The Peloponnese: A Brief History and Some Sites of Interest.

As with all of Greece a lot has happened in the Peloponnese, writing about it all would take weeks so I am going to give you a brief in sight into its history, as well as provide you with some links if you want to learn more.  It is known for its importance in the Mythological world as it is the scene of many myths and the name Peloponnese means 'island of Pelops' the hero who was said to have conquered the entire area.

Throughout the years the Peloponnese has been part of the Roman republic, the Byzantium Empire, been subject to Arab raids, incorporated into the Ottoman Empire and the list goes on.  It was also where the start of the Greek War of Independence occurred at Kalamata in 1821.

Olympia, Npflion & Mycenae

Images from stoupabay.co.uk, tooth-tourism.com & teachers.sduhsd.net

Needless to say there is a lot to see in the different areas. You have a huge array of historical attractions from  Mycenaean palaces, Byzantine cities, and Frankish and Venetian fortresses. There is the Theatre of Epidavros, Ancient Olympia, Mycenae, Ancient Asine and the Venetian stronghold of Monemvasia.  There are various beautiful cities and areas to  discover like Napflio ( the original capital of Greece before Athens),  Sparta, The Corinth and Kalamata. Of course, there are many more sites to see but these are just a few examples of what the Peloponnese has to offer.

Arkadian Mountains, Sparta & Voidokoilia Beach

Images from andrewvanz.blogspot.com, virtualtourist.com & hotelnavarone.gr

On top of all this there are of course amazing beaches and coves like the beaches of Messinia  and awe inspiring, wildflower-covered mountains of Arkadia, or in the rugged Mani).  There truly is something for everyone and a landscape to die for.

Below are the sites I promised at the start.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peloponnese

www.ancientgreece.com/s/Wars/

http://www.lonelyplanet.com/greece/the-peloponnese

www.fodors.com/world/europe/greece/peloponnese

http://www.greeklandscapes.com/greece/peloponnese01.html

The Peloponnese is a mythical and magical place and really deserves to be in the running for you venue choice.  I know everyone dreams of a Greek island wedding but technically, since the Corinth Canal was built in the 1893, it is!

NY

Don't Forget the Peloponnese

I was just thinking about my favorite weddings to date and I remembered one of my cousins weddings in Porto Heli.  It was the first wedding I had attended in Greece and it blew my mind.  The Orthodox Ceremony was held in a tiny church on a beach. This in plain terms means we were all standing on the beach looking at an open air alter with just a vestry, amazing. The ceremony was held at around 6.30pm and so we also had the fortune to watch the sun set over the sea. The traditional local Greek man sporting his speedos was also a touching sight!  The reception venue was held at my cousin's aunt in laws villa which had a direct view over the sea and the only source of light were candles and the light from the pool.  We ate al fresco and there were a stream of waiters, all named Manoli, passing round a bottomless pit of shooters.  It was a beautiful evening full of fun, laughter, great food and an occasion that I still remember many years on, if in parts, a little blurry!

Images from eurocottage.com, Wayne Walton Lonely Planet Images & pjkinnan.com

The Peloponnese, although in recent years has become a lot more popular, a lot of the time gets over looked and that is a tragedy.  So today I am going to dedicate my next post to some hotel venues there.  I am going to show you it's beauty and how steeped in history it is.  What an amazing destination for your guests to go to and one, they would normally pass by.


NY

Some Light Reading for your Down Time in Greece

I am hoping at some point that you will get a little down time during your wedding festivities and thought I would recommend a wonderful book for you to take with you.
Gods Behaving Badly by Marie Phillips is a light hearted yet endearing novel about the Greek Gods set in modern time.  It is not only a page turner but also extremely witty in its writing.  I have read it at least 4 times and intend to read it again on my trip to Crete in 2.5 weeks.  I also gave a copy to my two bridesmaids and they loved it.
Have a read and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

NY