Is there a special something that captivates your imagination, something you especially seek when traveling?

Maybe it’s medieval castles with mighty bastions. Quaint stone villages with blossoms aplenty. Sacred and secular spaces with soaring ceilings and stunning art.

For Paul and myself, it’s all of the above. And also, bridges.

The best bridges blend the science of engineering with the elegance of design. Thus, the best bridges serve both the user and the beholder with connection, transformation, and inspiration alike.

This spring and summer, we purposefully sought bridges on and off the beaten path. Including the oldest bridge in Europe still in use: the Arkadiko Bridge in Greece.

Circa 1300 to 1190 BC, the Myceneans built a road and bridge network linking cities, fortresses, and sacred sanctuaries such as Mycenae, Tiryns, and Epidaurus.

These Bronze Age structures feature massive stones perfectly placed without mortar to hold them together.

The ancient travel writer Pausanias called these immense stones “Cyclopean.” Because only the mythical giant Cyclops could possess the strength to lift and position the huge, heavy stones.

Well, thousands of years after Mycenean chariots once thundered across Argolida, the Arkadiko Bridge is still in use. The ancient roadway still runs from the single corbel arch bridge into the hills above.

From the 13^th to 12^th century BC through the 21^st century AD, the Arkadiko Bridge and Mycenean roadwork remain an enduring blend of engineering and elegance.

Reader, here’s to finding the special something that captivates your imagination. In travel and in life.

Until next time,

Travel on, sparkle on, meaningfully✨

Marilee + Paul Kostadimas
Spotlight Sojourns | Slow Travel
​with the Hidden Gemologists®

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PS: If you’d like to learn more, click HERE to read our article “Bridges in Greece: Famous Spans and Historic Hidden Gems.”​

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