Let's see if I can complete this post before the Malvazia hotel's wifi disappears again.
We woke to grey, wet weather but soon it cleared and became a good day to wander around Monemvasia.
To get some perspective the first thing we did was leave. We walked across the causeway to the nearby town of Gefyra where I took the first picture below. It shows Monemvasia as seen from the mainland. The connecting causeway is on the left of the picture. At one time there was a tower and drawbridge in the middle of the causeway but now there is a conventional bridge, a small hotel and gas station, and piers for small boats.
There's no hint of a walled town visible from the mainland, aside from a few structures sticking out on the top of the rock. This is a defensible place.
The importance of defense is reinforced time and time again as we travel the old cities of Europe. Cliff-top Ronda, for example, hints at the same isolation as Monemvasia, though it's nowhere near as secure. Both towns also shared a weakness in terms of food and water supplies.
As you drive (or walk) the narrow road that hugs the southern side of the island, the island appears to be uninhabited. Then you pass a cemetary and round a corner and suddenly you see the lower town's western wall. A small door in the wall leads to a crooked passageway which then opens on the main street of the town. The wall surrounds the town on three sides, the fourth side being protected by the cliff.
Monemvasia has been a treat. The narrow cobblestone streets, the ominous cliffs, the city walls, the small atmospheric buildings with their narrow stairs and low ceilings, the stonework and ruins, it's a magical medieval atmosphere. And the friendly Greek people and delicious food—mezes again tonight—add to the pleasure.
