St. Dennis Adventures

  Corinth was built at the meeting point of southern and northern Greece.  Located near the narrow strip of land that separates south and north, Corinth controlled the roadway that allowed passengers and cargo to pass through. In its heyday, when Corinth was rebuilt as a Roman city under Julius Caesar’s reign, it is thought that the city may have had as many as 800,000 residents.  Now, its population is closer to 30,000.   Construction of the  Corinth canal was complete in 1893. Through the centuries up to this time, earlier versions of a canal existed. Today, the canal continues to be an essential shipping route between the Ionian and Aegean seas.  The canal is 4 miles in length – no wonder it took so many years to finish! The Temple of Apollo (the God of music, sun, prophecy and healing) is one of Corinth’s major landmarks.  The Temple was  constructed in 550 B.C. at the height of the city’s wealth.  The Temple is located in the c...

  It is said that the Greeks always watched the sea  for the return of their loved ones or for the safe delivery of goods.  Here Austin is taking a closer look at the sea from this rocky hilltop where the Temple of Poseidon is located!   Overlooking the Aegean Sea at Cape Sounion, the Temple of Poseidon (the God of the Sea) lies within a fort that once protected the coast of Attica. It’s an impressive view, even on an overcast day … Built in 44 B.C., we were surprised to find so many of the columns of the Temple of Poseidon were still intact. Although we couldn’t find it, it is said that Lord Byron, a British poet who came to Greece in the 1800s, left his mark on one of the columns. On the way up the hill to see the Temple of Poseidon, the ruins of the Temple to Athena (the Goddess of Wisdom – which Athens is named after) are nearby.  Sadly, these ruins are not nearly as striking as the Temple of Poseidon and could easily be overlooked on the d...

Day 1 in Athens. We’ve learned that the signs are impossible to understand and that our GPS is a godsend!  While en route to the Acropolis we passed by the stadium which hosted the first “modern” Olympic Games in 1896.  We also saw lots of stray dogs and cats and everywhere you looked there is graffiti.   We toured one of Athens most popular historical sites, the Acropolis and the Parthenon. Towering above the city, the Parthenon is quite an impressive sight! It’s hard to imagine what it would have looked like when it was completely intact. The guide books make note of the fact that many of the works of art that originally adorned the Parthenon were stolen, with the “worst plundering of the monuments taking place in the 19th century by Lord Elgin of Great Britain”. Nearby the Acropolis is the theatre of Dionysus (or the God of Wine). Built around 160 A.D., this theatre continues to be used in the summer months to host concerts and theatrical producti...

Founded by William the Conqueror at the end of the eleventh century, Winsor Castle is the oldest royal residence in the British Isles to remain in continuous use. This imposing property covers 26 acres, has 951 rooms, and more than 200 call the castle home. St. George’s Chapel was completed under Henry VIII’s reign in 1528. Many royal tombs and memorials are in the chapel. We weren’t allowed to take pictures inside … the stained glass windows were stunning. The most recent addition to the castle is the garden on ‘Castle Hill’. Created in 2002 to mark the Queen’s Golden Jubilee, it includes a bandstand where musician’s play during the summer. Our day trip to Windsor Castle was a great way to kick off our holiday …