A High Point - Mycenae

I am writing this in Tolo, a tourist spot on the Ionian Sea. I have a room with balcony overlooking the water; we all needed a respite from Athens' frantic pace. Today we have a "free" day to do what we wish. I think I will not be doing much walking, except maybe to find a hat - I left mine somewhere at Epidauros.

Yesterday we visited the "pre-historic" site of Ancient Mycenae. I wondered why "pre" historic and was told history in Greece, before the ruins of Mycenae were discovered in the 19th century, only went back to about 900 BC. The  Myceneans occupied the mountain fortress and the surrounding land as early as 1500 - 1300- BC. No one knows where they came from. They had quite a sophisticated civilization, forging weapons, making pottery, building dome shaped tombs, (without benefit of the Grecian or Roman arch). They offset the large building blocks slightly so the circular construction leaned slightly inward and took a "beehive" shape. They used a triangle above the door to take the load off the door frame, If one whispers against the wall on one side of the huge dome, a person with their ear next to the wall 40 feet opposite can hear what is said.

The fortress was completely walled and the top of the mountain provided a fantastic 120 degree view. It was never taken by force. They had laid underground pipes from a spring on an adjacent hillside and water drained into a cistern which was then accessed by a staircase inside the walls, so under siege they never ran out of water.

The wind blew fiercely when we were there which made climbing to the top difficult but the view was worth it. This was a high point of my trip, both literally and rhetorically.