A Peloponnese Road Trip

gldobbs
4 days ago
5 min read

February 16-18, 2026

"Two Corinthians 3:17, that’s the whole ballgame... is that the one you like? I think that’s the one you like, because I loved it”.

Donald Trump

It seemed simple enough. We were due to leave Athens and start on a several day road trip around the Peloponnese peninsula. Although the traffic in Athens is notorious, the car rental office was right beside our hotel on a major thoroughfare with allegedly quick access to the freeway.

After over an hour at the Avis rental, and we were the only one in line, we climbed into our Mazda hybrid and edged out into the rapid stream of Athens traffic. We were fairly well equipped. The car was reasonable and easy to drive and Colleen was armed with Google maps. We have driven hundreds of miles traveling in different countries. This was not our first rodeo.

We missed one turn that was poorly marked. You would think we could just turn around and try again. Not so. The error plunged us into the working port area of Athens where there were no right turns and no exits. Theseus in the labyrinth of the Minotaur did not face so confusing of a puzzle.

Finally, after two hours going in and out of side streets, some no bigger than alleys we made it to the freeway to start what was supposed to be only a 45 minute trip out of town.

We were heading to the Peloponnese peninsula, the large land mass attached to mainland Greece by a narrow isthmus.

Well technically the Peloponnese is now an island because a 4 mile long canal has been cut to try to connect the Ionic sea to the Aegean, thus eliminating the need to sail around it. It was started 67 CE under Nero using slave labor (Mostly Jewish). But he abandoned it and for centuries the project lay ruins. Then in 1889, using more modern equipment it was at last finished. However, by that time, merchant vessels had grown too large to traverse the canal and it became little more than a tourist attraction.

This portion of Greece is wine country. We visited a local vineyard and picked by an exceptional bottle of Chardonnay and a nice table red. The town of Kalamata is here known for exceptional olives and figs. Once free of the Minotaurs lair of traffic that is Athens, it was a pretty drive.

We were heading to Corinth. Yes, that Corinth.

After spending time in Athens, the Apostle Paul traveled to Corinth Greece, this city is located right on the narrow 4 mile wide isthmus. Corinth in this time was actually more prosperous than Athens being a major Roman colony and trading post. He spent around 18 month here, the longest of any of his trips. He worked as a tent maker in the Jewish community. Here he established a church described in Acts 18.

It was not without opposition. Local fundamentalist Jewish leaders, upset at his teachings, trussed him up and brought him to the raised area below in the city for trial by the Roman leader. He dismissed the matter as a internal religious concern and not worth his attention. Paul was released but encouraged to leave town. He did.

The local church continued to misbehave however and Paul, while in Ephesus had to write not one but two letters admonishing them to get with the program. The letters form the well known Epistles in the New Testament of First and Second Corinthians.

We made our way south on the peninsula to Nafplio. Thanks to this town’s strategic position, up against cliffs over looking a vast bay it was highly sought and fought over for years - particularly between the Venetians and the Ottomans. Today it is one of the most charming coastal cities in all of Greece and a top tourist destination.

It is easy to see why. The town looks and feels like Southern Italy. It is full of Venetian style mansions, narrow atmospheric alleys, and charming squares. After Greece won its independence from the Ottoman empire, Nafplio was the first capital of the country.

The Greek Orthodox churches here continue the tradition of stunning interiors that reach to the roof. They are so over the top ornate that they make Catholic churches look positively Lutheran in comparison.

The Lion symbol of St Mark - The symbol of Venice

Worry Beads for sale. Very popular with men. Think of them as secular Rosary beads. (I bought 17 of them)

The town also features several fine Venetian Castles that have been occupied by various invading forces over their many years of existence - including the Nazi’s in WWII.

Nafplio really is beautiful, even in winter.

I guess that is why this guy is here. This is the mega yacht “Blue”. Blue Is the 6th biggest private yacht in the world. (In case you are curious the top 5 yachts are owned by middle eastern Sheikhs and one Russian oligarch.). This "boat" cost 600 million dollars.

Blue is owned by this fellow - Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan. No, not the one on the right, the other guy. He is a member of the royal family of Abu Dhabi and, I am sure its only a coincidence, a 49% stakeholder in Trump’s cryptocurrency company.

( No one person should have that much money)

From Nafplio we drove on a rainy morning a short distance into the surrounding hills to Epidavargos. This ancient site was a a combination of a hospital and restorative heath spa for the Romans dedicated to the God of medicine Asclepius.

Asclepius ( When I was working I always dressed this way. I had such great hair)

We toured the ruins but the highlight was the stadium. This is the largest intact Roman theatre in the world and it stood right next to the town. It is massive and when full seats 15,000 people. The acoustics were remarkable. When you stood in the center, you could easily be heard from the top row. Due to the misty weather we had the place virtually to ourselves.