Corinth and Olive Plantation

After lunch beside the canal, we went to the ruins of the city of Corinth. St. Paul ministered here for many months (Acts 18). He lived and preached here, making tents (he was a tent maker by trade) with Aquila and Priscilla. Corinth, to Christians, is well known from St. Paul's First and Second Letters to the Corinithians in the New Testament.

Ancient Corinth was one of the wealthiest and most influential cities in the ancient world. It boasted a population of about 90,000 in 400 BC. It linked the Peloponnese peninsula to mainland Greece. It was located about halfway between Athens and Sparta. In 146 BC, the Romans demolished Corinth and built a new city in its place in 44 BC.

The ruins at Corinth have the Temple of Apollo, the Marketplace (Agora) and the Bema Seat - this is the exact spot where St. Paul was brought before the Roman proconsul Gallio (Acts 18:12-17). Gallio dismissed the charges against St. Paul, establishing a form of legal precedent for the early Christians in the Roman Empire.

We entered the ruins and had an outdoor mass. After singing the opening hymn with great zeal, we were asked by the guard to keep it down. We sang sotto vocce for the rest of the mass.

After Corinth, we headed back to Athens, by way of an olive plantation. We had a very well-presented tour of the olive harvesting and processing factory and then enjoyed an olive oil tasting session. The whole thing was very professional and very well done. There was a lot of serious shopping afterwards for olive oil, olive paste, olive oil-based soaps and creams, and oil wood products.

After the ride back, there was scant time to clean up and head out for a final dinner. I was hot and tired and grumpy again, so I declined to attend. I got yogurt and a banana at the little grocery store near the hotel and holed up for the evening to pack and video chat with Doug. Seeing his face always cheers me up!Read more