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Photographing/visiting Greek ruins


kirispupis

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Hello everyone,

With luck, in a few months I'll be heading to Greece! My interest is two-fold - to add to my photography portfolio and to see many of the sites I've been reading about. A tangential goal is to obtain photos for the redo of my ancient coin site. The trip has been a complicated one to plan because my wife insisted there be no ruins on the tour. We also have some friends joining us but with their own interests. Therefore, by agreement I'll be leaving early to hit a number of sites myself.

I thought I'd ask for recommendations on places I may be missing. Below is the rough itinerary. Ancient ruins are in bold. Some notes:

Ideally I would have visited Meteora, Philippi, Aigai, and Pella, but there just wasn't time.

I'm still trying to figure out if there's a way to fit in Aigosthena, but so far it appears challenging.

Day 1
    Visit Akropolis and surrounding things
        Propylaia
        Parthenon
        Odeon of Herodes Atticus
        Temple of Athena Nike
        Theater of Dionysos
    Temple of Olympian Zeus
    Hadrian's Arch
    Panathenaic Stadium
    Akropolis museum
    Ancient Agora
    Roman Agora
    Hadrian's Library
Day 2
    Morning wander Plaka neighborhood
    National Archeological Museum (2-4 hours)
    Pick up rental car and drive to Sounion
    Sounion sunset at 7:47 PM
    Stay in Corinth (1.45 hours)
Day 3
    Sunrise at Corinth
    See Corinth ruins
    See Acrocorinth
    Afternoon drive to Delphi (3 hours)
    See Delphi (site closes at 7 PM)
    Circular Tholos is open 24 hours and great for sunset
    Stay at Delphi
Day 4
    Delphi Tholos sunrise
    Drive to Olympia (3.5 hours)
    See Olympia ruins
    Stay in Olympia
Day 5
    Drive to Temple of Bassae (1.25 hours)
    See Temple of Bassae
    Drive to Messene ruins (1.5 hours)
    See ruins
    Drive to Mystras (1.3 hours)
    See Mystras
    Stay near Mystras
    Ask where to photograph at sunrise
Day 6
    Stop to see Sparta ruins (not much to see)
    Drive to Napflion (1.75 hours)
    See Mycenae and Tiryns
    See Epidauros
    Stay in Napflion
    Sunset shots Napflion
Day 7
    Explore Napflion in the morning
    Climb up to castle
    Boutzi castle
    Stay in Napflion
Day 8
    (Me) See Eleusis on the way to Athens
    (Me) Drive to Athens airport and turn in rental car
    (Me) Arrive in Santorini at 3:55 PM
    (wife) Arrive in Santorini at 3:05 PM
Day 9
    Santorini
Day 10
    Santorini
Day 11
    Ferry to Mykonos
Day 12
    Mykonos
Day 13
    Beg for day trip to Delos
    Mykonos
Day 14
    Fly Mykonos to Kefalonia
Day 15
    Kefalonia
Day 16
    Kefalonia
Day 17
    Fly Kefalonia to Athens
Day 18
    Depart Athens
 

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Sounds fantastic, I would be interested in local coin commerce , vendors or shops, the examples they have, the price, etc. I wonder if they are cheaper due to the export restrictions and over all quality and selection.

Have a great trip, sounds amazing!

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Congratulations @kirispupis, that sounds like a fab holiday!

However, I read the list numerous times, and couldn't help notice (to my horror) a very important omission!

The Numismatic Museum of Athens!

https://www.nummus.gr/en/

It is probably the most important museum in the world for coin collectors. This is the former mansion of eminent archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann (of Troy fame).

The entire building (worth the admission alone) is dedicated to coins (over half a million of them apparently). Dedicate at least 3 hours to it. I would fit it in day 2 as it is very close to the archaeological museum. You can do Sounion on another day on your return to Athens. Make sure you check the opening days/times in advance, as museums are closed on some weekdays in Greece sometimes.

As for the rest of the trip, I find it a bit optimistic. Don't underestimate the ruggedness of the Greek landscape, Mystras for example could take half a day and there is steepness involved. Also, i wouldn't bother with Sparta. There isn't much to see in my opinion. Meteora would be amazing to see, but it seems it is in the opposite direction to the area you will frequent.

 

As for @AETHER's question, you cannot easily buy ancient coins in Greece as a tourist (or at all). I think there may be a couple of specialist licensed shops  in Athens, but I have heard that the prices are not cheap.

