Corinth Canal – an amazing experience

After a very restless night on a buoy in the middle of nowhere, we set off at 5 am, into the first light and, as every morning, with an intense sunrise. Long waves accompany us through the Strait of Corinth, left side Peleonnese. It seems as if this coast is almost uninhabited, only a few small towns, but many bizarre rock formations. After hours we reach the channel, at first everything looks unspectacular. We register by radio and then wait until we are allowed to pass through. But then: it’s an insanely cool experience to drive through, everything is steep and narrow. There are several bridges over the canal, some of them full of tourists. This passage alone was worth the effort. Simply unforgettable. At the exit, a short stop to refuel and pay the canal fee, a staggering 200 euros. But I saved a good 350km. The canal is still open until September, then it will be closed again to install more crash devices, because 3 years ago the canal was blocked by rockfalls. Then we pass Salamis, a place where the Greeks destroyed the Persian fleet almost 2500 years ago. Then we pass Piraeus and see the mighty city of Athens in the background, we can even make out the Acropolis. Right through the middle of a fleet of containers, freighters and tankers, now we see how small our boat is. Well, and then there are greetings from Poseidon again. Just like Odysseus experienced on his tour. It rattles and rocks mightily, waves crash across the boat and we slowly become a plaything of the forces of nature.