Ancient Nemea

One of the pleasures of renting a car and driving through the Peloponnese is the ability to visit major archaeological sites that are not on the organized tour bus routes. Early morning in Nemea is lovely, and one can often have the site to oneself. Here was the Sanctuary of Zeus, and the site of the Nemean Games, similar to the Olympic Games. In mythology, this is where Herakles overpowered the Nemean Lion, part of his 12-labor penance for murdering his family after having been driven mad by Hera. Today, Nemea is calm and serene, and visitors can stroll amongst the toppled column drums undisturbed, save for the occasional guard whistle.