A Geomythological Peloponnese with College Year in Athens
November 12th to 15th 2024
We made a rainy-weather trip to the geomythological hotspots of the Northeastern Peloponnese.
These are easily reachable even on a one-night trip from Athens. But we went for three nights with the following overnight locations:
- Nafplion: Cornth Canal / Mycenae - the archeological site and small museum / Lerni - home of the Lernean Hydra
- Kalavirta: Lake Stymphalia / Lake Doxa
- Kalavrita: Cave of the Lakes / Chelonospilia and nearby springs of the Ladon / Mount Chelmos / Vouraikos Gorge (descent with the rack-and-pinion railway train).
"the study of oral and written traditions created by pre-scientific cultures to account for, often in poetic or mythological imagery, geological events and phenomena"
Examples include the labours of Heracles - the slaying of the Lernean Hydra which alludes to the draining of the karstic spring-fed foods and malarial marshes of the area of Lerni near Mycenae.
In exploring the ancient's views of their world we can be guided to study modern landscapes as well.
Here I share some photos.
THE SITES
The Cornth Canal
Ancient Mycenae
Lerni Spring (home of the Lernean Hydra)
Lake Stymphalia
Lake Doxa
Cave of the Lakes and the Upper Ladon Valley