11th - 17th September 2020: Ermioni, Peloponnese (Greece)

From Athens, we now head to the Peloponnese, and it's clear that we'll make a stop in Corinth. We just saw a post about it and now we want to see the depth of the canal for ourselves. While searching for a suitable bridge to take photos, the navigation system takes us to an area that isn't really developed for tourists, but is quite fascinating for history teachers: This is the spot where the German Wehrmacht destroyed the canal in 1944, blasting the steep walls and sinking railway cars and locomotives, making it unusable. The bunkers look like lifeless statues with helmets, and the warning signs about mines and the stench of the sewage pipes running over the former pedestrian bridge create a morbid atmosphere in the midday heat.

We continue driving to see the retractable bridge that is lowered into the water when a ship passes through the canal, instead of being raised or opened. Over coffee and salad, we can watch large yachts and smaller sailboats pass by.

We then continue on breathtaking serpentine roads (some without guardrails!) to the southern tip of the "thumb" of the Peloponnese. We stay in a spacious property right by the sea, in typical white and blue bungalows. It reminds us a bit of an aging small hotel complex that Ericos and his mother Angelina do their best to maintain. Not far away is the small town of Ermioni, with many small shops and a promenade by the harbor - there we can do some last-minute shopping before our dear guests join us again and we celebrate our youngest's 8th birthday together.

He will remember this day for a long time: Parrot cake under the palm trees, drinks with umbrellas right by the sea, and a very relaxed time at the dream beach. Unfortunately, this was slightly spoiled when the three of us were attacked by a jellyfish. The oldest one got hit pretty badly on the side, and the birthday child has visible welts on their arms. But by the time we had the barbecue dinner together, the shock was already overcome.

The rest of the days with our visitors are spent in vacation mode on idyllic beaches, and with an exciting trip to the island of Hydra: Following Ericos' recommendation, we take a taxi boat to avoid waiting for the ferry for a long time. The taxi captain proudly mentions that we'll be on the other side in ten minutes, and we underestimate the distance as well. But then the hellish ride begins: The boat flies over the sea at full speed, crashing into the waves coming towards us, and the sea throws us up and down. The first half of the longest ten minutes is still exciting like a roller coaster (if you like roller coasters), but afterwards, we all just want to quickly get off the boat in one piece.

Our sweaty hands relax in the harbor, and after a rest in a café, we explore the idyllic town of Hydra on the car-free island, and then we can peacefully dive into the waves at the nearby beach.