Day 4 -6th June 2013. Into the Pelopennese - Ancient Corinth

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SO NOW WE ARE OFF ON OUR WANDERINGS A FEW DAYS SEEING LOADS MORE PILES OF STONES BEFORE SETTING OFF TO THE ISLANDS. THURSDAY DAWNS (8.30AM) GLORIOUSLY SUNNY AND WE FIND OURSELVES MEANDERING ALONG THE NARROW STREETS OF ANCIENT ATHENS DRAGGING ALL OUR WORLDLY POSSESSIONS (HOLDALLS) BEHIND US, DODGING THE TRAFFIC AND DOGS AND OLD LADIES TRYING TO SELL US STUFF.

WE CATCH THE METRO TRAIN TO THE PORT OF PIRAEUS ON THE OUTSKIRTS OF ATHENS. YOU CANT BUT NOTICE ALL THE GRAFFITI IT IS EVERYWHERE PLASTERING ANY SURFACE WITHIN REACH OF THOSE THAT SPRAY. IS IT STREET ART THEY CALL IT? AS WE ENTER PIRAEUS WE PASS 2 OLYMPIC STADIUMS AND THEN WE ENTER THE CHAOS OF THE PORT OF PIRAEUS. FIRST THING WE DO IS BOOK A FERRY TO SERIFOS. WE PAY, WE ARE GIVEN A SHEET OF PAPER TO CALL BACK MONDAY 2 HOURS BEFORE WE LEAVE TO COLLECT OUR TICKETS. SO AS FAR AS I CAN SEE IT WE HAVE PAID SEVERAL EUROS FOR A PIECE OF PAPER, GREAT.

THEN OUR MAIN PRIORITY IS TO FIND A BAKERS TO STOCK UP FOR LUNCH, ENTER THE ECCENTRIC OLD MAN. TIM WILL TELL YOU MORE ALL I CAN SAY IS HE RAN OUT OF THE BAKERS LIKE A MAN POSSESSED AND HADN'T BOUGHT ANYTHING IN THERE WHICH HE WAS SUPPOSED TO HAVE DONE.

Ok, there I was minding my own business when a very well spoken man engaged me in conversation when I was looking in the bakery window. Now, you will know that i don't like being disturbed whilst looking at food but he essentially dragged me inside telling me how good it was. Now, you will know that I normally don't mind being dragged into a bakers but this was worrying. I looked at the 2 women working behind the counter giving them a "help me" look. They were looking back at me with exactly the same expression. Oh dear, they obviously knew him. When he was busy buying a filled roll for a young beggar I quickly bought a loaf of bread and a random couple of cakes from one of the women and legged it. "Where are the lovely filled baguettes and the cream cakes," said Carol." Forget them and run," I replied. So dry bread and unidentified cakes for lunch it was. I wonder if the ladies in the bakers ever got paid for the things the guy was buying. I doubt it.

WE HIRE A CAR AND OFF WE SET. HOW DO WE GET OUT OF PIRAEUS. THERE ARE SIGNS BUT IT WAS ALL GREEK TO US. THE SAT NAV SAID TURN RIGHT THEN LEFT ETC BUT THE ROAD WAS CLOSED SO ROUND AND ROUND AND ROUND PIRAEUS WE GO UNTIL EVENTUALLY WE ARE RELEASED. BYE BYE ATHENS. THE TRAFFIC WAS CHAOS LOADS OF HORNS AND SIRENS NONE DIRECTED AT US OF COURSE! TIM DECIDED TO USE LORRIES AS OUR SHIELD NOT A BAD IDEA BUT THEY KEPT TURNING OFF. I DON'T DO DRIVING ABROAD. I HAVE TRIED BUT IT WASN'T GOOD.THERE WERE BEGGARS ON THE MOTOR WAY JUNCTIONS SO WE DECIDED TO LOCK THE CAR DOORS AND LOOK ANGRY. Not difficult for Carol.

ANCIENT CORINTH WAS TO BE OUR FIRST STOP. I SAW ON THE MAP THAT WE COULD CALL OFF AND SEE THE CORINTH CANAL A WONDERFUL MARVEL OF ENGINEERING. TIM WASN'T SO SURE THEN WE DROVE OVER IT. We did use a bridge. WE DID A U TURN AND WENT TO LOOK. AMAZING SO NARROW AND LONG AND THE SEA SO BLUE. TUGS TOW CRUISERS ALONG IT. THEY SEEM TO HAVE BANNED THE BUNGEE JUMPING. SHAME I WOULD HAVE LOVED IT. Carol, whilst standing on a very substantial road bridge said," I can't take a photo yet, I haven't got my sea legs." I don't think she will be bungee jumping anytime soon. She did make sure she held onto her hat though. I think she is growing to love it.

ANCIENT CORINTH...ANOTHER PILE OF STONES IT WAS VERY IMPRESSIVE AND THEN WE MADE FRIENDS WITH A DOG. SHE ATE OUR DINNER.(Not mine.) IT WAS 30 DEGREES AND I JUST HAPPENED TO NOTICE THAT RIGHT UP THE TOP OF A MOUNTAIN NEXT TO ANCIENT CORINTH WAS A FORTIFIED TOWN WHICH WAS ACROCORINTH. WELL IT WOULD HAVE BEEN A SHAME NOT TO GO WOULDN'T IT. UP WE TREK UP AND UP TO THE TOP ONLY TO FIND IT WAS CLOSED AT THE VERY TOP. I THINK TIM MUTTERED SOMETHING LOVING TO ME. If there had been a chronic water shortage in the area I could have simply donated my shirt. That would have kept them going for months. HOWEVER THE VIEWS WERE FANTASTIC AND IT WAS WORTH GOING. Yes it was, despite the hill. IT WAS MUCH EASIER GOING DOWN. THE STONY SURFACE WAS SO SLIPPERY WE JUST SLID DOWN.

ON TO MILOI NOW A BEACH RESORT WITH A HANDFUL OF TAVERNAS AND ROOMS TO LET. WE STAY AT LERNA ROOMS ONLY 50 METERS FROM THE BEACH NICE PLACE BUT NO CUTLERY OR CROCKERY SO WE JUST HAD TO EAT OUT AGAIN. SWIM IN THE SEA FIRST AND THEN WALK ALONG THE SEAFRONT, A MEAL AT A TAVERNA WATCHING THE SUN SETTING AND TAKINGS LOADS OF PHOTOS OF THE LIGHTS SHIMMERING ACROSS THE WATER. SHOULD WE MOVE ON TOMORROW OR SHOULD WE STAY? I vote we move on. Lots more to see, and the whole area seems to have lost power to their card payment machines. "It is broken, cash only." A good job we brought a re-loadable currency card. On to Ancient Olympia tomorrow. I will tell Carol in the morning.

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Photos

Corinth Canal
Carol careful to hang onto her 12 Euro hat

Acrocorinth
A long way up

Acrocorinth
The views are worth the climb