Descending from the mountains we made for Castle View Camping. Situated just up the road from Sparta it gets its name by having a view of the castle at Mystra which I suspect is the reason most people stay there.

Mystra is a well preserved Byzantine city built on a hillside overlooking a large fertile plain. Once home to a population of 20,000 it would be our third visit to a UNESCO world heritage site after Delphi and Olympia. The castle was originally built by the Franks in the early 13th century but was soon taken over by the Byzantines becoming one of their most important cities after Constantinople.

The city is divided into three areas with the castle at the top and an upper and lower town. We arrived early and pretty much had the place to ourselves. You literally wander through the paths and alleyways of the town and get a real feel for how life must have been. There are many well preserved churches with amazing frescoes painted on every surface. The site is so large you enter at bottom entrance, do a rough circuit then exit and drive up to the upper entrance to visit the upper town and castle. It's a slog up to the castle, not sure if anyone ever attacked it but it must be as close to impregnable as castles get. The views from the top are amazing, not sure the photo's do it justice.

This was my favourite site so far, I think partly because it's more recent but also its state of preservation which provides a real atmosphere and feeling of how things were.

The new town of Mystra which sits below the old city and was lovely. A real Greek atmosphere it was just a short walk from the campsite, we shopped and had dinner there.

Despite some reviews to the contrary the campsite was great. We got a good spot in the corner in what was effectively an olive grove. It had a nice pool and the food was excellent. All very friendly and laid back. We decided to stay for 3 nights and had a washday while we were there. Easy in Greece, things are dry before you can get a peg on 'em. Having said that we had our first spots of rain since we arrived, I think I counted about six! The only downside were the ladies toilets which were apparently inhabited by jimeney crickets the size of birds and tarantula's. This is wildlife according to H and the author being male has been unable to verify these observations, only to say there was bugger all in the gents!