World Trip – Stage 2, Bari to Athens

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18th to 21st March

Having touched down at the very North of Italy, and the very South, it was time to move on. The ferry from Bari to Patras, in Greece, was not small…. Built by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries in Japan, the F/B Ariadne was 200m long, beam of 25m and can take 2,045 passengers.

We embarked, after a long walk avoiding busy areas with manoeuvring heavy trucks and container tractors. We realised that passengers arriving on foot were few and far between… However, on embarking, we were treated to two very flash escalators, which was welcome, considering the weight of our backpacks.

Our cabin was surprisingly very generous, with plenty of room for two beds, a work desk and sitting area. The bathroom even offered a full sized bath!

Being a Greek ship, we adjusted our watches – plus one hour. Our first Greek dinner was in the splendid A La Carte restaurant, served by a nice waiter who had no idea about what the printed menus meant. We finally found a common understanding, and enjoyed a delicious meal.

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We were robbed of the hearty brunch we had planned, as we suspected that we would have nothing more to eat until dinner. The ship arrived early, and consequently the eateries shut unexpectedly early. We made do with a shared spanakopita (a delicious snack with spinach in filo pastry).

Disembarking, we were first off the ship, and had no idea which way to go. In front of us, we had a vast, empty expanse of tarmac, no signage, with a fence and some buildings at a distance. Ah well, let’s head for the nearest car park….! Wrong.

Nico, or properly Nikolaos, who was to take us on a tour of the Peloponnese was parked elsewhere. So, we trudged up a one-way road, and finally met up with him, and a tall, elegant woman. She turned out to be Angelina, Nico’s wife, who was to accompany us on our tour.

Now, Nico has connotations going back to year 2007. It was then that Lynne’s late father, Fred (the Professor), Chris (the Student), and Peter (the Wallet), toured around Classical sites with Nico. So, here we were again, 16 years later.

We sped off to catch the Museum at Ancient Olympia (missing lunch) before it shut at 3.30pm, returning to the archaeological site in the morning. More could be written here to fill a book. Perhaps another day…. Suffice to say, this is the birthplace of the Olympics, where the flame is lit before each modern game. A splendid site combining religion, sports, administration, and the remains of astoundingly huge stone temples.

Perhaps the most poignant experience was visiting the Stadium entrance, where we took pictures of ourselves in exactly the same place as we have photos of Fred and Chris, back in 2007.

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The stadium, a nearly 200m long track, had a group of German tourists at the start end. Undaunted, Lynne and I went….. One, Two – THREE!… and, off we ran, speeding down the track to the probable astonishment of the Germans. This time Peter won; last time it was Chris.

We had the same wonderful connection with Fred and Chris from 2007 later that day when we visited Mycenae. We have corresponding pictures with Fred and Chris.

Mycenae was astonishing, looking over the Plains of Argos, connections to the Trojan wars, Agamemnon, Aegisthus, Clytemnestra, for thousands of years a tiny beacon of civilisation in the darkness of the world.

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We stayed one night at Nafplio, with high fortifications witnessing the struggles over the centuries. Crusaders, Ottomans, Venetians, back and forth the struggles went. Also interestingly, a former capital city of Greece, and a popular destination for Athenian weekenders, with its pleasant restaurant and bar offerings and clean sea air.

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The ancient city of Epidaurus was fascinating – the birth of healing, led by Asclepius in the sixth century BC, but also the huge theatre, where Peter, took the opportunity to stand in the acoustic centre and declaim…. “Friends – Romans – Countrymen… Lend me your ears…!” to a round of applause from hoards of visiting schoolchildren.

From Epidaurus, we briefly visited Ancient Corinth, which was closed for the day and instead climbed very high into the hillside fort with magnificent views. On our way to Athens we stopped to view the Corinth canal from above, reminding Lynne of her sail through it in 1987, as impressive from above as at water level.

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We were dropped off at our apartment in the late afternoon. The tour of the Peloponnese was quite emotional for Lynne as it brought back memories of her father, without the luxury of asking him for his insights. As Peter recounted, Fred was very aware that that would have been his last visit to Greece: he was eager to impart his knowledge and love of the Ancient World to Chris, but also fell silent in reflection, himself.