Today was a free day, and we were ready for a hike, so we headed up to the chapel, Agia Sofia, that was up a nearby hill. It stands for “God’s wisdom.” On the way, we checked out “Old Kardamyli.”
It was a pretty steep hike up the 800 or so feet of elevation and about 2.25 mile round trip hike, but it was worth it. The trail was well marked with painted rocks, and the views were fantastic. Although the chapel was locked, we were able to peak in the windows and view the frescos and inside decor. We met a few of our tour members on the hike up and back.
Back in town, we took a walk on the beach. In the late afternoon, our group met for happy hour and buddy introductions.
As we enjoyed our relaxing day, we reflected on how impressive it was how the hotel staff went the extra mile for us. They had welcome gifts in the room . . . cookies in the fridge, a bottle of Ouzo, bath salt and sun dried tomatoes. They even had a hand written welcome message on a post card featuring the view from our room. The extra touches like this are so appreciated and help to make the stop memorable. And the sound of waves lapping on the rocks below our balcony is pretty special too!