Thread: From the Observation Lounge – where is Danish Girl, (Birgitte), today?

Costa Fascinosa heads towards Katokolon which is near the site of ancient Olympia.

Birgitte on board the Costa vessel will arrive at 12:00 local time. Hoping she is enjoying this new ship.

Birgitte has arrived in Greece as Costa Fascinosa berths in Katokolon.
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Katakolo or Katokolon is a seaside town in the municipality of Pyrgos in western Elis, Greece. It is situated on a headland overlooking the Ionian Sea and separating the Gulf of Kyparissia from the rest of the Ionian. It is 11 km west of downtown Pyrgos . The small village Agios Andreas lies northwest of Katakolo. A railway connects Katakolo with Pyrgos and Olympia.

The port of Katakolo is a popular stop for cruise ships, offering an opportunity for passengers to visit the site of Ancient Olympia. Low hills with forests surround Katakolo. The lighthouse of Katakolo was built in 1865.

But the most important sites of Katakolo are the Museum of Ancient Greek Technology and The Museum of the Ancient Greek Musical Instruments and Toys.

The Museum of the Ancient Greek Technology revives 350 amazing inventions of the ancient Greeks (from the robot - servant of Philon to the "cinema" of Heron and from the hydraulic clock of Archimedes to the analog computer of Antikythera) covering the period from 2000 B.C. up to the end of the ancient Greek world. It is the most authoritative and complete exhibition of its kind in the world.

The Museum of the Ancient Greek Musical Instruments and Toys revives 42 ancient Greek musical instruments and many ancient Greek toys accompanied by detailed descriptions and diagrams. It is the most authoritative and complete exhibition of its kind in the world.

To learn more of Katokolon please visit the web site whose address is below.

http://www.katakolon.org/

Shore excursions from Costa ships can be viewed at:

Shore Excursions Katokolon

An example of ship tour and do it yourself.

OLYMPIA & ARCHAEOLOGICAL MUSEUM Cod. EXC_0841 Length 4 hours approximately

A classic, highly impressive itinerary that takes you through the ruins of ancient Olympia, set in a hilly landscape at the foot of Kronion Hill. The excavations, which began in 1875 by the Germans and which are still in progress, have brought to light this sacred area, which encloses within its walls an imposing complex of monuments including the Temples of Jupiter and Hera, the Grammar School, the Gymnasium and the Stadium. You'll visit the Museum where the famous statue of Hermes of the Praxiteles will be seen.

Adult € 59.00
Child (4 -14 old) € 44.25

Katokolon Train information


From Katokolon, Olympia is only 25 miles away. A visitor may use the new modern train that is clean and air-conditioned. It costs only 1 Euro each way and it takes 45 minutes to get to your destination.


This 13 km branch line, originally operated by the Pyrgos - Katakolon Railway, opened in 1883 to link Pyrgos with the port of Katakolon. This line had its own terminal in Pyrgos. Later, in 1951, this railway was taken over by SPAP (Piraeus, Athens and Peloponnese Railways) and trains were diverted into the SPAP station. The line was modernized in 2007 and is used for a limited passenger service.


The ancient Olympia sites are a walking distance from the train station. However, if you are elderly or disabled, you can take a taxi. There are three trains plying this route, each leaving the station approximately 2 hours apart.


The train station is at the end of the shopping parade in Katakolon, approximately 200 yards from the port gates. If your ship has moored at the longest pier, 15 minutes probably allows sufficient time to walk to and from the station.

Admission to the Olympia site and museum is €9.

Euro Sign - Alt Gr (right of space bar) and 4 key, not on number pad but the same as $

Apologises as my simulation of ships in Katokolon is wrong. I have since gained more accurate information so have amended my simulating.

I have also found a webcam where we can see Noordam and people walking back and forth for Costa Fascinosa.

Weather looks nice with temperatures of 25⁰C 77⁰F

We wish Birgitte a great day.

Fascinating, Norman. You are convi.cu.g me to do rhe Med.

