Part 73

Chapter 733,807 wordsPublic domain

Before us are the ancient _Mt. Ægaleos_ (now _Skaramangá Mts._) and the indented coast of the island of _Salamis_, which appears at both ends to join the mainland. Above Salamis towers the lofty peak of _Geraneia_ in Megaris. A hill jutting into the sea in front of Mt. Ægaleos now becomes visible. This is the _Piraeus Peninsula_ (comp. Map, p. 528). The hill a short way inland is the _Munychia_ (p. 495), and to the right of it lies the shallow bay of _Phálēron_ (p. 528). Between Hymettus and Parnes the gable-shaped _Pentelikon_ appears. We now have a beautiful view of _Athens_; in the centre rises the Acropolis, on the left the monument of Philopappos. The large white building on the right is the royal palace, beyond which rises _Lykabettos_ (p. 528).

As we near the Piræus we observe the rocky islet of _Lipsokutáli_ (_Psyttaleia_; lighthouse), lying off the E. tongue of Salamis, and masking the entrance to the straits of Salamis, the scene of the famous battle of 480 B. C. (p. 506). The steamer rounds the headland of _Aktē_ and slowly enters the harbour of the Piræus.

=Piræus.=—The COMMISSIONNAIRES of the chief Athens hotels come on board (those of the smaller, only when written for). Arrangements for landing (boat 1 dr., with baggage 2 dr.) and for a carriage to Athens (p. 495) had better be left to them. Heavier baggage is briefly examined at the _Teloníon_, at the S. E. angle of the harbour.

STATION of the electric railway to Athens (comp. p. 503), to the N. of the town (opposite the station of the Peloponnesus line).

HOTEL. _Hot. & Restaurant Continental_, Karaïskakis Sq., to the N. of the harbour, R. from 2 dr.; but better quarters are to be had in Athens.—CAFÉS in and near the garden to the S. of the Dēmarchía, 3 min. to the E. of Karaïskakis Sq., on the harbour.

ELECTRIC TRAMWAYS from the custom-house to the Athens station; from the station to the Zea harbour; also from the station, from the harbour (Karaïskakis Sq.), or from the Rue de Socrate to New Phálēron (p. 528).

STEAMBOAT AGENTS. _Messageries Maritimes_, Vamvakaris, Rue de Miaulis 30 b; _North German Lloyd_, Roth & Co., Rue de Tsamadú 21; _German Levant_, Frangopulos; _Austrian Lloyd_, S. Calucci, Quai de Tshelebi, to the W. of Karaïskakis Sq.; _Società Nazionale_, A. Vellas; _Russian Steam Navigation & Trading Co._, Mussuris.

BRITISH CONSUL, _C. J. Cooke_; vice-consul, _J. Joannidis_.

The _Piraeus_, Gr. _Peiraieus_ (pronounced Piræévs; pop. 71,500), the time-honoured seaport of Athens (comp. p. 506), became a mere village after its destruction by Sulla in 86 B. C., and in the middle ages even lost its name, but within the last few decades has developed into a prosperous town. Its trade now exceeds that of Patras. The harbour, the ancient _Kantharos_, admits the largest vessels. Spacious quays, an exchange, a theatre, wide and regular streets, and over a hundred factories have been constructed.

Its antiquities are few compared with those of Athens. The chief are parts of the fortifications, such as a wall defended by towers, ascending the peninsula of _Eétioneia_, to the W. of the harbour. It is reached from the station in 8 min. by walking round the shallow N. arm of the harbour (the ‘blind harbour’ of antiquity). On the hill it is pierced by a gateway between two round towers.

A broad and easy path ascends the _Munychia Hill_ (280 ft.), to the E. of the town (20 min.), whence we overlook the various basins of the Great Harbour, the round _Zea Bay_ at the S.W. foot of the hill, the _Munychia Harbour_ at the S.E. base, and to the E. of the latter the broad _Phaleron Bay_, where the Athenian ships lay down to the time of the Persian wars. We may return by the Zea Bay, noticing remains of ancient boat-houses at the beginning of the Rue du Serangeion, and regain the station by tramway.