 

 

 

 

Edited by Old Miser
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@Old Miser I would never buy them as a tourist, maybe as a local, you are  kind of stuck as far as exports or moving. My interest was the incentive to do so or lack off.  Do the restrictions lower the prices ? can you get great examples much cheaper as a result? That was my question.  I suppose if they are not cheap, that answers it, thanks.

Edited by AETHER
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5 hours ago, Old Miser said:

Congratulations @kirispupis, that sounds like a fab holiday!

However, I read the list numerous times, and couldn't help notice (to my horror) a very important omission!

The Numismatic Museum of Athens!

https://www.nummus.gr/en/

It is probably the most important museum in the world for coin collectors. This is the former mansion of eminent archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann (of Troy fame).

The entire building (worth the admission alone) is dedicated to coins (over half a million of them apparently). Dedicate at least 3 hours to it. I would fit it in day 2 as it is very close to the archaeological museum. You can do Sounion on another day on your return to Athens. Make sure you check the opening days/times in advance, as museums are closed on some weekdays in Greece sometimes.

Thanks! I'll see if I can fit it in. Unfortunately, I can't do Sounion on the return, so I'll definitely prioritize the sunset shot there.

5 hours ago, Old Miser said:

As for the rest of the trip, I find it a bit optimistic. Don't underestimate the ruggedness of the Greek landscape, Mystras for example could take half a day and there is steepness involved.

I've intentionally made it aggressive since I'll be alone. When I'm on a photography trip I stick to a pretty tough schedule. I'm out the door way before sunrise and not back until I'm satisfied with my night shots. I typically don't stop for food unless I have to. I'll try to find something quick or more often buy stuff at a grocery store. Most of the time, I'm on my feet. I've completed 21 full marathons, so I'm used to it. 🙂 This will be in April, so the heat should be less punishing than the summer.

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9 hours ago, kirispupis said:

my wife insisted there be no ruins on the tour.

Wow. I can't even imagine that kind of mindset.  I remember the old sugar mills in St. Croix from when I was 12, and the British coins in the Bahamas from when I was 10, far better than I remember the beaches! But how does she feel about ruins if they're inside a museum? I must say I'm curious about what she's going to be doing when you're off on your own seeing ruins all day!

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That's a mouthwatering itinerary, @kirispupis, a whole small Grand Tour crammed into two weeks. One the one hand I admire your zeal and dedication, on the other hand, if I had such a busy schedule, I'd probably feel worried about quantity over quality. As I remember from my travels doing less can sometimes really be doing more. I always liked to suck up the atmosphere of a place, let it grow on me, wander around aimlessly and let it all sink in, and perhaps do something completely different to relax before I moved on to a new site. But hey, that's  just me, you may well be cut from a different cloth.                                                           Also, as you undoubtedly know, when it comes to photography, wheather and light can be an issue. Having little time can ruin the best of plans when the weather gods don't play along. But, like I said, the itinerary is mouthwatering and I hope the trip lives up to your expectations.!

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34 minutes ago, DonnaML said:

Wow. I can't even imagine that kind of mindset.  I remember the old sugar mills in St. Croix from when I was 12, and the British coins in the Bahamas from when I was 10, far better than I remember the beaches! But how does she feel about ruins if they're inside a museum? I must say I'm curious about what she's going to be doing when you're off on your own seeing ruins all day!

The issue is that Greece is at the top of our lists for very different reasons. In terms of museums, she's usually okay with "Louvre-caliber" ones - generally no more than one per trip. She does like exploring - so we have that in common. She just doesn't want to see ruins or museums but instead wander through cute towns, see beautiful landscapes, and regarder les gens qui passent.

For that reason, I'm heading to Greece a week early. We'll meet in Santorini and do the islands together. Since I've heard so many strong recommendations on Delos, I'll try to push for it.

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1 minute ago, DANTE said:

That's a mouthwatering itinerary, @kirispupis, a whole small Grand Tour crammed into two weeks. One the one hand I admire your zeal and dedication, on the other hand, if I had such a busy schedule, I'd probably feel worried about quantity over quality. As I remember from my travels doing less can sometimes really be doing more. I always liked to suck up the atmosphere of a place, let it grow on me, wander around aimlessly and let it all sink in, and perhaps do something completely different to relax before I moved on to a new site. But hey, that's  just me, you may well be cut from a different cloth.                                                           Also, as you undoubtedly know, when it comes to photography, wheather and light can be an issue. Having little time can ruin the best of plans when the weather gods don't play along. But, like I said, the itinerary is mouthwatering and I hope the trip lives up to your expectations.!