Yes that visit to Olympia & Katakolon sounds fascinating. 1 day wouldn't be enough.

Birgitte is visiting Santorini today as Costa Fascinosa tenders passengers to the mainland.

The excursions from the ship can be viewed on the link below:

Santorini Costa Ships Excursions

Santorini and officially Thira (Greek: Θήρα [ˈθira]), is an island in the southern Aegean Sea, about 200 km (120 mi) southeast from Greece's mainland. It is the largest island of a small, circular archipelago which bears the same name and is the remnant of a volcanic caldera. It forms the southernmost member of the Cyclades group of islands, with an area of approximately 73 km² (28 sq mi) and a 2001 census population of 13,670. The municipality of Santorini comprises the inhabited islands of Santorini and Therasia and the uninhabited islands of Nea Kameni, Palaia Kameni, Aspronisi, and Christiana. The total land area is 90.623 km² (34.990 sq mi). Santorini is part of the Thira regional unit.

Santorini is essentially what remains after an enormous volcanic explosion that destroyed the earliest settlements on a formerly single island, and created the current geological caldera. A giant central, rectangular lagoon, which measures about 12 by 7 km (7.5 by 4.3 mi), is surrounded by 300 m (980 ft) high, steep cliffs on three sides. The main island slopes downward to the Aegean Sea. On the fourth side, the lagoon is separated from the sea by another much smaller island called Therasia; the lagoon is connected to the sea in two places, in the northwest and southwest. The caldera being 400m deep makes it possible for all but the largest ships to anchor anywhere in the protected bay; there is also a newly built Marina in Vlychada on the south-western coast. The principal port is called Athinias. The capital, Fira, clings to the top of the cliff looking down on the lagoon. The volcanic rocks present from the prior eruptions feature olivine and have a small presence of hornblende.

It is the most active volcanic centre in the South Aegean Volcanic Arc, though what remains today is chiefly a water-filled caldera. The volcanic arc is approximately 500 km (310 mi) long and 20 to 40 km (12 to 25 mi) wide. The region first became volcanically active around 3–4 million years ago, though volcanism on Thera began around 2 million years ago with the extrusion of dacitic lavas from vents around the Akrotiri.

The island is the site of one of the largest volcanic eruptions in recorded history: the Minoan eruption (sometimes called the Thera eruption), which occurred some 3600 years ago at the height of the Minoan civilization. The eruption left a large caldera surrounded by volcanic ash deposits hundreds of metres deep and may have led indirectly to the collapse of the Minoan civilization on the island of Crete, 110 km (68 mi) to the south, through a gigantic tsunami. Another popular theory holds that the Thera eruption is the source of the legend of Atlantis.

Hoping Birgitte enjoys her day at Santorini. Noordam is one of the ships also tendering.

Another place I would like to visit.

Ditto! since the volcano is still active, i am wondering if there are hot springs on the island?

Birgitte is visiting Rhodes today with Costa Fascinosa already berthed.

Rhodes is an island in Greece, located in the eastern Aegean Sea. It is the largest of the Dodecanese islands in terms of both land area and population, with a population of 117,007, and also the island group's historical capital. Administratively the island forms a separate municipality within the Rhodes regional unit, which is part of the South Aegean region. The principal town of the island and seat of the municipality is Rhodes. The city of Rhodes had 53,709 inhabitants in 2001. It is located northeast of Crete, southeast of Athens and southwest of the Anatolian coast in Turkey.

Historically, Rhodes was famous worldwide for the Colossus of Rhodes, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. The medieval Old Town of the City of Rhodes has been declared a World Heritage Site. Today, it is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Europe.

Whilst on holiday at Marmaris in Turkey we visited Rhodes for a day, we visited on a sea cat. I am not a lover of Greece or the Greek islands but we had a nice day around the old town of Rhodes.

Temperature is 80⁰F so Birgitte should have a nice day departure time is 18:00 local time. Rhodes town is only a short walk from where the ship berths.

Pictures of a walk outsde the walls of the old town of Rhodes.