I set my alarm for 5:30 AM, threw down some coffee, and vacated my room by 7 AM. We assembled for one last gathering in the IML. The scene was hectic and chaotic, all of the passengers eager to disembark and operating on far too little sleep. After collecting our baggage in the terminal, we said our goodbyes (which brought a swell of homesickness), and Maxwell, Amanda and I boarded a minibus with our driver Costas and began our journey to Delphi. The ascent to the mountains (altitude, ~3500 ft) was reminiscent of the drive from Denver, CO into Evergreen. We passed through several charming villages, which felt like a cross between Greece and the Alps. The crowds were surprisingly sparse, and it quickly became evident that these were essentially ski resort towns. Sure enough, the owner of our hotel, a warm and delightful ball of energy, had won several awards as a skier in his day (his old wood skis mounted as an X above the fireplace), and his daughter had competed in several Olympic Games. No fewer than four olympic torches adorned the foyer of the hotel (apparently, “anywhere from 10,000 to 15,000 torches are constructed to accommodate the thousands of runners who carry them through each leg of the Olympic relay. Each runner has the opportunity to purchase his torch at the end of his leg of the relay” — who knew??). After dropping off our luggage, we left for lunch.
Our restaurant was situated at the edge of the mountain with a spectacular view down to the Ionian Sea below. We had, hands down, the best dolmadakia (stuffed grape leaves) I have ever had. WOW!
After lunch, no naps were offered! We went straight to the museum of Delphi. Our guide, Electra, was as intense as her name implied. It was such a treat to be given a private tour of the museum, and she did a fantastic job of explaining the influence of other cultures on Greek art and society. Because the land of Greece is only moderately arable, they Greeks were motivated to take to the seas and found colonies in Africa and the Middle East. The influence of the Egyptians on their ancient art is strikingly clear. Our guide also posited that since the Greeks had to depend on these foreign ventures for survival, it made them, as a people, open to other cultures (they had to get along to get along). She contrasted this to the cultures of China and Japan which both, in ancient times, were not as dependent upon outsiders for survival and were therefore less open to the influence of others. It was an interesting theory. There’s no question that the Greeks, as a people, come across as very gregarious and open!
After our tour of the museum, we made our way to the archeological site of Delphi. As we wound our way up the hill, we were struck by the artistry and engineering prowess of the ancient Greeks. Not only are many of their techniques lost to us, but more than this, we are unable to replicate much of their stonework, even using our modern tools. Wow.
We reviewed the myth of Apollo and his victory over the great python in Delphi. The oracle at Delphi is said to have received the spirit of divination from the mother of this python, the goddess Gaea (earth). This connects to Acts 16:16-18, when a slave girl, with a “spirit of python” (translated, “spirit of divination”) was crying out after Paul. He rebuked the spirit, which ultimately led to his being run out of the city.
At the top of the site we viewed the impressive stadium.
We returned to our hotel to shower and then ended the day at a restaurant recommended by Gabriele. It was a spectacular day!