The Zesty Greek Travel Adventure continues….

The Peloponnese is a beautiful area of Greece that includes several different regions.  We left our itinerary open, only booking a couple nights at a time when we first arrived in Greece, because our ultimate goal was to locate a good base camp with affordable long term lodging opportunities where we could take day trips to various sites while really experiencing the culture and lifestyle… We had about a 2 month window for our journey and then it would be back to reality.

WELCOME TO TOLO!

If you read about Bungalows Ingrid in my post titled “Oranges, Olives and White Linens” then you know we ended up staying in Tolo for over a month and it was the perfect Base Camp!

By the time we got to Tolo, it was mid May and we had already explored Athens, Meteora  and some other great little villages on the way to the Rio-Antirrio Bridge.

Day 13 Journal Faux Designer shades? Check. Four fluffy beach towels clearly branding us ‘tourists’? Check. Finding what you need is no problem in Tolo.  As we are discovering, this fishing village of 1,200 or so has become a nice beach resort town consisting of numerous Cafe’s, Restaurants, Tavernas and plenty of Souvenir Shops.  It attracts families and singles alike because of it’s ideal location, convenient to numerous archaeological sites.  It also boasts a great swim beach, watersports, fishing and has various cruises available from the harbor. Regular bus service to Nafplion is also a plus, but since we have our trusty little rental car (minus 1 hub cap) a 10 minute drive will take us there. The girls are already feeling free and love being able to walk around on their own without us.  The Bay of Tolo as well as Asini are both written of in Homer’s Iliad!  How ’bout that? We may stay here awhile…

 We checked in to The Gregory Apartments, which we booked on Hotels.com for 2 nights.   Great Views, Kitchen, Balcony and lovely Pool.  Very nice setting on the hill overlooking the town.

This is the Tolo Beach

This is the nearby Kastraki Beach

Dining in Tolo

Lions?? During dinner our first evening, our friendly waiter told us a hilarious story.  (Basically it went like this but he delivered it perfectly with his dry humor.)  Some American girls who were dining in his restaurant during their recent visit, were excited and thrilled and giggling.  When asked what the excitement was about, they replied, “Africa is right there!” (pointing to a small Greek island on the water)… to which he replied, “Yes…If you are real quiet at night, you can hear the lions.”  There are so many nice eateries!  Some evenings, we cook in our Bungalow and then go out for a coffee or glass of wine on the beach.  Tavernas line the beach and if you wish you can feel the sand in your toes while you sip your beverage.

Maria’s Restaurant and Panarama Restaurant sit next to each other on the curve of the main street that runs through town.  Both have delicious food and wonderful service!!

Maria’s

Nearby Attractions & Ancient Sites:  (Don’t worry I will be posting each of these individually!)

• Ancient Theater of Epidavros
• Mycenae
• Argos
• Nafplion (10 minute drive -our personal favorite and most romantic city ever!!)
• Cruises from Tolo Harbor to Hydra & Spetses

I can’t begin to describe the warmth of the people.  They taught us patiently how to speak their language and were extremely accommodating with all our needs.  The girls made friends easily too and spent many afternoons at the beach.

In town, we found all the useful services including an Internet Cafe’, Laundry Service, Groceries, Bakeries, Butchers and Bars….

Gorillas and The Remember Lounge are both great places for a late night out! Both offer comfy seating overlooking the water…Or if you prefer you may sit facing the shops and watch cars pass and people walking by.

And the girls found the most wonderful Crepe’ Cafe’ which is a nice spot to sit and sip wine or coffee on the beach as the sun sets.

  We made lots of friends during our stay and became very comfortable with this amazing place.  We are typically what most would consider protective when it comes to our children, but this was the perfect village as far as being able to let our girls wander around to shops or meet new friends at the beach.

Tips & Tidbits-Safety First This is a foreign country, so we are never too far and always checking in with each other. We have established boundaries. Savannah is older and slightly more disciplined, but they are both good at keeping each other out of trouble. Additionally, Ingrid and Jorgos (Bungalows Ingrid) know everyone in town and everyone looks after one another, so we became very comfortable with the locals.

The girls made a list of words describing special moments during our stay.

 “Beginnings are scary and endings are sad; It’s what’s in between that makes life worth living.”

-Sandra Bullock- Hope Floats 

Journal Last Day Entry- Packing and saying goodbye to this remarkable place and the wonderful friends we have made is heartbreaking…Close bonds have formed with the town and the people.  We are leaving Bungalows Ingrid at midnight for our drive to the airport in Athens.  Tolo is only 2 1/2 hours away from Athens, but since it is night time and we don’t know the way, we are allowing ourselves plenty of time to get to the airport where we will catch an early morning flight.  Jorgos waits up to say goodbye and after we all hug him and thank him… we drive.  Kali Nichta