Stage 34: From Corinth to Athens

On 11/11, I left Corinth for Athens right on time. I wanted to arrive a day before my father, who would accompany me in Athens for a week.

A few kilometers east of Corinth is the Isthmus of Corinth, a narrow strip of land that was dug through by an artificial canal in the late 19th century for shipping. An actual shortcut from the Bay of Corinth to the Saronic Gulf, but only suitable for small ships. Along the canal there is a path that is only accessible to pedestrians and cyclists, so it was a relaxing ride. Continuing along the coast of the Saronic Gulf, I passed picturesque industrial areas and idyllic power plants. Inspired by the chemical scents, I decided to shorten the already short stage by making a short visit to the island of Salamis. The ferry ride from Megara cost 85 cents, and the return trip to the mainland to Perama cost one euro. After that, I had to make my way through the rush hour traffic in Piraeus to the southern Athens district of Faliro, where my starting number for the Athens Marathon was waiting for me. I spent the first night in Athens at a small, cozy hostel.

The next day, I went on another Free Walking Tour to get a glimpse of the main attractions and catch up with my well-informed father. But the highlight of the tour were two American women who were also in town for the marathon. Both of them around 70 years old and having participated in over 400 marathons in total! I always wondered who are the crazy ones in the '100 Marathon Club'... In the afternoon, I moved to a new accommodation, a nice apartment in the quiet tourist district of Psirri. Papa arrived shortly after me, and over a delicious meal (and beer), we made plans for the next few days.

The next day, we headed straight to the Acropolis, which is a must-visit in Athens. I was most impressed by the omnipresence of this ancient site in such a modern metropolis. From almost every corner of the city, you can see the small mountain with the Parthenon and Erechtheion. After an extensive tour, we continued to the Hill of the Muses, passing by the prison of Socrates to the Philopappos Monument, which offered a great view over a large part of the city. Later, at the Acropolis Museum, we were able to admire many artifacts from the Acropolis and decorations of the temple complexes. That was enough walking for me on the day before the marathon, so it was time to go to a restaurant and set the alarm for 4:30 am.

Runners from my starting group were supposed to take the shuttle transfer between 5:30 am and 6:15 am, which was quite an announcement. So I groggily got on the modern coach to Marathon, and fortunately, the other runners were not feeling any better. The atmosphere in the Marathon Stadium was good, even though most of the runners were probably better prepared than me (I haven't read cycling, fast food, and beer as training tips for marathon preparation). The first 21 kilometers went surprisingly well, but the never-ending ascent and the tired muscles hit me hard in the second half. The last 10 kilometers were pure torment, but it didn't matter, the important thing was to participate! Relieved and happy, I made it to the finish line at the Panathenaic Stadium, so I can check off the original marathon from my list. However, in the afternoon, I had to move around more like crawling! While I was vegetating at the accommodation, Papa visited the Greek Agora. In the evening, I went to the third stadium of the day, this time to the Olympic Stadium of Athens. Together with Günni, Alex, Michael, and two other Germans, we watched the exciting match between Kosovo and Greece. World Cup qualification, both teams already out of chances of qualifying, so it was a tough fight! After the nerve-wracking match, where the highlight was the reunion with Alex and Michael, we took a taxi back to the apartment at one o'clock in the morning. It was a really long day for me!

The next day was not any better, so Papa had to visit the museum and the Lykabettus Hill without me. Instead, I made myself comfortable at the accommodation, sorted pictures, and watched Netflix. The day after, I was still limping, but Papa had wisely booked a guided day tour in advance. It was quite bearable. The tour was packed with stops and sights, so it didn't get boring. First, we went to the Corinth Canal (I've already been there!), and then we continued to Mycenae, Nafplio, and Epidaurus in the Peloponnese. Although I was the youngest and slowest in the small tour group, I had a lot of fun and it was the perfect combination of seeing a lot and moving less on such a day! Regardless, I can recommend the tour to anyone who has a whole day in Athens after visiting the Acropolis and Co. In the evening, there was a big reunion with Jeremy. He arrived in Athens in the afternoon. We celebrated his birthday in a hostel near our accommodation, along with a few other hostel guests, the usual suspects Alex and Michael, and of course, some ouzo.

Since there was no improvement in sight for my legs the next day, we immediately went on the next bus tour, this time to Delphi and its world-famous oracle. In the midst of majestic mountains, one could understand why people back then believed they could communicate with the gods here. The intoxicating vapors from the depths of the earth added to the experience. This tour was also worth it, even though there was a higher proportion of travel time and fewer stops at attractions. Delphi is situated at the center/navel of the world, and even the tour guide can't change that.

The next day, it was time to say goodbye again. Günni stayed with me in Athens for a total of six nights, and I really enjoyed the time with him. I'm already looking forward to seeing him again over Christmas! I decided to stay in Athens for two more days to rest and catch up on missed sights. So I moved again within Athens, this time to a hostel that had just opened a few days earlier. It was a real lucky find for little money, including a small opening concert on the last evening. Other than that, I visited the Greek Agora, walked past Technopolis, rested, and of course, worked on the blog! On 11/20, after a total of nine nights, it was time to continue north, as there wasn't much further east to go from Athens.