Today we were collected at 8:45 for our tour to the ancient city of Corinth. Corinth is an hour's drive west of Athens and it is actually on an isthmus of land which joins mainland Greece to the Peloponnese area. The Corinth Canal is a tidal waterway which runs across the isthmus linking the gulf of Corinth (Ionian Sea) with the Saronic Gulf in the Aegean Sea. Different world powers since ancient times have tried to construct a canal. Three Roman rulers including Julius Caesar proposed the idea. He was assassinated before he could commence. Caligula, his successor, commissioned a study from the Egyptians, but he was assassinated too. Then Emperor Nero also tried (he got as far as turning the first sod) but he died not long after! They should have listened to the Greek philosopher who predicted tragedy to anyone who wanted to dig a canal there!! Obviously the next emperor decided to call it quits! The idea was put on the back burner until the Suez Canal was opened in 1869 and the commencement of the Panama Canal. A French company began construction in 1882 but it has never been successful in part because it is too narrow - only 21 metres wide at its base. It is used by some smaller ships and we were lucky enough to be there as three boats headed through it. From the canal we drove past the ancient port of Kechreai where St Paul disembarked and around to the ancient site of Corinth, 6 km from the port. Corinth in ancient times was one of the wealthiest cities, as shown by the existence of the enormous 'agora' or 'marketplace' and the Temple of Apollo. St Paul lived here for eighteen months preaching. Three hundred years later the city was destroyed by earthquakes.