Cameron Hewitt

When working on our guidebooks, I love to come across stories of great women who made history. (Of course, these stories are all too often left out of history books.) On this trip, my favorite example came in Nafplio, Greece.

In Nafplio, which briefly served as the first capital of independent Greece, I stumbled upon a monument to Kalliopi Papalexopoulou (1809-1899), in front of a bank building on Syntagma Square.

Some context: Greece had recently thrown off centuries of Ottoman rule. But after its leader, Ioannis Kapodistrias, was gunned down in the streets of Nafplio by headstrong Maniots, the Great Powers of Europe (quite paternalistically) decided Greece couldn't be trusted to rule itself. And so, they imported an 18-year-old Bavarian prince to become King Otto of Greece. (Greeks grouse, "They just replaced the Ottomans with Otto.")

Enter Kalliopi Papalexopoulou. When she first came to Nafplio, as the wife of the city's mayor, Papalexopoulou fostered the arts and culture. But after her husband died and Greece's fortunes shifted, she emerged as a leading voice of the "Nafplio Revolt" (a.k.a. Nafpliaka) against imposed foreign rule.

This monument stands on the site of Papalexopoulou's former home. On February 1, 1862, she stood on her balcony (notice the frilly railing on the relief) to rally an assembled crowd in favor of true Greek independence — and an end to the reign King Otto. The engraved message on the pillar reads: "People of Nafplio, be courageous."

Ultimately, Greece succeeded in overthrowing Otto. Papalexopoulou has been called "the woman who caused Otto's throne to totter."

For more examples of stories like Papalexopoulou's, check out .

Greek dinner.

It's time now for another rendition of: WHERE AM I?

First, I'm on one of the biggest islands of the Mediterranean, with its own climate, cuisine, and culture. Four thousand years ago, it gave rise to one of the, if not *the*, first flourishing European civilizations.

As for the exact location? I'm in the best-preserved old city on this history-battered island. (Other communities were leveled again and again — by sieges, earthquakes, and N**i paratroopers.)

This city's main feature is its sprawling, Venetian-built fortress that juts out over the sea; the town's entire population could squeeze into its walls for protection. The centerpiece of that fortress is a mosque, which the Ottomans converted from an old church.

In the charming, restaurant-lined streets below the fortress, you'll find another mosque — yet another (of many) that began as a Venetian church, was later turned into an Ottoman mosque, and now serves a different purpose (a music conservatory). Kids love to play soccer in the gigantic square in front of the old mosque.

The town's main landmark is a (Venetian-built) fountain, and it also enjoys a fine archaeological museum — one of many top-notch collections on this island — with a resident cat.

Out at the old harbor, bobbing with leisure and fishing boats, an Egyptian-built lighthouse keeps watch over the entrance to the port.

Many of these details could apply to multiple places on this island — for full credit, I'm looking not just for the country and island, but the city.

So, then: WHERE AM I?

Thanks to all of you who've been following my thought-provoking travels through Berlin and Munich... both fascinating places that I enjoyed re-connecting with.

I have one more bit of new writing on Berlin, which I recently posted to my blog. I actually wrote the first draft of this piece several years ago, after a previous visit. It's been sitting on my hard drive (with dozens of other "almost done" pieces) since then. But this trip to Berlin inspired me to finish it up, as I reflect on the wonderful urban tapestry of this fascinating European metropolis of neighborhoods... one that reminds me, in so many ways, of Sesame Street. Check it out:

https://blog.ricksteves.com/cameron/2026/05/berlin-kieze-sesame-street

But my trip's not over yet! I've already moved on to my next destination, where I've been working like a dog on some new guidebook material. It's a place that's geographically and culturally as far removed from Germany as you can get, while still being on (or, maybe, "near") the European Continent. Stay tuned for reports from the next leg of my trip!

Berlin’s Kieze: Europe’s Sesame Street Cameron Hewitt considers the many lessons of Berlin's funky neighborhoods

A transcript of the 32nd annual Convention of German Bathroom Hardware Engineers, held in Stuttgart on April 14, 1995, remarks by Fritz Grohe:

My dear ladies and gentlemen, thank you very much for your kind invitation.

I have exciting news of an innovation that will revolutionize German bathroom design — in particular, the shower.

For too long, we have used a variety of different designs for the handles used to turn the water on and off in a shower. It is long past due to standardize this!

I have designed a new fixture, which will be mounted to extend a distance of no less than 10 centimeters from the wall into the shower enclosure.

Even better, when the handle is turned on to begin the flow of water, it will extend an additional 5 centimeters into the enclosure, for a total of 20 centimeters. (For you Americans in attendance, that is approximately six inches!)

I also recommend that the handle itself take the shape of an oversized paddle, and this new fixture always be located directly under the flow of water. In this way, we can ensure that any human being, large or small, tall or short, will be guaranteed to constantly bump the handle with their elbow during each shower. Sometimes, this will result in the water shutting off entirely. Sometimes, it will result in the water instantly becoming very, very hot or very, very cold. And sometimes, the extremely high profile of the handle itself will simply jab the showering person painfully in the ribs.

And that is the joy of this new invention: It will bring the sense of fun and unpredictability to the until-now-mundane task of taking a shower!

I encourage all shower manufacturers, henceforth from today, to adopt this new design, which will make every shower what it should be: an adventure!

Before we break for lunch, I will remind you that our Swiss colleagues from Geneva will lead off this afternoon's session with their plans to adjust their electrical plug size ever so slightly, so that it is almost, but not quite, compatible with every other country for a thousand kilometers in every direction.

(NOTE: This post is satire. Any resemblance to real life is accidental... but highly likely.)