Cierra: Nafplio

Even with the rain (which is rare), Nafplio was one of the most beautiful cities I have ever been to. Nafplio embodies what I imagined to be a Greek city. The city is nestled in between the rolling mountains and beautiful Aegean Sea, which together make the most picturesque backdrop. The buildings of the city are constructed amid the cliffs and are linked by a beautiful array of flowers that serve as a roof for the cobblestone sidewalks.

Even though Nafplio is a very touristy city, I thought it had more of an authentic Greek feel to it than Sparta, which has very little tourists and is truly Greek.  Many of the city’s characteristics added to its authenticity. First and foremost, the landscape set the stage for the city’s genuineness. Next, unlike Athens, majority of the people didn’t speak English. Even though this caused problems at times, it made it more of an experience and made us realize we actually were in a different country. Lastly, wherever you walked the giant castle was prominent in the distance, constantly reminding you of the city’s history much like the Acropolis in Athens.

Nafplio has a very dense, interesting history. It appears to be just like many cities within Greece but Nafplio was once the capital of Greece. The first president of Greece was assassinated in the middle of the city, next to a church, where the bullet is still stuck in the wall today. A small glass box protects the bullet but there is no description along with it. This was very interesting to me that a city with such a substantial history doesn’t illustrate their history, like most Greek cities, especially Athens. The castle above the city is available to be explored but just like the bullet, there are few signs that describe the castle’s details. The same occurs with the once was prison located in the harbor. There are no signs along the shore that describes the history of the building. This makes the city much different than Athens, which is constantly reminding you of its immense history. As you stroll down the quiet cobblestone streets it’s hard to imagine that such a small, charming town was once the capital and location of years of major political activity.