Day 3 - Road Trip and Delphi

Miguel de Cevantes in Nafpaktos

We said farewell to the capital and headed off in light rain to Delphi to visit the area of the oracle and one of the best known ancient sites in Greece. On the way we had a coffee break in the delightful village of Arachova with its quaint mountain atmosphere, narrow marbled streets and stepped alley ways. We mingled in the tavernas with the old men who seemingly gather to ponder and reminisce over their short black coffees while having the odd heavy smoke.

Malcolm, Cynthia, Judy, Glenn, Judy and Maria at the Delphi Museum

We arrived in Delphi now a major archaeological site with well-preserved ruins. It was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1987. The town lies in the territory of Phocis on the steep lower slope of Mount Parnassus, about 10 km from the Gulf of Corinth which is a deep inlet of the Ionian Sea separating the Peloponnese from western mainland Greece.

After dropping our bags off at the Acropole Hotel, we all spread out and had lunch at various tavernas and then our bus picked us up and too us to the Museum, where we met our fantastically enthusiastic and knowledgeable guide, Penny.

Penny took us through the archaeological museum along with many artifacts from the site including the omphalos, the sculptured cone that stood in the exact centre of the world and the famous bronze statue of the Charioteer, one of the most celebrated pieces of ancient art in the world.  After the museum, she took us on a tour of the archaeological site itself.

Delphi in ancient times was considered the centre of the known world, the place where heaven and earth met. This was the place on earth where man was closest to God. In Mythology, Delphi was the meeting place of two eagles, released by Zeus and sent in opposite directions. Where they met indicated the centre of the earth. It is regarded as the centre of worship for the God Apollo, son of Zeus who embodied moral discipline and spiritual clarity, and was the guardian of the oracle.

Temple of Apollo, Delphi

The oracle of Delphi was a spiritual experience whereby the spirit of Apollo was asked for advice on critical matters relating to people's lives or affairs of the state. Questions were asked to the Pythia, or priestess who 'channelled' the spirit of the God. Even the most sceptical person must realise that there was something 'magical' going on in Delhi for several thousand years. Many people who come to Delphi claim they have felt 'something'.

The group listening intently to Penny's every word.

The centre of Delphi is the sanctuary of Apollo, on the southern tip of the mountain slope. The Doric temple was the home of the Pythia, who seated on a tripod above a deep crevasse, would pronounce her prophesies while the priests wrote them down and translated them to the people. This temple was destroyed by fire in the fourth century BC and then rebuilt. The temple walls used to be inscribed with words of wisdom such as "Know Thyself", "Nothing in Excess" and "Don't take any Wooden Drachma", which are as meaningful today as they were when they were written.

While there Marli noticed a goat looking down on us from a crag at the top of the famous mount – maybe there was a message in that?

Temple of Pronaia Athena, Delphi

Below these ruins are the Temple of Pronaia Athena, also known as Marmaria, or the marbles supposedly because of the abundance of ancient stones laying nearby. The Tholos or temple is probably the most widely recognized building on the site because of the colour of the marble and the fact that it is a round temple. Beyond is the Gymnasium and the Paliastra which were used to train the athletes who competed in the Pythian games, held every four years to commemorate Apollo's victory over Python. The Castelian spring is where pilgrims washed themselves before consulting the oracle and the crystal clear water still flows from it has it has for thousands of years.

The group having dinner at Patriko, Delphi

That night most of the group took over the outside patio of a taverna, Patriko, looking down the valley and on to the lights of the seaside town of Itea.  After all the step climbing we were looking forward to a day of sitting in the coach