The day started at 8am when our driver, Nikkos, picked us up at our flat for the 2 1/2-hour drive northwest of Athens to Delphi.
After a couple of hours, we made a rest stop where we had a tasty Greek snack. I don’t remember the name, but it was a fluffy pastry filled with cream.
Once at the archeological museum, we met our guide, Georgia, who spent the next 2 hours showing us the most important pieces in the museum and at the site.
In ancient times Delphi was a sacred area considered to be the center of the world. It was also the seat of the Oracle of Delphi who was consulted before all important decisions.
We’d never done a private tour through a museum before, and we really enjoyed it. Instead of looking at whatever caught our eye and/or Peter reading every word on each plaque, Georgia told us stories about specific pieces, which was also more interesting for me. I actually learned things!! Who knew that could happen in a museum.
Here’s the story of Kleobis and Biton. The twins pulled their mother’s cart 6 miles so she could attend a festival for the goddess Hera. When they arrived, the mother prayed to Hera to reward her sons. The boys fell asleep in the temple and never woke up. Hera’s reward was to allow the twins to die. Well, I’m not sure I like that reward but there it is.
Charioteer of Delphi (475BC).
There were a series of heads made of ivory with gold leaf decorations.
This sphinx was on top of a 41-foot column.
After about an hour in the museum, we headed outside to the site. Unfortunately, Peter couldn’t get any further than the entrance as the rock stairs were uneven and slippery as it had rained while we were in the museum. We left him under the canopy while we headed up to the Temple of Apollo.
Archeologists are in the process of restoring the amphitheater which used to hold up to 5,000 people.
The view from the site was amazing.
Then it was back down the hill to pick up my sweetie. Nikkos was waiting for us and a few minutes later we were stopping in the new town of Delphi for lunch.
We started lunch with delicious Saganaki of fried goat and sheep cheese. Usually, Saganaki is either one or the other, but this was mixed. Nikkos recommended it and it was delicious.
Peter had Chicken Souvlaki and I had a delicious beef stew. I wanted a stuffed tomato but apparently the type of tomatoes they use aren’t in season.
Here’s the view without the window frame in the middle.
On our way home, we stopped for a brief photo op at a spot overlooking the town of Arachova. Nikkos told us that many tourists have said the town looks like Amalfi without the water. It actually does.
Then it was another 2 hours before we made it home, just around 5pm. It was a long day but since much of it was spent in the car, we’re not too tired. But we decided to cancel the trip on Wednesday to Corinth and a few other places on the Peloponnesian Peninsula. I looked at pictures of the sites, and while flat, they have rocky, uneven pathways so it will be almost impossible to push the wheelchair. One of the stops was at a small seaside village with quaint cobbled streets. Yeah, cobbled streets and wheelchairs are not a good match. We were looking forward to the trip, but I think it will be too hard for us to get around safely. I don’t want Peter to spend 45 minutes sitting around waiting for me to finish the tour with the guide like he did today. So, we’ll spend the day in Athens instead.
I’m not sure what we’ll do tomorrow but I’m sure we’ll find something interesting to see. I’ll let you know. Good night!