Thursday, June 12, 2025
After another marvelous breakfast, we set off along the Gulf of Corinth on our way to Olympia (pictured above).
There were a number of beaches along the waterfront. Alfredo tells us that in midsummer, it is not unusual for shops to close in the afternoon so that the owners can spend some time at the beach.
We traveled along the gulf for a couple of hours before coming to the crossing at a narrow point. The bridge is a fairly recent construction, providing another option to the ferries that still travel across the strait.
We made a quick stop at one of the most
extensive pastry shops yet. I showed
great restraint in buying only a piece of baklava and a couple of cinnamon
cookies. But they were exquisite!
We took a cogwheel train up the mountain to the town of Kalavryta. It was about an hour total and the scenery was quite nice, as we passed along several gorges with streams flowing below.
Kalavryta had their own holocaust during World War II. The Greek Resistance fighters had attacked a German army group, killing four soldiers. In response, the Germans rounded up all the men and boys over the age of 13 and killed them all. They then locked all of the women and children in the schoolhouse and set it on fire. Many of those people escaped, however. It is thought that one of the soldiers left one of the doors unlocked.
A large white cross sits atop a hill outside of town as a memorial. In front of the museum in town, this sculpture shows an older woman dragging the body of her husband toward the cemetery while her child looks on.
We moved on a little farther to the town of Planetiro, where we had lunch next to the Magic River.
Again, there were multiple appetizer dishes before the main course. We were quite hungry because it was now nearly 2:30 pm, but after the salad, bread, fried cheese and French fries, we were getting pretty full before the fish arrived. The trout was served Greek style, grilled whole. Our server showed us how to flake the tender meat away from the bony skeleton.
But we weren’t too full to enjoy the
delicious walnut cake soaked in orzo.
Then we had still another hour or so of riding before we reached our destination for today, the town of Lagkadia. Once there, I had a little time to take a walk about town and take some nice pictures before we had another dinner together.
The cemetery in Lagkadia was built on a hillside and had five levels. We continue to amazed at how hilly this country is.
And without further ado, on to Olympia.