#108 Dusty, hot history and a cooling off next to a volcano

April 8-9, 2022: Epidauros, Devil's Bridge

F. The ancient Epidauros is one of the archaeological highlights in the Peloponnese and was once one of the most important sanctuaries for the healing god Asclepius and his father Apollo. Over the millennia, the healing process of a sick person became increasingly complex and expanded. At the beginning, a sick person was only given clean water from the many springs in the area. In the end, the healing process consisted of six steps: purification in one of the many bathhouses, sacrifice to Apollo, sleep, conversation with a priest about the (medical) healing procedure applied, accommodation on site in the guesthouse, and last but not least, the use of various cultural offerings.

As is often the case in Greece, only the foundation walls of the ancient buildings have survived. In Epidauros, this is also the case except for the theater, so once again, a lot of imagination is needed to imagine what it might have looked like here on the rubble heap in the past. Fortunately, there are enough information panels and texts that make it much easier to imagine this and bring the foundation walls, which are up to 8,000 years old, back to life.

I don't want to complain, but it's starting to get really hot here in Greece. During our visit to Epidauros, I was already glad to stand in the shade. In the shade, the thermometer showed 24 degrees, and in the sun it went over 40 degrees. So after two hours of dusty history, Jenny and I wanted to cool off a bit in the sea and went to the beach in the new Epidauros. Unfortunately, we quickly realized that relaxed bathing is not possible on the entire east coast of the Peloponnese, as the rocky beaches are crowded with poisonous sea urchins.

After a night on the Methana volcano, we finally went into the cool water. We went to Devil's Bridge. This is a beautiful gorge with a small river running at its bottom and spanned by a natural bridge. The descent to the river is a bit of a climbing challenge, but it's definitely worth it. The crystal-clear river water was almost too cold for this time of year. In summer, this must be a popular place even for locals, as there is plenty of shade and cold water here.

Day 176 - Total tour 13,544 km

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