Sitting on Actium

According to the charts, the Cleopatra Marina doesn’t exist, however according to a blurb in the Greek Waters Pilot – 2007 edition, they were building a marina by that name across the bay from the city of Preveza.  Luckily for the crew of the Pipedream it was a conspicuous marina that had friendly people, shelter from wind and traffic, and did indeed exist.

What the books do not share is that the Cleopatra Marina is built on the city formally known as Actium.  After the assassination of Caesar in 44BC a civil war broke out until 31BC when Octavian’s victory over Anthony decided the fate of the “unknown world” – at Actium.  Looking at it you wouldn’t think anything of it.  There is the marina which is also a huge boat yard, some sheep, and a whole lot of nothing.  Once you go through the tunnel under the bay, and mud flats, and into Preveza… you still have no idea anything of significance happened here.  It’s a beautiful city that was actually a borderline “busy city” with cards and motorbikes zooming down the main drag.  We took the marina bus to the city and then took a cab from there to Nikopolis.

Nikopolis, according to the Greek Waters Pilot, is the town where Octavian built his victory city for the win over Anthony.  It grew to be the capital of the area and was a great center of commerce because the city had 3 ports and was accessible to the neighboring cities already established.  What we ended up seeing was apparently 1/5 of the actual city.  There is a road that goes through where the city would lie, and a bunch of houses and farms all along the hillside with theaters and ancient housing located underneath.  I have to say that it wasn’t the most intact city we have seen, but it is the most ruined ruins we have come across.

This was the closest thing to a building we saw at Nikopolis.  It was right off the road when you enter through the gate “guarded” by two people in pedestrian clothes sitting on lawn chairs.

: I do have to say that we did see some of the best in situ mosaics to date.  There were 3 that were still almost completely full and still had color on the tiles.

We turned the corner and all of a sudden saw two piles of puppies.  They weren’t very curious about us, and were probably waiting for Mom to bring back dinner.

This is the entire view of the ruins.  There is a wall now that surrounds the ruins that was a Christian addition to the site.  

After spending about an hour kicking over stones and walking Nikopolis, we went back into town in search of something to eat and drink.  We ended up eating and drinking our way around Preveza.  We had a sandwich pastry at the first stop with potato chips and cokes, then went across the street for Chuck and Judy’s first taste of baklava, and then on our way back to the taxi station we came across a great bar in an alleyway and sat for a beer and ouzo.  At a lot of bars in Europe, we are delighted to find out, when you order a drink, they bring out a small appetizer too, in this case it was a fried potato patty type thing that melted in your mouth. 

Dad is enjoying all the Ouzo he can get.  This is at the small alley bar we stopped at.

Judy and I posing at the alley bar.  

This is the walk way down to the water from the bar; true Greece.

So far we have agreed, we like Greece.

Ladies and gentleman, welcome to Greece.  They serve the actual Ouzo in a shot glass and then you get a full glass of water with it.  You can imagine how many shot glasses of Ouzo you can get from these jugs…