Nafplio and the Corinth Canal

Our first stop on the Windstar was the charming city of Nafplio on the Peloponnese Peninsula.  This town has a very important part in Greek history as it was the first capital of independent Greece and is thus guarded by three castles with two towering over the city and one taking up a small island in the Harbour.  The town itself is mostly traffic free and is a maze of stepped lanes lined with delightful shops and restaurants. The town was immaculate which really added to its charm.  We look forward to coming back here later on our trip and spending a couple of nights here to visit some of the historic sites.  On this visit we went out to visit and take a trip through the Corinth Canal.  Built in the 1800s this is regarded as the third most important shipping canal in the world.  It connects the Ionian and Aegean Sea and saves the 12,000 ships that use it annually an immense amount of time.  After our trip through the canal we visited a winery in the area and had a wine tasting. The wines were actually quite good. The drive to the canal was quite interesting as we went past endless expanses of orange trees as this is the area where the largest percentage of Valencia oranges are grown.  The fields are dotted with windmill like contraptions which come on automatically when the weather gets cold to keep the trees warm so not to damage the crops.

After the Captains cocktail party Eric and I were invited to dinner at the Captains table with two other couples. The captain is a woman from St Helena and is an absolute delight so was a very pleasant evening.

Arriving at our first port of Nafplio 

This Venetian fortress was a built in the 15th century to protect the harbor 

A second fortress sits high above the town. 999 steps lead up to this one

The canal looking towards the Ionian Sea

A freighter being guided through the canal by a tug. Ships with tall masts can't use the canal due to the bridges overhead

Heading through the canal

Hard to picture large boats actually fitting. They must be able to reach out and touch the sides

Each end of the canal has underwater bridges which rise up out of the water so cars can cross periodically 

A centuries old monastery built right into the hillside 

No need for a stair master in this town

Charming displays tempt passer us

Varieties of stones and pale pastels

Vines often spill from one balcony to the next

Ornate church steeple with fortress in the background 

A charming place to sit and enjoy a cup of coffee

Windstar waiting for departure to our next destination