Trip to Delphi

On Sunday July 11, 17 of us chartered a bus and a tour guide and went to Delphi. The ancient Greeks considered Delphi the center, or the navel, of the earth. Delphi sits at the foot of Mt. Parnassos, which at a height of 2547 meters, is Greece's second-highest mountain; only Mount Olympus is higher.

It was a hot day, and typical of the weather we had here the first week; temps in the mid-90's, clear blue skies with no clouds
Way back when, all of the Greek city-states had their treasuries here at Delphi; each a small building, most in ruins today. The one below is being restored.
The French were the ones who started the achaeological digging here back in 1896, coincidentally, the same year the modern Olympic games began, in nearby Athens.

The ancients used to come here seeking advice from the Oracle of Delphi. The site includes a huge stadium at the top of the hill, a 10 minute walk from the ruins seen above. It's about 400 feet long, with lots of uncomfortable seats, but a great view of the surroundings!

Walking down from the stadium was easier than walking up to it, and also gave some nice views.

There's a museum at Delphi, but at the time of our visit, it was undergoing renovation, like so much else here, so only one exhibit, The Charioteer, was open. Here, our guide Peggy talks about the bronze Charioteer.

The Charioteer himself is the only piece left of the much larger group seen in the drawing below.

Just about a 5 minute drive from Delphi is the skiing village of Arahova, which was pretty dead on this summer Sunday afternoon





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