The MGS Forum
Places to visit => Places to visit => Topic started by: Hilary on November 04, 2017, 07:44:49 AM
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In June this year on our way back from Sparta to Corinth we decided to take the ‘new’ road from Sparta to Tripolis, 22 kilometers longer and two tolls, to visit Pellana which we had been to once before in 2002
As Lakonia was still in spring mode, while further north in the Peloponnese everything was dried up and ready for summer, I had visions of taking a photo of the bare Mycenaean tombs with a carpet of pretty wild flowers in front.
The village of Pellana was a carnival of flowers with tall hollyhocks growing on a traffic island, no photo, and the yards and balconies of the houses overflowing with flowers, no photo.
When we arrived at the well signposted tombs,
CEMETERY OF MYCENAEAN TOMBS we found a well locked gate with a shiny new chain and padlock. I suppose that any groups or archaeologists wanting to visit the tombs would previously contact the Archaeological Museum in Sparta to find out who has the key and arrange to have the site opened for them.
However, all was not lost there were plenty of wild flowers to snap. First of all Clematis vitalba, please correct me if I am wrong, entwined round the wire fence keeping the tomb safe from curious eyes. Then a thistle with happy guests, does anyone know their names?
After deciding to walk in the olive grove adjoining the archaeological site we came to a place where we could see a the top of a shelter, took a snap of that then after consulting the photos taken in 2002 on a very basic camera we decided we had been at the back of the tombs.
The following photos were taken in 2002
The entrance to one of the tombs showing the shelter and my husband and I standing in the diadromos
I have posted this under “The Places to Visit” headline but that is a bit misleading since the site was locked
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Even if you can't get into the site at Pellana you can take a walk in the olive groves.
There are wild flowers in many colours, pink, white, yellow and blue
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Lovely 'photos Hilary especially of the thistle hosting so many different insects.
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I felt I was having a walk through those olives myself, Hilary (as well as peeking through the chain link fencing)!