FROM THE PIRÆUS TO ATHENS (5 M.) the electric RAILWAY (p. 503) is the quickest conveyance, but as it lies low and runs through cuttings and tunnels near the city it affords little view.

New-comers had better take a CARRIAGE. The new route (1½ hr.; fare, with luggage, 8–10 dr.), though longer, is in better condition, and is therefore preferred by the drivers. At first running alongside the railway it reaches _New Phaleron_ (p. 528); it then skirts the bay of Phaleron at some little distance from the shore. Later proceeding inland it follows the broad new _Boulevard Syngrós_, which commands an excellent view of the Acropolis and leads in a straight line as far as the Olympieion (p. 509).—The old route (1¼ hr.; fare, with luggage, 6–7 dr.) follows the ‘Long Walls’ (p. 506) which once connected the Piræus with Athens. On the left is _Mt. Ægaleos_ (p. 494), while on the right appears the bay of Phaleron. We cross the generally dry bed of the _Kephisos_ (p. 505), and then pass the limits of the ancient olive-grove that occupies the plain of the Kephisos. Leaving behind a hill which conceals the Acropolis we at once come in sight of the Theseion, the Areopagus, and the Acropolis. The houses of the city, which we reach at the Dipylon (p. 522), all too soon exclude this splendid view. _Athens_, see p. 502.

78. From Venice or Trieste to Athens (_and Constantinople_) viâ Brindisi and Patras.

FROM VENICE TO THE PIRÆUS (Athens), _Società Nazionale_ (Line XII, Venice, Brindisi, Patras, and Constantinople), from Venice on Sat. aft. (returning from Piræus Frid. foren.), to Patras in 4½, to the Piræus in 5 days (fare 195 or 134 fr.).

FROM TRIESTE TO THE PIRÆUS. =1.= _Austrian Lloyd_ (fast boats to Constantinople) from Trieste on Tues. aft. (returning from Piræus Sun. even.) to Patras in 2½, to the Piræus in 4 days (fare to Patras 159 or 109, to Piræus 220 or 147 fr.). Also Greek-Oriental Line (every Sun. foren.; returning from Piræus Sun. aft.), in 5 days, and Thessalian Line (Frid. aft.; returning from Piræus Frid. or Sat.) in 6½ days.—=2.= _Greek Steamboat Co. Panhellenios_, from Trieste on Frid. foren. (from Piræus Mon. morn.) to Patras in 3, to the Piræus in 5 days.

_From Trieste to Patras_, New York Line of the _Austro-Americana_ (p. 425), from Trieste weekly or fortnightly, in 42–46 hrs. (fare 150 or 110 K). Passengers for the Piræus are conveyed through the Corinth canal by the _Achaia Co._, or they may go on by rail (see below).

Agents in Venice, see p. 420; at Trieste, p. 425; at Brindisi, p. 429; at Corfu, p. 497; at Patras, p. 501; at the Piræus, pp. 494, 495.

FROM PATRAS TO ATHENS, 137½ M., railway in 7½–9½ hrs. (fare 25 or 18 dr.); express on Tues. and Frid. in 6–1 ‘wagon de luxe’ 33 dr. 40 l.). As to Greek money, see p. 502.

The Italian steamers (comp. p. 427) from Venice touch at _Ancona_, _Bari_, and _Brindisi_. The Lloyd steamers, except those of the Thessalian line, go direct from Trieste to _Brindisi_ (comp. p. 429).

Soon after leaving Brindisi we steer to the S.E. To the left of the _Straits of Otranto_ (p. 430) are seen the outlines of _Albania_ (Turkey), with the great rampart of the _Acroceraunian Mts._ (6644 ft.). Farther on, in the foreground, lies the island of Corfu. On the right are the Othonian Islands, _Othoní_, _Eríkusa_, _Mathraki_, and the islet of _Diaplo_. At the S. end of the Acroceraunian Mts. lies _Santi Quaranta_, where the Italian steamers call, the poor seaport for Yánina, which is two day’s ride (59 M.) distant.

