Bon Voyage

This morning I decided to skip the additional trip down to Sparta and Mystras and to forge ahead to Italy. Greece has been nice, but I think I'm ready to move on to something different now. Sparta is also challenging to get to and there are no easy connections to Patra where I will take a ferry to Italy. The more I looked at the very few things to see in Sparta and Mystras, it felt like I could use my time and energy better in another place.

I checked with the owners where I was staying who informed me the bus would pick me up at the end of the street and take me back to Korinthos where I could then head to Loutraki and pick up another bus to Patra. Since I had already been though Korinthos, I had an idea of what to expect and how to get my ticket to the next place. Getting to Loutraki was relatively easy and the bus station was right next to the drop off point. When I went inside and asked for a ticket to Patra, the lady told me I was in the wrong place and had to be at the Corinth Canal to get that bus. A guy, who I soon found out was the next bus driver, said he could tell me where to get off.

Once at the Corinth Canal bus station I got a ticket at 1pm to Patra which would give me plenty of time to find a ferry company and some food before leaving Patra. My travel book mentioned an easy to find tourist office near the docks which turned out to be one of my best choices yet. They offered me easy directions to the correct ferry company, where to find food and best of all free internet! I headed down the street to get my ferry ticket and just a few blocks away found a restaurant to eat a large meal before the boat ride. I happened across a grocery store where I picked up some bread and apples for a snack on the ship tonight.

The room I booked for my overnight ferry ride is really cozy. It's a 4 bed cabin, but only one other woman about my age was in there. This has to be the most comfortable bed I've slept in yet! I ventured outside to see what it was like on deck--talk about massive wind! I was almost blown across the slippery, wet deck. The view was foggy and cloudy, but I could make out the lights along the coast of Greece. Here's to a peaceful night's sleep!