Serenity and Corinth

We embarked on Thursday and, following a poolside lunch and a nice glass of champagne and being so warmly welcomed by the crew, we set out to explore the ship. This is our first time on the Serenity. It is bigger and its layout is different than its sister's the Symphony. This, coupled with the fact that it is sailing at less than half of its capacity, makes for a lot of, maybe too much? elbow room. Because of this, although the ship is just as beautiful, it feels a little less intimate than the Symphony. Nevertheless, we have quickly found our favourite hangouts, including the Avenue Saloon where Marcie Castro entertains at the piano with unending energy and good humour.

Avenue Saloon

Our cabin

We have a gorgeous balcony cabin - as I write this post I have my feet up on the veranda and keep getting distracted by the beauty of the bay of Samos in front of me. The temperature is in the very high 20s on a sunny cloudless afternoon.

But getting back to the beginning:

That first evening on board felt weird. It is the first time that we are on board a cruise that is not sailing until the following evening. I must admit that it is convenient to be on board and enjoying all the amenities a full day ahead of sailing without any risk of delayed flights or such causing you to miss the ship. On the other hand, it felt strange not to feel the ship's motion that first night.

The following day we took a tour to Corinth and a crossing of the Corinth Canal. The canal connects the Aegean Sea to the Ionian Sea through a stretch four miles long and 70 feet wide, limiting traffic through the canal to one vessel at a time. Roman emperor Nero began the construction of the canal but it came to a halt upon Nero's death. It was finally completed in the late 1800s by the same French company which later attempted (and failed) to build the Panama Canal.

The Corinth Canal

The Canal opening into the Ionian Sea

The ancient city of Corinth, a very wealthy, aristocratic Greek city state where forward, liberal ideas were born, sits nestled by the sea. Its ruins still manage to paint a vivid picture of its past; a wide marble paved avenue lined with shops, bathroom and washing facilities which visitors used to clean themselves upon entering the city, the requisite gymnasium and lots of marvelous columns. Impressive statues, mosaics, ceramics and other archeological finds abund in the small site museum.

Corinth

Corinth

Nero

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