Mystras (26 Sep)

Have you ever climbed to the top of an ancient Babylonian town? We have, and it was magnificent. The town is called Mystras, and it is built on top of a mountain that rises up from the plains around Sparta. For some reason, the town was abandoned not so long ago, sometime in the 19th century. The nice thing is, you can go wherever you like, there is hardly a sign that says: "do not touch" or "no entry". And there is plenty to explore. There are shops, houses, roads, wells, churches, and - higher up - palaces. The higher we went, the more there was to see, because the kings and priests lived in the highest part of Mystras, as this was also the walled part of the city, and therefore safest from enemy attacks. High up, the view is a lot better, too. Halfway, we felt tired, but the view got better and better and the castle on top of the mountain was beckening, so up we went. Many hours after we parked our car, a tiny dot far below us, we stood on the walls of the citadel of Mystras, drenched with sweat, but supremely satisfied.