The scenery of the wide Strait of Corfu (2–4½ M. broad), separating the island from the mainland, is very imposing. To the right towers _Monte San Salvatore_ (p. 500). The town of Corfu, partly hidden at first by the island of Vido, is now revealed. On casting anchor we have on our left the double hump of the Fortezza Vecchia and on the right the dark ramparts of the Fortezza Nuova.

* * * * *

Corfu.

ARRIVAL. Landing or embarking 1½, with heavy baggage, 2 dr. As the boatmen are insolent, there is no tariff, and great confusion prevails, the traveller had better allow the hotel-agents who come on board to arrange for boat, baggage, and carriage, for which a charge of 3–4 fr. is made in the bill. Passengers who go ashore for a few hours only may bargain to be landed and rowed back for 1½ fr., payable on their return.

HOTELS (tariffs payable in gold, see p. 502). *_Hôt. d’Angleterre & Belle Venise_ (Pl. a), to the S. of the town, high site, with fine views and garden, R. 3–7, B. 1½, déj. 4, D. 5 fr.; _St. Georges_ (Pl. b), on the Esplanade, similar charges.—Unpretending houses, with restaurants: _Belvedere_, Strada sulle Mura, pens. 7 dr.; the following are in the Greek style: _Orient_, on the Esplanade; _Patras_, Nikephoros Street; _Hôt. d’Alexandrie_, R. 2 fr., and _Hôt. de Constantinople_, R. 3 dr., both near the harbour.

CAFÉS in the Esplanade, at the beginning of the double avenue; cup of Turkish coffee 20 l.—RESTAURANTS. _Abbondanza_ (Greek), Nikephoros Street, moderate; _Patras_, _Belvedere_, see above.—BEER. _Dobay_, on the Esplanade; _Gambrinus_, near the Old Theatre (p. 498).

BANKS. _Fels & Co._ (Pl. 1), Strada sulle Mura; _Banque Ionienne_, Nikephoros Street, not far from the Esplanade; _Banque Nationale_.—POST OFFICE, adjoining the Sanità, Nikephoros Street.—TELEGRAPH OFFICE, near the Banque Ionienne.

STEAMBOAT OFFICES. _Austrian Lloyd_, _Ellerman Line_, Fels & Co. (see above); _Società Nazionale_ (Pl. 8), G. Topali.—TOURIST AGENCY. _Hamburg-American Line_, Strada sulle Mura.—LLOYD’S AGENTS, _Barff & Co._

CONSULATES. British (Pl. 3): consul, _G. Raymond_; vice-consul, _P. Papadachi_.—United States (Pl. 7): consular agent, _Ch. E. Hancock_.

CARRIAGES. Drives in town or nearer environs 2–3 dr. per hr., as may be agreed upon; short drive usually 1 fr. Carr. obtained at the hotels are better but dearer.—BOATS for excursions may be ordered at the hotels.

MOTOR CARS (belonging to the _Société d’Automobiles_): omnibus daily to the N. and S. parts of the island, each person 10 l. per kilomètre; vehicle seated for live 50 l. per kilomètre.

THEATRES. _Teatro Grande_, built in 1895 on the model of San Carlo at Naples, near the Porta Reale; Ital. opera in winter; _Summer Theatre_, to the S. of the Ginnasio.

SEA BATHS (80 l. to 1 dr.) and plunge-baths, near Punta San Nicolò.

ENGLISH CHURCH (_Holy Trinity_), service in the season.

_Corfu_, Ital. _Corfù_, Greek _Kérkyra_, the capital of the island of the same name and the seat of archbishops of the Greek and Roman Catholic churches, is one of the wealthiest towns in the Greek dominions (pop. 28,250, incl. 4000 Rom. Cath. and 2700 Jews). The spacious harbour is enlivened by a brisk trade, the chief export being olive-oil. The fortifications constructed by the Venetians, the _Fortezza Vecchia_, picturesquely situated in the sea, on a double rock to the E. of the town, and the _Fortezza Nuova_, on the N.W., are both now unimportant. The narrow streets present a busy scene. The chief languages are Greek and Italian.