Yeah, I live near Seattle so I'm well aware how weather can ruin a planned shoot. That's just the luck of the draw. My hope of course is for partly cloudy days with gorgeous sunrises and sunsets. Several years ago during a two-week trip to Iceland it was cloudy and rained the entire time (in July). I still got decent shots, but had to compensate and take advantage of the moody clouds when I could and not include them in the shot when I couldn't. On the positive, if it rains then I get free saturation for my photos and I'm already used to shooting in that weather around here.

FWIW, on a recent trip to Italy I convinced my wife to see Metapontion because it was right next to the road. The weather didn't cooperate and it was the middle of the day, but I still got this shot.

Metapontum.jpg.71fc2e5b4699428654245c788ea7f70f.jpg

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@kirispupis fair to say, everyone now expects that you will resurrect this thread early May with lots of photos and your impressions from Greece.

If your wife enjoys beautiful sceneries and exploring, I could definitely see her enjoying Nafplion or Delphi. You should have tempted her by showing photos of the places 😄

I didn't pay too much attention to your second week, but now I think it feels a bit rushed if you are only spending a couple of days in major islands like Kefalonia, Mykonos, and Santorini. It almost feels like a cruise itinerary. There are lots to do and see (and eat) in all of those destinations. I hope you are not planning on doing any swimming, the sea will be freezing cold in April. It is common to think that Greece it is a lot hotter than it actually is (some places get buried in a metre of snow in the winter).

May suggest another ruin if Delos doesn't work out? Have you heard of Akrotiri, the Pompey of Greece in Santorini?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akrotiri_(prehistoric_city)

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7 hours ago, Old Miser said:

If your wife enjoys beautiful sceneries and exploring, I could definitely see her enjoying Nafplion or Delphi. You should have tempted her by showing photos of the places 😄

Thanks! I showed her pictures of Napflion and Delphi and she wasn't interested. While I differentiate between ancient and medieval ruins, she lumps them all under "ruins". 🙂

7 hours ago, Old Miser said:

I didn't pay too much attention to your second week, but now I think it feels a bit rushed if you are only spending a couple of days in major islands like Kefalonia, Mykonos, and Santorini. It almost feels like a cruise itinerary. There are lots to do and see (and eat) in all of those destinations. I hope you are not planning on doing any swimming, the sea will be freezing cold in April. It is common to think that Greece it is a lot hotter than it actually is (some places get buried in a metre of snow in the winter).

That's pretty much by her direction. The original trip itinerary had longer stays at Santorini and Kefalonia, an afternoon in Delphi, and two days in Athens. She countered with shorter stays in each island, the addition of Mykonos, and cutting Delphi and one day in Athens. I held out for some time, but she's a negotiator for a living, so I finally countered with a trip where I see Delphi and Athens myself. When she agreed, I then figured I might as well see many other places I'll never get her to.

In terms of swimming, we're aware of that. That's her primary reason for shortening the island stays.

7 hours ago, Old Miser said:

May suggest another ruin if Delos doesn't work out? Have you heard of Akrotiri, the Pompey of Greece in Santorini?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akrotiri_(prehistoric_city)

I'm aware of it, but am a bit doubtful about going. On a separate photography forum I heard praise about Delos. They stated that it's not so great photo-wise but it's very well preserved and you have a great idea how people actually lived back then. When I mentioned a short side trip to Delos and all the praise, she said if there's absolutely nothing else to do on Mykonos, she'll consider. A trip to Akrotiri in Santorini would certainly ruin that. From a numismatic note, Thera minted coins only in the archaic times - not Hellenistic. For that reason, its coinage is not on my list and therefore the photos aren't as much of a priority, even though the site itself is interesting. Delos (and Mykonos) however, did mint Hellenistic coins, so for my eventual book project I'll need to go back if I don't obtain the shots on this trip.

I nearly bought the flights last night, but there was a snafu in the flights that prevented it. Keep your fingers crossed as I try again tonight!

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And the trip has been booked!

