After all, it is Friday!

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One of the advantages of living close to the big city is that whenever comes up a need to go there and arrange some affairs, it is easy to do so. It is also something that I have missed during the nine years that I was living in a remote island and every visit to Athens was a difficult and expensive trip.

But it turns out that the exact same thing can easily become a disadvantage. I am telling this because since my previous post (witch by the way was about Athens) last Friday, I have been there not one but two more times! Making a total of three visits in less than two weeks.

Don't get me wrong, I love travelling but going up and down on the same highway, is not exactly my definition of fun and visiting a big, chaotic city on a very tight schedule can become quite problematic too!

But as I was driving back to Nafplio for this third time, I decided to avoid the highway and take an alternative, more touristic route :)

The old road

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This is the national road 8 or more commonly, the old Athens - Patras national road. It is now replaced by a modern highway with three lines in each direction but some parts of it are still in use and are true gems from the past. I love this particular part, right on the coast line. No matter what the reason of the trip is, I can't avoid feeling that I am on vacation. Especially on a bright, summer day like today :)

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The steep hillside on one side, the sea on the other and summer resorts established in the distant past when everything was more clean and more simple. Now the industrial zone of Athens is only a few kilometres behind me polluting the sea and the air very intensively. But people seem to prefer to forget about it and enjoy their summer in the best way they can!

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The Corinth Canal

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The Corinth Canal is an artificial canal in Greece that connects the Gulf of Corinth in the Ionian Sea with the Saronic Gulf in the Aegean Sea. It cuts through the narrow Isthmus of Corinth and separates the Peloponnese from the Greek mainland, arguably making the peninsula an island. The canal was dug through the Isthmus at sea level and has no locks. It is 6.4 kilometres (4 miles) in length and only 24.6 metres (80.7 feet) wide at sea level, making it impassable for many modern ships. It is currently of little economic importance and is mainly a tourist attraction.
source

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And to complete the tourist attraction part of the canal, there is a memorial to the people who participated in the construction, a statue of the prime minister of Greece during that period and an info kiosk that informs the travellers about the beauties of the whole region!

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Not really a market

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Yet all the above are for free!

And having tourists but nothing to sell, is an insult to the gods of commerce :)

The Greek business acumen came to fill the gap with cheap souvenirs and summerish accessories!

And most importantly, they gave me the excuse to dedicate this post to the #MarketFriday community, initiated by @dswigle :)

It is not much of a market but I know that Denise enjoys a travelling touch in our posts and after all, it is Friday!

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The train station

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For the next part of my journey I remained away from the highway and I continued on the old road. The scenery changed from seaside to rural. Now I was surrounded by olive groves, vineyards and apricot trees. This part of the road goes alongside with the rails of an interrupted railway. I have traveled on this train when I was young but now it's only the bumps at each intersection that have remained as well as the abandoned train stations.

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This is the last one at my route and a perfect spot for some resting under the shadow of the trees and a few more pictures. My trustworthy bike has taken me to many great journeys for decades but the years are starting to show both on the machine and the man :)

A more slow pace with a lot of stops is now more suitable for both of us. Which is just fine for me!

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The next turn brought me to the last part of the journey but now I was too eager getting home to make more stops. The heat of the noon was getting stronger, I was getting hungry and the last kilometres passed in no time :)

Have a great weekend!

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Unless stated otherwise, all the pictures and the words are mine.

Thank you for reading and if you want to know more about me you can check out my introduction post.

Commenting, upvoting and rebloging are highly appreciated!



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12 comments
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The scenery begs to be photographed., don't you think so? How lucky that you were passing by and able to accommodate it. How kind! I like the view of the steep mountains, the trees/bushes hanging off the top, and the viaduct adds mountains of charm to the shot. You have gone back and forth three times already, so soon these trips! Over here, flying short trips is usually expensive and driving is time-consuming unless there is no rush. I love it when you take the long way home. :) The bike, fresh air (even if it is hot) the beauty of the road less traveled. You certainly know how to live.

Unintended beauty that just is. You can see right to the bottom with the crystal clear water, no need to don a diving/snorkeling mask to see what is down there.

The Corinth Canal is an artificial canal in Greece that connects the Gulf of Corinth in the Ionian Sea with the Saronic Gulf in the Aegean Sea. It cuts through the narrow Isthmus of Corinth and separates the Peloponnese from the Greek mainland, arguably making the peninsula an island.

You had me on that one! I had no idea there was an Isthmus! You cannot make something an island by cutting into it. :) It must be born that way! Kidding. My shore house is on a peninsula, but, it is really an island with three bridges connecting it to three different mainland. So they call it a peninsula. Ha.

It is always fun to go with you on your travels, you give the best views, especially in real life. I see you even found a real market! You really should get extra points for that one. The scenery was gorgeous, I won't lie, however, the train station and the tracks, the shot of the door. Those are your powerhouse shots always. The others are stunning, but, you see the overlooked and make it quite spectacular.

Thank you, as always! So sorry to be so late. I am definitely better, just now a little harder to get motivated! Too much time off.

#MarketFriday began as a way to reach out across the globe and learn about different cultures through their markets, especially local markets and farmers' markets, and eventually branched out and evolved over time from straight shopping to a cultural affair as it highlights how we differ and then again, how much we are alike. We have become a melting pot of culture, but it is still the Rituals, Festivals, food, architecture, and even your language/languages that separate us... Along with the fact that these things are normal for us. There are unwritten rules that rule our social behaviors. I see this as allowing for increased tolerance between cultures and nations, and opportunities to come together on an even playing ground. A strong culture can be beneficial to a country as it promotes unity, especially during a crisis, peaceful debate, and open dialogue. I have learned so much about all of you and it has been an amazing experience. I can only hope that learning about each other can help us work together for a peaceful world.

Thank you for being a part of #MarketFriday

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Thank you very much Denise, as you can see I am a bit behind in my answering rate too :)

I am glad I managed to make at least one of those trips in my own pace and take pictures of it! Especially on such a beloved route!

you cannot make something an island

Actually there is a teasing in Greece between the people of Crete which is the biggest island of the country and the people of the Peloponnese which is bigger than Crete but it is not an island, although they claim to be thanks to the isthmus :)

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Oh wow, what clear water!!

I also like the Corinth Canal photos, I have never seen it (I mean, neither on photos)

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It isn't a major attraction so no wonder you haven't seen it but for those that pass from there is a nice stop!

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One of my most favourite routes by bike (by car you might be committed to spend it behind a slow lorry). It's a time machine taking you back several decades ago and a very scenic one.

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It is the definition of the road that you want to pass with a bike and not a car :)
I love it too!

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I really enjoyed viewing these photos; really giving celestial vibes all around.

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Thanks a lot, I am glad you liked them :)

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Thank you so much for approving my comment and not considering me as spam.

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