This man-made canal is the border between mainland Greece and Peloponnese. Ancient Greeks used to carry their ships through a narrow road in order to bypass this small part of land.

Following the direction to Tripolis, we make a turn when we see the sign Mycenae. In less than 2 hours from Athens lies the ancient city of Mycenae, one of the first empires in the ancient Greek times. You may have heard it from Iliad, the world famous epic poem by Homer. The king of Mycenae, Agamemnon, was considered to be the king of the kings in ancient Greece. His capital, the citadel of Mycenae, was one of the first organized cities, with high stone walls called Cyclopean Walls. Due to their huge size these walls are considered to have been built not by humans but by Cyclops. Enter the city by the Lion Gate. Also pay a visit to the Treasury of Atreus, a very famous and impressive “tholos” tomb. Same ticket applies for the citadel and the Treasury.

Heading to Nafplio, we make a stop to the Acropolis of Tiryns. It also used to be one of the well known citadels in ancient Greece – 2.000 years BC. Both Mycenae and Tiryns are included in UNESCO’s catalogue as Monuments of World Cultural Heritage.

Napflio is one of the most beautiful getaways from Athens. It was the first capital of Modern Greece. The old city is full of narrow roads, beautiful buildings, many hotels and restaurants. You can find low prices off-season. Pay a visit to the Rosary Museum (“Kompoloe” in Greek), a hidden gem in Napflio. If the weather is good, consider taking a boat to Bourtzi castle, a small castle in the middle of Napflion harbour. Enjoy a meal in one of the traditional tavernas in the old city of Nafplio. Try local, traditional and seasonal food like stuffed vegetables, fresh fish and salads. Nafplio is also famous for ice cream shops, some following famous gelato recipes directly from Italy.

Next day, after having a breakfast in the old city opposite to Bourtzi castle, it’s time to pay a visit to Epidaurus. It is located about half an hour from Nafplio. The archaeological site is full of surprises and history. Visit the Asklipeio, one of the most famous ancient ‘hospitals” – healing process for Greeks was a mixture between medicine, science and belief. The Asklipeio was considered to be the birthplace of Asclepius, the healer, god of medicine and healing.

The ancient theatre of Epidaurus is probably the most known ancient theatre of ancient Greece and is still in use. If it happens that you are around during summer, book a ticket to see a play in this really beautiful with perfect acoustic theatre. You may not understand the words, but you can feel them with your other senses. The spirit is still there.
Returning to Athens via the coastal road near the Saronic gulf, full of memories, pictures and ancient spirit, you may imagine how all these places created the foundation of modern civilization.

P.S.: Check the opening hours of the archaeological sites before visiting in order not to miss anything.

Text by: Christos Loukas (aka Kitsos Mitsos) - World traveller and blogger - www.blogtravels.gr

To read more, please see blog.visitgreece.gr

In some souvlaki shops the meat is skewered and sometimes you can get ground beef, which is generally known as beefteki. In some upscale souvlaki shops you can get chicken souvlakis and even swordfish souvlakis (Very rare. I think there is a place next to MacDonalds at Syntagma where I saw it). Souvlaki comes in wax paper which keeps it all together and you eat it like you are peeling a banana. It can be messy but who cares?
When I was a kid I could eat three or four of them easily but now I have trouble imagining eating one. But that is only because the only time I would eat in a souvlaki shop would be in the day because dinners are eaten in tavernas as a form of entertainment as well as sustainance and who wants to eat a big greasy sandwhich when it is 95 degrees out? Well, many people do and they are still quite popular day or night. In fact when I tell my old friends who used to live in Greece I am going there, they always ask me to bring them back a souvlaki. One American kid from the US Airbase filled a suitcase with souvlakis when he left Greece after his father's tour of duty was over. So you see the power of the Souvlaki is strong and unless you are the most militant vegetarean you should not leave Greece without trying one.(You can get them without meat too.)
The great thing about souvlakis is that they are cheap and if your kids are hungry you can send them to the souvlaki shop for dinner. They can go and order for themselves and it will be a sort of adventure and fill them with confidence in their ability to survive in a foreign culture. Besides the souvlaki in the pita you can find street vendors selling souvlaki kalamaki which is skewered meat with a regular piece of bread instead of pita and no onions, tomatoes or sadziki. 
The Best Souvlaki Shop in Athens
Ask any taxi driver which is the best souvlaki shop and they will tell you it is Thanasis across the street. Is it the best? Who knows? Others say Kostas on Adrianou is the best. Some people like the souvlaki in Platia Iroon in Psiri. Probably the best is in some neighborhood tourists never visit. If you have a favorite let me know. See Readers Souvlaki Reviews The most popular Souvlaki shops are those at the end of Metropolis street right at Monastiraki square. The one on the corner is owned by the same guy who owns the famous old Taverna Sigalas, right next door. His name is Spiro and his picture is everywhere, happily posing with famous people, Greeks and international. In fact it is my personal goal to have my picture up there with Spiro one day since it is sort of Greece's answer to Gruman's Chinese Theater. So if you want to do a little active campaigning for me feel free to ask Spiro or the waiter when will he have Matt Barrett in one of his pictures. Generally you have to be a little more famous than I am but with the help of some of my readers maybe we can speed up the timetable and ensure my immortality.

 Copied with permission from Matt Barrett's http://athensguide.com