Brucatos in France and Greece: Lots to see at Delphoi!

Wednesday, January 13, 2016

Hello!

We were up this morning and down for breakfast about 8 a.m. actually, which is the earliest lately we have made our appearance. Breakfast was simple but pretty good: orange juice (not, alas, fresh), cheese, scrambled eggs with bacon, etc. And, unlike I had thought, it was actually light outside, and there was blue sky above. The weather forecast had initially called for rain, but that disappeared last night for some reason. Rather, as there are some dark clouds about, we did have a conversation about taking umbrellas along with us, but in the end decided to be daring and believe the weather forecaster!

Along the processional way

Athenian Treasury

Columns of the Temple of Apollo

Out about 8:30 a.m. and down the street and around the corner and past the museum to the entry to the archeological site. There was actually a small tour group ahead of us (the same ones who rattled into the restaurant last night and made a lot of noise) and a few groups of two or so, but that was about it, which was nice.

Entryway into the Temple of Apollo

5,000 person theatre

We took our time walking along the sacred processional way to the Temple of Apollo, which is where the Pythia, a woman (usually over 50) would pronounce oracles (in iambic hexameter) in response to questions from petitioners; the priests would then translate the meaning. Our favorite: When asked by Croesus asked if he should embark on a military campaign against Cyrus, King of the Persians, the oracle said that he would destroy a great army. On that, Croseus went to war against Cyrus and got beaten decisively. He neglected to ask whose army he would destroy. It is thought that the Pythia would get her insights while in a trance induced by gases (methane? ethane?) emanating from a fissure under the temple.

Looking on the Temple of Apollo

Going higher; looking down on the theatre

Way high up overlooking the theatre!

From there, we went up to the theater, and finally, WAY up to the stadium. We have noticed that here in Greece, the monuments are really physically roped off so that people may not enter – or at least all of the monuments in Delphoi are like that. It may be that they would be swarmed over by locusts if allowed, so we certainly can’t blame a city of protecting their heritage – it just makes it a bit more difficult to picture things, when you have to remain outside of them!

From the stadium, we took a slow saunter down, and actually ran into two Australian guys who were quite interesting. They are English teachers who live and teach in MONGOLIA of all places, and are now in Europe for their two week spring break. So now, we’ve been invited to Mongolia! Let’s hurry up and put that on our list, for sure!

We did get a slight sprinkle of rain about this time, but not enough to deter us. We had more of Delphoi to see! This time, down the street from the site to the Kastalian spring, where the water would come out of the rocks for the Pythia and the priests to wash with. Even farther down the road was the gymnasium (because the Pythian Games were almost as famous as the Olympic Games!) and the sanctuary of Athena Pronaia.

After all this exercise, we decided to head back to the hotel about 2-ish and take well deserved naps! Tomorrow, we’re heading to Cape Sounion, which is on the coast below Athens, at the end of the Attic peninsula. We’ve got a fair amount of stops between here and there, though, and R spent much of his rest period trying to find them on the maps! (I’ve got the list … he’s the navigator!) So! More later!

xxx

Just back from dinner. Good but not great, but we once again were able to escape any smoking issues. This time, we went to Taverna Vakhos, which is on the “return” street above ours.

Stadium at the top of the hill

As photographed by an English teacher in Mongolia

Temple of Athena Pronea

(Delphi has basically two streets running through it, both one way. So far we have stayed on the downhill, west-to-east road.) For dinner tonight, we bravely headed up a very steep stairway to the east-to-west street. Confused?

We were able to get a great table by the window, with a stunning view toward the water in the bay. For starters I ordered their eggplant dip, and R ordered their stuffed peppers (long peppers – one red, one green -- not like the bell peppers we see at home). The eggplant was not like baba ghanoush, which I had been expecting. Rather, it was more like a tapenade than a dip, and included green and red peppers among other interesting things. For main courses, I had their beef with onions, and R tried yet another shrimp dish – knowing, in his heart of hearts that both the heads and tails would be left on, making for yet another interesting dissecting dinner! We didn’t order dessert, but we received a really interesting raisin, honey, pumpkin and walnut “pie” wrapped in phylo dough. It was great! Back rather earlier tonight – we really did get a lot of exercise today, and are both of us looking forward to bed! So – on to Cape Sounion tomorrow!