can a building remain incomplete?)It was really worth returning to the Peloponnese, to
visit Olympia. The Panhellenic games were held here for over 1000 years, so standing on the starting stones of the original 4th Century race-track was quite special. We saw the remains of temples to 
Zeus and Hera, where the Olympic flame is lit. The whole site (massive!) is well-maintained, with excellent explanations and a good museum. Sadly, the 
summer fires have decimated the ancient olive groves on the little hills surrounding the city – it’ll take generations to re-grow.Very reluctantly, we left Greece. Our overnight ferry
from Patras to Brindisi was last refitted in 1989, and we could tell – wet carpet from the leaky shower, unnerving mechanical noises. Don’t ever go on the Elli T. Once safely across, we stopped by a gorgeous beach, with the softest cliffs (siltstone?) we’ve ever seen. Don’t think they’ll last long; erosion is very evident.
We’ve moved from one olive producing area to another – the Puglia region in southern Italy is one big olive grove, with
occasional vineyards and peach orchards. It looks delightful, particularly in the sun. It’s all really well-organised, well-maintained and so orderly.Lecce (south of Brindisi) was impressively Baroque, with OTT palazzi facades and a profligacy of carved angels. The narrow streets with tall buildings added to the feeling
of being 
overwhelmed, so it was a relief to find the plain Roman amphitheatre. Unfortunately, many buildings are being ‘eaten’ by pollution – but the stone masons have a job for life.It was clear why Ostuni is known as the ‘White City’. Set
on 3 hills, it looks fabulous in the sun. We wended our way up through the cobbled streets and steps of the 
old town to find the Duome at the top. There was nobody else around – an advantage to us January sightseers.
Alberobello – what a place! We wandered through its maze of tiny streets, gazing in wonderment at the 1500 trulli. These truly (sorry!) amazing buildin
gs (5th Centuryish) are unique to Puglia, originally built without mortar, as local feudal lords wanted houses to be quickly removable when the taxman came to inspect. We preferred the stone finish to the white-wash – and found one just ready for us to do up........
Just lately, we’ve been more ‘leisurely’ in our adventuring - it’s rather nice, relaxing in our van. Mind you, we’re off to Pompeii next.............
