Korinthos

April 28, 2009

We took our time getting out of Athens. We slept in a bit, packed up our gear that was staying behind at the hotel for our return, and stopped in at a travel agency to buy all of the ferry tickets for the whole excursion. Finally, about midday we biked over to Larissa Station to catch the prostiakos (the modern interurban train network centered on Athens) for Corinth. This was a great way for us to start out, sparing us miles of frustration and heavy traffic trying to cycle out of the the sprawl of Athens.

Corinth is one of the many major historical sites in Greece. It's a three-layered situation: modern Korinthos is at sea level, on the Gulf of Korinth; Ancient Corinth, about 500 feet above, is one of the great historical cities of Greece and Rome; and higher still are the ruins of Akrocorinth on the mountaintop.

We detrained just before Korinthos, and doubled back to see the other remarkable site in the region - the Corinth canal that joins the Corinth and Saronic Gulfs. The canal opened in 1893, providing a significant short-cut for ships bound for Athens. In ancient times this shipping shortcut was also used, but without the canal - instead, ships were ported across the ishmus by rolling them on logs.

We were lucky in our timing and got to watch the passage of a large tanker, piloted by a tiny tugboat. Watching it pass below us, barely clearing the sheer sides of the canal, was an awesome sight.

From the canal we climbed inland and uphill to Ancient Corinth, where we stayed the night at a small inn. Late in the day we walked through the ruins, and looked up at Acrocorinth towering above and out of reach for this itinerary. We had the place completely to ourselves.

At Larissa Station in Athens, awaiting the train for Corinth.

The Corinth Canal, completed in 1893, connects the Gulf of Corinth to the Aegean Sea. In ancient times ships crossed this peninsula on rollers to avoid voyaging around the Peloponnese.

The Corinth Canal. Even pulled by a tug, we found it amazing that a ship this large could navigate through it.

Wildflowers, near Corinth. Late April and May was a wonderful time to visit Greece, with flowers in bloom everywhere and lemons and oranges already ripening in the orchards.

In the foreground, the Temple of Apollo in Ancient Corinth. In the distance, Akrocorinth. The fortifications on the summit originated 2500 years ago, and have been held at times by the Greeks, Romans, Franks, Turks and Venitians.

Today's ride: 25 miles (40 km)
Total: 25 miles (40 km)

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