Corinth Canal Saturday morning we were picked up by another driver and guide booked through ToursByLocals. Nota Sarantopoulou has a Degree of History and Archaeology, plus a Master of Science in Prehistoric Archaeology of the Aegean. We rode in a Mercedes van, which was set up more conformably, but we were sitting much farther from the guide and couldn't see out through the windshield. Hearing was more difficult and conversations were pretty much off the table. When we were at the four scheduled stops on the trip, the guide was quite interesting. The first short stop was at Corinth Canal, which was completed in 1893 and connects the Gulf of Corinth in the Ionian Sea with the Saronic Gulf in the Aegean Sea. It is impressive, 69 feet wide at the water surface, 81 feet wide at the top, with up to 260 foot tall walls. There is a bungy jump from the bridge, but we didn't see anyone doing it. The first major stop of the tour was Mycene, where we visited that 13th Century Acropolis, and the nearby Treasury of Atreus, which is often called the Tomb of Agamemnon, although the identity of the one time occupant is unknown. By happy chance, this was one of the few days of the year when the Hellenic Ministry of Culture does not charge admission.
The next stop was the city of Nauplio, which was the first capital of Greece. We had a short tour of the historic downtown and about a hour and a half of free time, including lunch at The Corner of Kavalaris where we had tirokafteri (spicy cheese spread) paired with smoked apaki (traditional smoked pork from Crete), stuffed grilled sausage with kefalotiri cheese & bacon and stuffed mushrooms with bacon, fresh onion, gouda cheese & tomato sauce. We did a little shopping and visited a couple of churches. We were amused in the Church of Panagia, when we saw a sign on the chairs saying, "We do not sit cross-legged in the Church and in front of the Virgin Mary."
The final stop was Epidaurus known as the birthplace of the healing god Asclepius and the premier therapeutic center of the ancient world. It is most famous for its 4th Century BC, 14,000-seat ancient theatre, which is known for its acoustics.
The tour had also listed an optional wine tasting, but it was not offered to us. When we left Epidaurus, that was the last time that the guide or driver spoke to us until we arrived at our hotel 2 hours later. This evening we shopped along Adrianou Street, with it eclectic selection of shops and had another of my favorite restaurant experiences at Taverna O Psaras (The Old Tavern of Psarras) a famous family restaurant which opened in the late 1800's and operates out of multiple buildings at the intersection of a pedestrian walkway and hillside staircase. I loved the setting, the two person mixed grill, our drinks and experiencing it with Linda. I even considered returning the following night, but thought the magic might not still be there.
Psaras (rum, pineapple, falernum, passion fruit cordial, Don’s mix,
cinnamon, angostura bitter)
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