We made a few slight changes to the itinerary but all parties have agreed and last night I was given the go ahead to book! I then reserved all flights and hotels. I can't remember when I was last so excited for a trip.

I was also able to sell Delos, since the other family going with us is definitely interested.

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May I suggest that when in Athens you take the frequent ferry service from the nearby port of Piraeus (pronounced something like Pireefs in modern demotic Greek) to the island of Aigina. You can get to the docks by cab or subway from Athens. It's a beautiful boat trip., and cheap for an Aegean cruise. You'll pass right over the sight of the naval battle of Salamis and at the island dock in Aigina you can get the bus to the temple of Alphaea which is a columned temple in an excellent state of preservation. The view from the mountain top is breathtaking and the town below where the docks are is a more leisurely and slower paced shopping experience. May Tyche be your guide. Below are two coins, one of Athens, a tetradrachm of 17.1 grams, Athena and owl, probably ca. 430 BC start of Peloponnesian War with a reverse test cut. The other is a stater from Aigina, the eyesore of the Aegean according to Athenians who could see it on a clear day from Piraeus,with turtle on the obverse and an incuse design on the  reverse. It weighs 12.0 grams and is Sear  (1978 edition) 1851

IMG_2491Aigina obv.jpg

IMG_2492Aigina rev.jpg

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Wow! Metaponton! That's in my neck of the woods.  I've never met a non-Italian who's ever been there. Nobody really goes to the south. That part of Italy has some amazing sites that nobody visits.  You can have the whole place to yourself.  How did you get there?

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If your wife ever visits Delphi with you and isn't immediately entranced by the beauty of that place, then the problem is definitely with her, not you! The ruins are spectacular but staring down at that valley (ideally you'll pair it with a little snack and some wine) is one of my favorite memories of Greece.

I agree with everyone that Sparta is mostly worth skipping if you're looking for ruins, but... i actually quite liked it. The ruins are minimal but they are there, and you're pretty much left entirely to yourself (although this may have changed, i was last there a decade ago). In fact, the place was so abandoned that there were looter's pits *everywhere*. Roman-era potsherds everywhere, scattered about the amphitheater and among the olive groves which now lie atop most of the ruins. Sad to see, but also interesting to see just how plentiful this material is for those of used to seeing even the most mundane artifacts locked up behind museum glass. Just don't try to take a souvenir!!

Edited by Monolith
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On 2/2/2023 at 4:22 PM, dougsmit said:

I assume you have an ultra wide lens for your camera so you can work in tight spaces.  Pay attention to keeping it level. 

My go-to lenses for landscapes are my TS-E 17, TS-E 24, and TS-E 50. I also have an 11-24 that I mostly use for "looking up" shots. Like with all tilt-shifts, leveling is extremely important. For hand-held shots, I use the leveler built into the viewfinder, which does a good job. For tripod shots, I have an Arca-Swiss D4 head that allows me to quickly level the camera and keep it level.

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On 2/2/2023 at 5:16 PM, Jay GT4 said:

Wow! Metaponton! That's in my neck of the woods.  I've never met a non-Italian who's ever been there. Nobody really goes to the south. That part of Italy has some amazing sites that nobody visits.  You can have the whole place to yourself.  How did you get there?

We had just visited Alberobello, and it was "kind of" on the way to Matera. We had decided to focus a short trip on Puglia and Basilicata because they're less often visited but equally as beautiful as the rest of Italy.

You can see shots from the full trip here, though here are a few favorites.

Alberobello.jpg.c420fa2c48c687c5c1a58ab8e4c51520.jpg

Matera.jpg.7edb8e9b04b73c1caa96d451843ab95e.jpg

PolignanoaMare.jpg.70d1605a6b02f80f67b8dd03eae4e7ba.jpg

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On 2/9/2023 at 12:29 PM, kirispupis said:

We had just visited Alberobello, and it was "kind of" on the way to Matera. We had decided to focus a short trip on Puglia and Basilicata because they're less often visited but equally as beautiful as the rest of Italy.

You can see shots from the full trip here, though here are a few favorites.

Alberobello.jpg.c420fa2c48c687c5c1a58ab8e4c51520.jpg

Matera.jpg.7edb8e9b04b73c1caa96d451843ab95e.jpg

PolignanoaMare.jpg.70d1605a6b02f80f67b8dd03eae4e7ba.jpg

Fantastic images!!!😍😍

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