_Kérkyra._ Lat. _Corcyra_, the largest (245 sq. M.) and most important of the Ionian Islands, was supposed in ancient times to have been _Scheria_, the home of the Phæaci and their king Alkinoos. Having been colonized by the Corinthians at an early period (734 B. C.), it developed into a dangerous rival of its mother-city, thus partly causing the Peloponnesian war. The mediæval name seems to have been derived from ‘Korphus’, as the old fortress on the two rocks was called. From 1386 to 1797 Corfu belonged to Venice, from 1815 to 1863 it was under British sway, after which it was ceded, along with the other Ionian Islands, to the kingdom of Greece.

The island (with 93,860 inhab.) possesses hill and plain, bold rocks and charming bays on the coast, abundant water-supply, rich vegetation, and fine old olive forests, which combine to render its scenery highly attractive. The climate is mild and equable in spring and autumn. The good roads made everywhere by the British government add to the comfort and enjoyment of a short stay in the island.

On disembarking we cross the courtyard of the Dogana, turn to the left at the small Hôt. de Constantinople, and follow the _Strada sulle Mura_, which skirts the N. side of the town, affording numerous fine views, and reaches the Esplanade near the royal palace. Or we may ascend direct from the Dogana through the _Strada Nikephoros_, the busy main street, in 5 min. to the Esplanade. Before we reach the Esplanade we pass a side-street on the left with the church of _Santo Spiridione_, and another on the right with the _Teatro Vecchio_, built by the Venetians, now the municipio.

The ESPLANADE, or _Spianata_, lies between the town and the old fortress. On the W. side it is bounded by handsome houses with arcades on the groundfloor. At the N. end rises the—

=Royal Palace=, built in grey Malta stone, at the beginning of the British period, for the Lord High Commissioner, and containing the throne-room and the hall of the former Ionian senate. The entrance is by the W. side-door (gratuity). A marble staircase ascends to the first floor. At the top is an antique lion couchant.—In front of the palace is a _Statue of Sir Frederick Adam_, a much respected Lord High Commissioner of the islands (1823–32).

At the E. end of the double avenue intersecting the Esplanade rises a statue of _Count von der Schulenburg_, who conducted the defence of Corfu against the Turks in 1716, erected by the republic of Venice. Beyond it a bridge crosses a strait to the—

*=Fortezza Vecchia= (adm. on application), which rises on the steep twin-rocks in terraces. The dilapidated buildings are now used as barracks and a military hospital. At the foot of the height is the garrison-church built by the British. The passage opposite the chief entrance gives access to the commandant’s house. We ascend hence to the left, pass through a long vaulted passage, leading straight on to the ramparts, which are overgrown with vegetation, and lastly mount a few steps to the platform on the W. rock (230 ft.; with signalling station and lighthouse). The custodian lends a telescope (25 l.). We enjoy here a superb **View of the town and of the island, from Monte San Salvatore and Capo Cassopetto on the N. to Capo Bianco on the S.; to the E. is Epirus in Turkey, with its lofty mountains.

A broad street descends from the S. end of the Esplanade to the VIALE DELL’ IMPERATRICE ELISABETTA, formerly _Strada Marina_, skirting the shore below the new quarter of the town and now a favourite promenade in the evening. At the beginning of it, on the right, is the _Casino_, with reading and concert rooms. Turning to the right after 4 min., and then to the left, we come to the _Museum_, containing ancient sculptures and tomb-inscriptions. Near it is the round _Tomb of Menecrates_, resembling a well (7th or 6th cent. B.C.). Above is the ruined _Fort of San Salvatore_ (prison).

The boulevard sweeps round the suburb of =Kastrades= or _Garitza_ first to the S. and then to the E. to the Molo protecting the bay. At a bend, short of the molo, we follow the Viale Imperatore Guglielmo Secondo to the right (S.). After 7 min., opposite the apse of the old church of _Santa Corcyra_, we ascend a road to the left. A gate on the left is the entrance to the—

*=Royal Villa of Monrepos= (_Villa Reale_; free on Sun. and Thurs. aft.). The park affords fine views of the town and castle.

