The fishermen's neighbourhood

At the scenic and historical town of Nafplio there is one neighbourhood that is the older and most scenic of all! At the same time it is the most neglected and in a town that the real estate prices have skyrocketed, you can still find here abandoned old houses left to decay. The name of this neighbourhood is “Psaromaxalas” (The fishermen's neighbourhood) and I decided that Sunday morning is the perfect time to explore it!

From the shore I took the stairs that cross the fortified wall and lead to the first houses. They are the same stairs that were giving access for centuries to the fishermen that used to live here, to their boats. The name of the neighbourhood itself indicates that it was a poor place inhabited by fishermen. And although now the town is one of the richest in Greece and despite the breathtaking view, the first impression as I was climbing the staircase was negligence and decay.

Those narrow streets used to be full of life but now they are just waiting for the tourists to come and drag their wheeled luggage to the closest hotel. The well liked tavern of the 50's is now a ruin and the noted grocery shop of the 60's is a wreck. Very few locals still live here and even less can remember the days that it was a lively neighbourhood.

The renovations have one goal only and that goal is the tourists.I can't blame them for that. The whole old centre of the town has become a very profitable tourism product and this neighbourhood is the last part that has been left partly unexploited. I am guessing that in a few years from now, the sight of those streets will be totally different!

Till then, I just love the coexistence of the abandoned with the old but well kempt and why not, with the glamorously renovated. They are all part of the history of the place, adding an interesting contrast to the whole and plenty of shooting opportunities :)