The Isthmus of Corinth is a narrow (3.9 mi. or 6.3 km wide) land bridge that connects the Peloponnese peninsula with the rest of mainland Greece, near the city of Corinth. Since 1893 the Corinth Canal has run through the isthmus, making the Peloponnese an island.
The Ancient Greeks tried to cut a canal, but didn’t have the proper equipment. In 67 AD, the Roman emperor Nero ordered 6,000 captured Jewish pirates to dig a canal with spades. According to Wiki, Pliny the Elder wrote that the work advanced four stadia (about 5/8 km). The following year Nero died, and his successor Galba abandoned the project. Possibly the worst job ever?
After Greece gained its independence from the Ottoman Empire, the canal was completed after eleven years’ work.
Greece is one of my all-time favorite destinations. Everywhere you look, it’s like a postcard.
Hope your week’s going well so far.
{carole}
Pearls & Prose 
The blue is very striking. The pattern in the water looks almost like a painting! I’m glad it was captured in a photograph. Thanks!
Thank you! The water in Greece is an incredible blue. And clear. Even just outside Athens, you could see to the bottom.
I absolutely agree, that the water in Greece has such a vivid blue I haven’t found anywhere else so far.
The only place I’ve found is the Turquoise Coast of Turkey. Gorgeous.
I went through ttravel pictures yesterday and those with the most striking blue were from Greece.
Great photo, Carole.
Thanks, Caroline. It’s from an old slide, so the quality isn’t the best, but Greece is hard to ruin. I’d love to go back and photograph it properly with no limitations on film and time. And a better camera. 🙂
I have to agree with everyone else: the blue is amazing.
I’ve never been to Greece. Athens seems intimidating, but I’d happily while away some time on Santorini. 🙂
Jackie, this may surprise you, but I found Athens to be one of the least intimidating cities ever. The Plaka (oldest part of the city) has charming narrow streets with lovely sidewalk cafes and shops, and and stalls that sell the best gyros in the world. The main city square, Syntagma Square, doesn’t even allow cars. We walked all over the city and loved it. And then there’s the Acropolis and the Archaeological Museum and Mount Lycabettus, etc. etc. All must-sees. Just writing this makes me want to book a flight tomorrow. 🙂
That last thought about postcard locales in Greece surely makes me want to add it to my bucket list.
I should have said it’s even better than postcards because it’s a live panorama. And the colors are even more vivid in person. Thanks for the visit and, welcome to the blog!
Wow! That’s even better. Well written words you gift to a deserving place. 🙂
🙂
Wow quite a postcard!
Thanks, Lynn!