The Peloponnese: Thursday

Up late: 8:45: I ignored my alarm, and the drapes were drawn. We all benefited from a lie-in but we lost vital early cool time. B'fast: what you'd expect from a BW.

To Olympia at about 10, by which time its getting hot and the children are not in a good mood. They reluctantly see stuff, but without enthusiasm. A few times I separate D from E and talk to E and she is more prepared to be interested. We have quite a conversation about wouldn't it be better to restore some bits - all the fallen-over columns of the temple of Zeus; of maybe a couple of roofs over the quadrangle, would do wonders for the shade and also make it more like it was. After 1/2 hour remember we need to see the museum - so its wasn't quite the lightening whip-round I'd feared - and slightly surprised to find it more interesting than expected; again, I had to be dragged away (also, its further from the site than you'd hope).

Back to hotel for last swim (E and I) before we leave the room, though D and M get the detailed packing and stuff.

Comedy leaving town, as usual. Across the hills to start with, then hit the coast, and zoom along. The children don't want to stop en route for cafe so we just keep going. I get somewhat frustrated when we accidentally take the coast road and find a nice place to stop about 15 k out, but they just want to keep going. Their total lack of response to the place is irritating.

M has booked ahead to "Zoe" which turns out to be an excellent choice. Its at Pylos, which I'd wanted to see because of the Sphacteria episode in the Peloponesian war, and it turns out to be well worth seeing, the bay that is. Zoe is a sympathetic place, as the guidebook says: small rooms and big balconies, overlooking the sea, and with a decent sized pool for E, which D still refuses to even sample. Also it has its own kitchen garden, and a fine avenue of banana trees. Arrive about 2, have a good lunch, cards etc, pool, afternoon siesta. M and I sit in shade of trees by beach, I swim in sea, then decide to walk along the shore a little ways, and end up doing 10 k out to the point and slightly round it - most of these walks are on garmin connect, BTW.

Back 9 which isn't considered too late for a meal and we eat in the place as lunch was good.