In Memory of Panagiotis Carvouniaris, Hotel Saronis, Palea Epidaurus

The Carvouniaris family and the friendly giant

Our hotel in Epidaurus was very good with 3 younger girls running around attending to everything. We seemed to be one of their only guests though. Now I’m not going to do a hotel review, let’s just say, we’re fussy, and they were great.


The most important part of the story here is only in part the hotel, because it was the realization of a lifelong dream. You see Panagiotis served onboard Greek Cruise Ships of his era and saved enough money to buy and work hard at refurbishing this 30yr old hotel. The hotel has just completed its refurbishment, but Panagiotis passed away last fall 2010 before seeing his dream realized. He and his wife raised at least 3 daughters of which 2 are twins, and we met Katerina his eldest daughter who has studied Tourism at University to help the family business as well as her younger sister and a younger still cousin (in the middle). As we were checking out Sandra asked if tourism was slower and Katerina explained the plight that Greece is in financially. As a result people are not visiting Greece because they are afraid. So please, while there are strikes, and tractor protests and electrical power outages each day, these are just color to the backdrop of a beautiful country and especially Epidaurus as a beautiful village.

The harbor in Epidavros

The legacy that Panagiotis leaves is not a hotel called the Saronis, a good place to come and stay while attending Greek plays at the Theatre, or visiting the fortress in Napflio, or the Mycenaean ruins, or just enjoying this damn gorgeous weather, water and coastline; but it is his family who are passionate about running this hotel in his memory. Katerina when you read this remember to plan a visit  for you or your family to Vancouver island where we can have you as our guest.


Epidaurus is on the other side of the Corinth canal from Athens, a distance that is about 120 kms. We had a lazy start to today after yesterday and we walked to the bakery in the morning and bought amazing pastries for breakfast, sat and had coffee, yogurt, fruit etc. for awhile then visited with Katerina’s family, then we stopped for gas and I decided to change oil in the bike. I carry a filter with me at all times, and bought oil at this Avin station and used their facilities to change it, in and out in 20 mins. Pretty good!

The Corinth Canal 1889-91

The Corinth and Us

Next onto the Corinth Canal that causes the Pelopennese peninsula to actually be an island now since it severs it from the mainland. You can read the details in the link but it’s a neat place.


We are now in the Athens suburb of Glyfada awaiting the results of the vote on the EU measuresa nd we’ll see how the day or so plays out.