Gythion is actually a small seaside town on the Mani Peninsula, which lies in the Southern Peloponnese and is the gateway to Sparta, the ancient Byzantine city of Mystras and the region of Laconia. In ancient times, the brusque and bellicose locals gave the world the word laconic.

Today we chose to forgo byzantine history and decided to venture into Diros Caves to explore this prehistoric dwelling place. Used as homes, a place of worship, a cemetery and workshops, evidence suggests the caves housed a sizeable prehistoric settlement. Excavations revealed complete unburied skeletons believed to have been trapped inside the cave by an earthquake. The entrance remained sealed for 4500 years. Fossilized bones of panthers, hyenas, lions, deer, and the largest collection of hippopotamus bones in Europe, have been found inside the cave. Pottery has also been found near the natural entrance to the cave indicating the presence of man.

The cave's formation began hundreds of thousands of years ago. The stalactites and stalagmites that are now beneath the water were formed when the sea level was much lower than it is today. Stalactites have been found at a depth of 71 metres!!! Routes of 14,700 metres have been explored and surveyed to date with just 1600 metres able to be toured. The largest part of the cave is below the surface of the water but it still makes for an impressive boat ride on the small boats that take you around the cave.

The surrounding waters are crystal clear with a white pebbly beach. The drive to and from the cave took us through some delightful countryside. When we returned to Gythion we were advised that we had to return to the ship ASAP via the tender boats due to very windy weather.

A plea to the shore excursion director enabled us to take a quick stroll around the town and what a delightful place; higgledy-piggledy pastel-tinted houses, which jumble their way up the foothills , crooked whitewashed staircases that snake their way between them; purple bougainvillea climbing past shutters and tumbling over wrought-iron balconies brightly painted in nautical shades of deep blue and green; and vividly painted little fishing boats, each marked on the prow with an eye to avert evil, that were bobbing about furiously on the sparkling, inky-blue waters of the marina.

Being on one of the last tender boats to leave the shore meant a very rocky ride back to the ship. However we have the Captains Welcome Cocktail Party to attend this evening so we will look forward to that.....