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Greece 2026

Day 1: Nafplio

2026-06-11

Captured Moments

We thought we were heading right out to 24L for a normal takeoff. Little did we know!
First sunset in Nafplio harbor.
Travel moment
Palamidi was used as a prison, and in conjunction with this the stairs up to the castle was built. It is often said that there are 999 steps, but it's actually 'only' 857.
View from our balcony out onto restaurant row & the harbor.
Bourtzi Fortress. We will get out there for a closer viewing soon.
Travel moment
We ordered the Greek salad (different than back home), feta cheese in fila dough and one of the pasta specials.
Dinner at Wild Duck (family operated). That's our room, right above the main restaurant.

Welcome to Nafplio

Greece • June 11, 2026 • Day 1 of 16

At LAX, a young woman had a panic attack, as we took the runway, and the captain made a snap decision to take our plane back to the gate. She got off and thankfully most passengers were not disrupted due to the delayed arrival into Amsterdam. Our transition was onto another KLM flight that left around noon. We touched down in Athens at 4:30 and made our way south along the coast to Nafplio — one of Greece's most beautiful towns and our base for the first few days. It was a 2 hour drive, but the roads were clear and the only thing slowing us down were a few toll booths along the way. Everyone told us that parking would be a bit of a challenge, but we navigated into a spot down at the port.

First Impressions

Our timing couldn't have been better. We got into town around 8:15 and were able to snap a few sunset photos. The Bourtzi fortress sits in the middle of the harbor like a crown jewel, and it was truly beautiful, with the sun setting in the background.

"Nafplio feels like the kind of place that we can really relax as we get adjusted to the time change."

The Harbor at Golden Hour

We dropped our bags off, checked out the spectacular views of the harbor from our balcony, and walked for a bit to preview the restaurants and layout of the city.

The fortress of Palamidi loomed above the town — 857 steps to the top (although everyone always says 999), a climb we'll assess tomorrow.

What's Next

Tomorrow we tackle Palamidi, explore the old town, and try to recoup a bit from the 26 hours of travel. Excited to be in Greece. Εβίβα (Eviva / CHEERS!)

— David

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