Loutraki to Diakopta then a train to Kalavrita

So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all to the glory of God.
1Corinthians 10:13

Shortly after leaving Loutraki we went over a submersible bridge at the Eastern entrance to the Corinth Canal.

Looking far into the Corinth cannal you can almost make out the other two bridges. This submersible bridge in the foreground was made with wooden sleepers and metal sides. Once it goes under the water, ships can go over with no height restrictions, especially good for sailing boats. A negative aspect is that its maintenance is complex and the costs are higher.

For most of the way to Diakopto the road ran so close to the sea that in places its narrow way was splashed with saltiness, while Tamarisk trees cooled shaded areas.

This shows a park up area along this road following the gulf of Corinth.

An old steam train parked up outside Diakopto station.
Between 1889 and 1896 a narrow -gauge railway was engineered by an Italian Company to bring ore down from the Kalavrita area.
En route they managed to make 14 tunnels and many bridges over the Vouraikos gorge.
The gorge is 37.5 km / 23.3 miles long ,
visitors can take this train trip.

The source of the Vouraikos is in the Aroania mountains and its mouth is near the town of Diakopto, where it flows into the Gulf of Corinth.

It was with a train full of 15 to 16 year olds and their 5 teachers that we did the trip up the Vouraikos gorge. Often the rails cling to the side of the cliff allowing a straight down to the river below view while bridges across are also such that you feel the depth of the gorge and the heights of the cliff. The teens made appropriate sounds as we saw raw stone, thick vegetation, (in many places) as well as the broken flow of water made by creative rock pools far below.

Notice the cogs in the middle of the track to help pull the train up, and slow it down where necessary.

Diakopto had a fish market on the go as well as a truck with a loud speaker announcing the sale of artichokes and other vegetables while coffee shops were doing a good trade with the locals as we left the station.

The town at the other end of the gorge, Kalavrita was more tourist oriented and sofisticated. We found some of the shops closed but had just ordered from a menu when our good choice was confirmed by all the school children and their teachers. The restraunt was large and it was a pleasant time with good Greek food. Their speciality being feta cheese and them saying they were known for good quality water. I had noticed on our journey just before the deepest part of the gorge an elderly lady walking with a large herd of goats. She had her stick in hand but no dogs that we saw. A pleasure to see her and the healthy animals in a beautiful setting. I would have preferred to be with her for a while but the train went so quickly by.

Here are some puns about rock and water:

What do you call a rock that never goes to school?

A skipping stone.

Where do rocks like to sleep?

In bedrocks!

Why does the river have problems remembering things.

Because it is becoming sea nile.

Why does water never laugh at jokes?

It isn’t a fan of dry humour.
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