Subject: Report #104 Katakolon, Greece April 13, 2016 Wednesday Mostly sunny & 69 degrees Part #1 of 3 86 Pictures
Well, here we are, in our second port in Greece, Katakolon. After sailing all night, we arrived here around 9am to the calmest seas we have had in days. That is another good reason that the damaged, but now fixed tender boat #9 was dropped to the water, tested, and put back in her normal spot. Number 10 boat had to be dropped as well, but not until we were ready to leave the harbor. Looks like all went well, and the boat still floats and the new props work.
Years ago, we found this port to be a simple fishing village, and pretty much a drop-off point for the city of Olympia. The birthplace of the modern Olympic Games, the ancient city of Olympia dates back to the 9th century BC. Even back then, every four years men came from every city in Greece would come here to compete to honor the god, Zeus. Most impressive is the Temple of Zeus, built around 470BC. The actual stadium for the games held 40,000 spectators, which is impressive for those days. For centuries, only men were allowed to watch these games.
One of the most important museums in Greece is the Archaeological Museum of Olympia, and the ship offered many tours to see all of these sites today.
Here are a few samples of the shore excursions you could buy. The best of Olympia included most all of the sires for 7 hours for $145. It did include lunch. Shorter tours to the same areas without lunch were 4 to 4 ½ hours for $75 to $120. Vineyards and Winery Tour was only 2 ¼ hours for $90. We spoke to a couple who took the 5 Euro town ride, and paid to get in the winery for far less. The Magna Grecia Farm Visit for 3 hours at $90 was a fun tour we did one of the last times we were here. This farm was a real one, where the residents turned their place into a restaurant for sampling local food, and also a shop for selling the local specialties of olive oils, wine, vinegar, and honey. Good tour and short as well.
Olympia was a one-time tour for us, and since we had done the other excursions, we chose to stay in the village. Going off by 11am, we wandered through town past the many shops, cafes, restaurants, and jewelry stores. At the far end, rides were offered by either a little train (5 Euro) or by a horse-drawn carriage.
We continued past the church, which was closed, up the road and to the muddy sands of the beach. Many older cafes lined the beach, where cars or motorbikes could drive and park on the sand behind the café. It was about deserted, so we figured that this town is a summer resort area…pretty much seasonal. Except for when cruise ships come in, the town and village remains quiet.
Walking back, we headed past town, and continued up the very steep road to the hotel on the ridge. The name of it was Orizontes View Hotel, situated between farm houses and olive orchards. We could hear goats, sheep, and chickens, as well as turkeys somewhere in the pine-wooded hillsides. It was around 1pm, so we hoped they would be open for lunch.
Lucky for us, they were opened, and not terribly busy. Walking through the hotel to the outdoor patio, we had our pick of tables. There were about five or six people there, so we knew the service would be good. We ordered two Astel beers, fried cheese with a pimento cheese spread, and linguine Napoli with a red tomato sauce. The waiter brought a basket of fresh wheat bread with our order, and also a bottle of water (complimentary). It was really nice sitting on the breezy patio, while watching the scenery below of the harbor and the town. We stayed until 2pm, then headed back down.
Near the bottom of the road, there was a grizzly man with a long white beard that had made a cliffside abode from pieces of discarded junk. Old doors, metal roofing, rusted carts, old tires…..you name it, and it could be found in the rubble. In the midst of this stuff were chickens, goats, and baby goats somewhere, as we could hear them crying. We spotted a tiny trailer where this man made his home. It was covered with more junk.
We noticed that some townfolk had stopped their car, and left a plastic bag full of old bread on the rickety fence. Guess it was for the animals that lived there. There were several bags lined up on that fence.
Besides lunch, the only thing we bought was a leather belt for 5 Euro. Most all of their souvenirs and clothing was affordable, except for the jewelry in the fancy shops. We also ran into friends Leta and Bill, who were enjoying beers and a snack at a corner café. By now, all of the restaurants were full of customers from our ship.
Did we mentioned there was another vessel in port? It was a small one by comparison, by the name of La Belle De L'Adriatique. From the info we could find in our cruise ship book, it is possible this ship belongs to CDF Croisieres de France. This company was founded and owned by Royal Caribbean Cruise Line, who eventually sold it to Pullmantur Cruises, also an RCCL holding. Our book was a 2014 volume, and this ship was not listed. So we can assume it is very new. Anyway, our waiter had told us that the ship arrived around 6am, and she would leave by 1:30pm. Since she held only 2 lifeboats, there must be a very small amount of passengers on this ship. By the way, it is a French speaking crew and passengers, all-inclusive, and all tips included.
We got back to the ship by 3:30pm, and downloaded photos until sail away time at 5:30pm. From deck nine, we watched as the tender boat maneuvered to be picked up after we sailed clear of the harbor. Both tender boats had to be lifted so they could be back where they belonged. Mission accomplished, we gained speed and left Greece behind. It had been a really nice day for us.
Making it even a nicer day, were the gifts of flavored vitamin water bottles, and a beautiful flower arrangement for President's Club amenities. Very nice.
Dinnertime found all of us there, sitting at two tables. In two days, Ruud will head back to Holland, and by Rome, Sharon will leave for Sydney. That will leave 11 of us....a tight squeeze, but we will figure it out.
All of us were tired, so don't know who went to the show this evening. It was a performance by two brothers playing one piano. They promised high energy, lighthearted humor, and audience participation. Hmmm, that last description always scares us. Anyway, four hands, two brothers, and one piano. Should be interesting…………
Even better, the clocks went back one hour tonight. Always a good thing.
Bill & Mary Ann
Coming into the bay at Katakolon, Greece
The port for Olympia
We see land
Hillsides
The breakwater
Tender boat # 9 getting lowered down to the water
Sailing into the harbor
Hope it floats
Yep, water-tight
Testing the new props
Looking good
Will stay in the water until we leave
Local tugboat
On standby
La Belle de L'Anriatique
Arrived well before the Amsterdam
Pulling alongside the dock
Only two life boats – small French ship
Duty Free Shop
May belong to the CDF Crosieres de France
Amsterdam docked in Katakolon
Two restaurants, one hotel
The pier
This way to town
A new construction
The start of many stores on Main Street
Ship is docked very close
Side street shops
All for the tourists
Nice clothing
Not too many shoppers yet
That would change when the tours got back
A summer house
Souvenirs galore
Many small cafes
Many benches as well
One way to get around town
Horse-drawn ride
Central park
St. Nicholas Church (1906)
Local train ride was 5 Euro
School kids out for lunch break
Orange trees lined the streets and yards
Ship docked very close
Quiet summertime village
Will be full of guests during the summer months
Quaint ride
Work was being done near the old marina
The beach was mostly muddy sand
Probably filled with sunbathers during the summertime
A lone boat
Elementary school
A hotel
Looks like an old train station near the tracks
Very old structure
No traffic today
St. Nicholas Church
Not open to the public
The back street
Great spots for a beer or two
Side alleyway leads to the hillside stairs up the hill
Sidewalk cafe
Shops sold jewelry, soap, and olive wood products
This area is fairly new
Hats and scarves
Older building
Nicely-tiled stairway
Garden of potted plants
Healthy orange trees
Back streets in town
More shops
Back to the ship or not
Stairway to the hillside homes
Early in the day
Most hats were about 5 Euro
Hillside of weeds
Great colors for buildings….yes, that is a wooden ram
Blooming spring flowers
Artichokes in bloom
A red rose among the weeds
A happy rooster
View from the roadside
Steep slopes
Clear shoreline waters
The view of the ship from the road
Close to the edge
