Delphi. I completely underestimated you.. Like I have mentioned before, I did minimal research before my trip commenced but I did make a point to plan out the first week so I wouldn’t be scrambling and depending on faulty WIFI to figure out what I was doing. Here’s a litte mythology and history about Delphi/Delfi/Delfoi: The area was inhabite in like 1000BC and became religioiusly important in like 800BC. The ancient Greeks believed that the oracle of Apollo resided there and that it was the center of the world becase Zeus released two eagles, one east and one west, and they met at Delphi after going around the world. This is why the site is referred to as omphalos (belly button). Sculptures, statues, and pottery work have been found at this site representing styles from before the Archaic to the Hellenistic periods.
Enough of history. I didn’t even know most of those things (and in fact had to do some research for this post) before decided to go, but if you are in Athens, all of the tourist books and travel blogs say you have to visit.
So fine. I went. I had read somewhere that it was worth spending the night instead of doing it as a day trip to avoid all of the tour buses and six hours in a bus. I am so grateful I decided to do this, I don’t think I would have appreciated the site and town as much as if I had just gone to see the ruins and come back.
I took the 1030AM bus after a adventure to arrive to the bus station… Thank you guy that runs the hostel for useless information. Luckily I gave myself like 2 hours to get to the bus station. I discovered that the metro in Athens is a lot less confusing and on timely compared to the buses :)
Delphi is about a three hour bus ride from Athens. Most of what you drive through looks like this. I never realized how dry Greece is (in this area).
At about hour 2 of 3, we are going up the mountains and it is breathtaking. Three hours later, we turn a bend and there are the ruins! There are so many cars and buses so I totally realize exactly what all those travel threads were saying. A few more minutes pass and we have arrived to the town! It is beautiful with clay roof tiles, narrow streets, and a few you wouldn’t believe. I stayed at Athina Hotel and was so fortunate to have a room to myself facing the moutains and the Gulf of Corinth.
to my left
It’s about 2PM at this point and I realize I am starving, haven’t eaten anything since like 8AM… I was planning on going to a store and buying some bread but pass by this restaurant that has a menu option for 9 euros. NINE EUROS FOR A THREE COURSE MEAL. Um yeahhh. So I feasted. I feasted my body on delicious Greek food and feasted me eyes on an amazing view.
Musaca- basically a delicious Greek lasagna
I was so stuffed after my meal, and I wasn’t even able to finish :( But it was a great first real meal in Greece!
Now it’s 330pm and I am determined to take the bus up to a town we passed that was 7km away. Unfortunately, it seemed as if the Greek gods did not want me to leave their sacred place. I bought my ticket and the bus was supposed to come at 4… It didn’t roll around the corner until 430PM and they said I would have to wait until the next bus to go to Arachova :( [Side note: today July 20th I again tried to go but the bus schedule in my hotel said the bus left at 830AM. I got there at 825AM… and waited until 9AM.. Apparently the bus left at 820AM and for the first time probable in Greek history it left on time -_- You win this time, Apollo.]
Okay, change of plans, I see the archaeological museum and site of Delphi now! The museum was basicallly empty. And it was so cool to see artwork that I had studied in AP Art History in high school. Like these guys, the Kouri twins:
These were some other things I liked:
This last one is especially treasured because of how well it is preserved. There were a lot these sort of bronze statues but once Delphi fell, the area was looted, much of the artwork was sold to cover military expenses, and many many of the statues and sculptures were broken down/melted for things considered more crucial. This one survived all that, as well as much of the artwork in the museum, because it was buried in a earthquake.
I find the eyes to be particularly creepy/enthralling.
Off to the site. There was a perfect amount of people. Enough so that if I wanted to have a picture taken of me, I only had to wait a few minutes for someone to pass by, but few enough that it looks like I had the place to myself.
I literally sat at this post for an hour admiring the view.
Around 7 I head back and walk around the town a bit.
With a bottle of wine and some fresh fruit, I admired the sunset from my balcony. It was perfect.
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