Rack & Pinion Interlude

Dhiakofto

From another concrete bunker, this time in the midst of downtown Korinthos, plans were afoot for a little air-conditioned car travel.   But first, we thought we’d try our luck on a train trip; a day to explore the Kalavryta rack & pinion railway.  How hard could it be? 

Don't actually think there's a train due today....  Korinthos

Firstly, don’t use a 2006 travel guide (doh!).  The Korinthos train station was deserted, long mothballed.  What to do then?  Hail a taxi and find the new line, conveniently isolated about 4k from the city centre!  Luckily, the next train west to Kiato, left in an hour.  Time for breakfast then, from a selection of 10 different cheese pastries, all indigestion inducing, to accompany our latest addiction, freddochino (cold coffee). 

Little did we know that our first and only train stop, Kiato, was the end of the new line – 15 mins in all, needing another hour by bus to Dhiakofto, a sleepy coastal village.  Just in time for the next “rack” train to Kalavryta – it leaves… in an hour (for an extortionate €38 return for us both).   

Some of the scenery and a few interesting bridges
(all terrible photos because of closed windows)

Built in 1889 by Italians intent on transferring mined ore to the coast, this 22km of narrow-gauge line follows the steadily rising Vouraikos gorge.  We snaked our way up 1:7 gradients skimpily clinging to rocky ledges and scant bridges spanning precipitous ravines.  First stop (after 45mins) was leafy Zakhlorou for those wishing to visit the Great Cave Monastery, once prosperous, until WW2 when Nazi Germany relieved it of its antiques and relics (fortunately, much has been recovered).  From here our journey continued higher into “alpine” fields below Mt Helmos to the delightful village of Kalavryta.  We walked cobbled streets to discover its grim past.  Due to partisan activity in this area, German occupiers, in 1943, killed all village males and torched the town.  Now, many Greeks make this visit as a pilgrimage.   Nearby Mt Helmos, a busy ski resort in winter was in more ancient times better renown as the source of the legendary river Styx.

Kalavryta's restored church and lovely mosaics.
The left clocktower is fixed at the exact time of the massacre.

We arrived back at Dhiakofto thinking our wait for the next bus/train back to Korinthos would be short. Clearly not!  The ticket officer stamped his finger at 18:15 on an Athens timetable.  Three hours then to sit beside the town fountain in Dhiakofto with sleepy residents and their sleepy dogs.  (Have we mentioned that whole towns close down from 1-6pm for lunch and a snooze.)  Finally back at Kiato, we discovered that “return tickets all paid” was as accurate advice as the timetable information we’d been given.  Forking over yet another €6 we had to run for the train.  Back to WJ3 by 8.30pm!  In hindsight, it would have been easier and cheaper, to have just hired a car and braved the National Highway…

 

Kalavryta Station

(Photos will happen when we find somewhere to top up our sim card... )