From Gialova we followed the coastal route south and around the Messinian peninsula to our next night's stopover at Koroni. Along the way we stopped first at Methoni, another historical city referenced in the Iliad, and another military stronghold tossed around over the ages. Its castle was first built by the Venetians, was adapted by the Turks, was retaken by the Venetians, and then yet again by the Turks before falling to Greece with their independence.
From Methoni the road moves inland and away from the coast, climbing about a thousand feet to the small town of Finkoundi, where we stopped for lunch; and then drops to the sea at Koroni, yet another historical castle town. Messini was an area where we had great ambivalence during planning - Pylos and Methoni both looked like they would have been great places to stay over as well, but in the end it worked fine to see them passing through.
