The morning was overcast changing to breaking clouds as we loaded up the car. I shot some video of a priest trying to start the engine on his dory just offshore. We drove toward Kranae to visit the island via the causeway, stopping to buy water. There was a rack with 18 octopi drying in the sun. This area is apparently renowned for its fresh octopus.

We walked to the lighthouse on Kranae. The place was flea-infested except next to the lighthouse. We talked with a family from Texas who were renting it with their Greek relatives. They had a small, live octopus in a bucket. One of the men took it out and we watched it slither across the gravel, crossing several sea stars that they had also caught..

We left Githeio and headed to Sparti where we turned and drove a few km SE to the Menelaion, perched high above the city on the eastern side of the graben. We had some trouble getting up the steep road which was different from the way Bob and Anne remembered it. We finally parked at the church and walked the rest of the way. The Menelaion is where Meneleus and Helen are supposed to have lived. There is an ashlar, pyramid like monument where we ate lunch. The other side was excavated to reveal river-cobble walls of a pre-Menelaion settlement.

From there, we hit the road and headed back to Athens , running into heavy rain between Tripoli and Nemea. Although traffic was hectic in the city, Bob got us back to the hotel without incident. I checked in while the others rearranged their bags. Then we bid each other farewell. They headed off to the airport to fly to Crete for their conference. I walked up the street to an internet café to write Joan and update her about recent events.

I returned to the hotel and wrote in my room until about 8:00. I went out in the street and bought Steph some earrings. I wasn't very hungry so I just had a Greek salad. I then had a couple of overpriced shots of ouzo but had a pleasant conversation with the Russian hostess. Feeling very tired, I returned to the hotel and was very soon asleep.