The Korinth Canal
After arriving from all different areas of Athens, Greece, or the world, we united at Marina Zea in Pireaus to board the Panorama for our voyage up the Dalmation Coast. Pan orama means "all-encompassing view" in Greek, and the views were indeed surrounding as we departed on calm seas and in beautiful light on the Athens valley.
We explored the ship and the general consensus on the first afternoon was that the deck of choice was the upper aft deck behind the bar. Going with the flow, we held our first introductions and briefings outside with the audience, and the atmosphere was festive well into dinner. Who would have thought that some of us had started the day across the Atlantic Ocean!
But the best was yet to come, with an after-dinner transit of the Korinth Canal. This narrow 4.5 nautical mile passage from the Aegean Sea into the Gulf of Korinth felt like we were sneaking through a private alleyway. Layered limestone walls felt close enough to touch, and were hauntingly illuminated from the water level. We were all on deck for a most surprising and surreal experience, following the historic short-cut that ancient Greeks had dreamt of as they dragged their cargo over grooved tracks at this very passage.
We went to sleep feeling that we had a full day behind us, with the oracle of Delphi filling our dreams of the morning.
After arriving from all different areas of Athens, Greece, or the world, we united at Marina Zea in Pireaus to board the Panorama for our voyage up the Dalmation Coast. Pan orama means "all-encompassing view" in Greek, and the views were indeed surrounding as we departed on calm seas and in beautiful light on the Athens valley.
We explored the ship and the general consensus on the first afternoon was that the deck of choice was the upper aft deck behind the bar. Going with the flow, we held our first introductions and briefings outside with the audience, and the atmosphere was festive well into dinner. Who would have thought that some of us had started the day across the Atlantic Ocean!
But the best was yet to come, with an after-dinner transit of the Korinth Canal. This narrow 4.5 nautical mile passage from the Aegean Sea into the Gulf of Korinth felt like we were sneaking through a private alleyway. Layered limestone walls felt close enough to touch, and were hauntingly illuminated from the water level. We were all on deck for a most surprising and surreal experience, following the historic short-cut that ancient Greeks had dreamt of as they dragged their cargo over grooved tracks at this very passage.
We went to sleep feeling that we had a full day behind us, with the oracle of Delphi filling our dreams of the morning.