The Viale Imperatore Guglielmo skirts the W. slope of the hilly peninsula which stretches to the S., between _Lake Kalikiópulo_ and the sea. Here probably lay the ancient city, with the bay of Kastrades as its trading harbour, while the Lake of Kalikiopulo, now choked with mud, seems to have been the _Portus Hyllaeicus_, used as a station for vessels of war. The road is bordered with rose and orange gardens, and farther on with beautiful olive-groves. In 25 min. (or from the Esplanade in ¾ hr.) we reach a round open space, called the *=Canone=, or _One-gun Battery_ (carr. 5–6 fr.), which commands a superb view of the E. coast of the island.

Opposite, at the entrance to the ancient Hyllæan harbour, lies the _Scoglio di Ulisse_ (‘cliff of Ulysses’), or _Pontikonisi_ (‘mouse island’), a cypress-planted islet with a chapel and parsonage, now owned by an enterprising German. The Greeks took this to be the ship of the Phæacians which had brought Odysseus to Ithaca, and on its way back was turned into stone by the angry Poseidon. The S.W. shore of the Lake of Kalikiopulo, where a brook named _Kressida_ enters the lake, is pointed out as the place where Odysseus was cast ashore and met the princess Nausicaa.

The charming drive to _Gasturi_ and _Benizze_ (7½ M.) and back takes 3–4 hrs. (carr. 10–15 dr.; as far as the Achilleion, there and back 2½ hrs., 8–10 dr.). We leave the town by the former W. gate, or _Porta Reale_ and pass through the suburb of _San Rocco_. The road runs a little to the W. of Lake Kalikiopulo and ascends in windings to (5 M.) =Gasturi= (Achilleion, pens. 7 dr.). About ½ M. farther, a little to the left, is the villa *=Achilleion= (adm. to the building and the grounds 11–3, 2 dr.), built in 1890–1 for Empress Elizabeth of Austria (d. 1898), in the Italian Renaissance style, and purchased by the German emperor in 1907. The back of the villa is adjoined by a peristyle and three terraces adorned with statues. On the road, just beyond the villa, is the _Restaurant Bella Vista_. We now descend (short-cuts for walkers) to the (2 M.) fishing-village of _Benizze_, where delicious oranges grow, and where there are remains of a Roman villa (boat to Corfu, 5 dr.)

Another delightful excursion is to _Santi Deca_ (carr. 10–15 dr.; there and back 5–6 hrs.). About ¾ M. short of Gasturi the road diverges to the right from the Benizze road. The drive to the village of _Hagi Deka_ or _Santi Deca_ (‘ten saints’; 676 ft.) takes 1¼ hr. (the walk 2 hrs.). Thence we ascend (guide) the (1 hr.) double-peaked =Monte Santi Deca= (1862 ft.), where we have a superb view, notably of the Albanian coast. A narrow path then descends, the last part through olive-groves, to (½ hr.) _Apano-Garuna_, and proceeds thence to the N. to (¼ hr.) the pass of _San Teódoro_ or _Hagios Theódoros_ (788 ft.), where the carriage quitted at Santi Deca may be ordered to meet us. The drive back to Corfu viâ _Kamára_ takes 1½ hr.

The monastery of =Palæokastrizza= (‘old castle’), on the W. coast, about 15 M. to the N.W., is a delightful point of view (carr. there and back 20–25 dr., in 6 hrs., excl. stops). A road diverging to the right about halfway, 1½ M. beyond the picturesque bay of _Govino_, crosses the _Pheleka_ and leads over the fine _San Pantaleone Pass_ and through hill scenery to the N. coast. Far to the right, on the E. coast, rises _Monte San Salvatore_ (Greek _Pantokrator_; 2998 ft.; ascended with guide in 3 hrs. from _Spartilla_; carr. from Corfu to Spartilla viâ Giovino, Ipso, and Pyrgi, in 2½ hrs., about 20 dr.).