44. On the thumb

Day 44: Today we made further progress to the south of the Peloponnese-thumb. Our first goal were the sinkholes of Didima. In doing so, we had to cross the peninsula from east to west.

Since we have been traveling here in Greece, we have already crossed numerous mountain ranges. Some of them were quite high and some were technically exciting because the roads were narrow and poorly secured (no guardrails, etc.). But all of them have pleased us in terms of landscape. We did not expect Greece to have so many beautiful mountain passes. Unfortunately, we have hardly documented this so far and have not published it here. When we had another crossing this morning, we decided to report on it in a timely manner.

On the approach to Didima, you can already see the larger of the two sinkholes from a distance. Sinkholes are formed when limestone is dissolved and washed away underground by water, and then finally collapses. From above, a hole is created in the ground. And there are two of these "holes" at Didima, which are among the largest in the world. The smaller of the two sinkholes is circular and has a fairly constant depth. If you walk along the edge at the bottom, you can circle it in a few minutes. You will also come across two small Orthodox chapels that use the overhanging edge of the sinkhole as a "roof".

The larger sinkhole is located on a slope, which is why it has a clearly "developed" edge on only one side. You can also explore it, but you have to overcome fallen boulders on all fours more often, and the exploration takes a good half hour. We like this one even better because the high back wall is quite threateningly hanging over us. Very nice, we really enjoyed it!

Afterwards, we went to the Franchthi cave. This is not one of the many stalactite caves found here, but basically a very wide natural stone arch, which once housed a small prehistoric settlement. That is also quite interesting, but cannot compete with the Arches in the state of Utah. The visit was still worth it, especially in combination with the beautiful beach where we started walking. For the rest of the afternoon, it belongs to us. The water here is noticeably warmer than before, so that we can swim for a longer time for the first time.

In the evening, however, there is a small thunderstorm, so instead of grilled vegetables, "only" salad is on the menu.