Monday morning on July 23rd at the Athens bus station.  The bus headed to Kalamata is ready to welcome some of the Orpheus members. 

The mandatory geography lesson courtesy of a sign at the bus station.  Kalamata is in the Messinia prefecture.

Korinthos is the first major city you pass by on the way to Kalamata.  It is located at the northeast corner of Peloponnesus

Crossing the Korinthos isthmus. The isthmus of Korinthos is the narrow landbridge which connects the Peloponnese peninsula with the mainland of Greece, near the city of Korinthos. The word "isthmus" comes from the Ancient Greek word for "neck" and refers to the narrowness of the land.

Katerina and Alexandros in the bus

Socratis and his grandmother were also in the same bus.

Views (east) from the Pharae Palace hotel in Kalamata.  The hotel is located right in the middle of the Kalamata beachfront.

Facing the Messinian Bay (south view)

Facing west.  Needless to say it was a busy 8 days for the corner 'periptero' (kiosk)

Bessie welcoming and checking-in everybody armed with all the necessary equipment including a 'traditional Greek' frappe

Vicky is checking-in at the reception of the hotel.

Zacharias enjoying the view at the hotel and planning a future course of action

Being so close to the water prompted everybody to go for a quick first day swim

A Kouchoukos family moment

Some lucky participants had a chance to work on their tan already in Greece

Georgia, Maria and Katerina getting ready to go to the beach

At the lobby of the hotel

Swimming at the Mantinies beach about 10 minutes from the city of Kalamata

 

Some of the youngsters opted for a quick swim at the beach across from the hotel

Going for a scroll at the waterfront

 

Stefanos, Spiro and Eleni having fun with some of the arcade games

 

Maria and Spiro at the beach in Kalamata

Later that night a few of the Orpheus members had a chance to have dinner at a fish tavern.  Kiki had the honors of de-boning some of the fish.

 

Little Effie and Marjan.