Delphi Archaeological Museum, Sunday, 11/20/17

The Archaeological Museum of Delphi shelters the extensive artifacts unearthed during excavations at the Delphi oracle and its vicinity. It's a short walk, adjacent to the archaeological site, and, according to Nia, it's one of the top must-see museums in Greece, mainly because of the breadth and quality of artifacts it includes. The permanent exhibition covers over a thousand years, from the Mycenaean era to the Greco-Roman times.

I don't know how long we spent here, always trying to stay one step ahead of a gaggle of school children, but the museum holds so many exhibits, you'd have to spend a week to see it all.  We did the best we could with the time we had.  I'll show you a few examples in the photos below.

A model (reconstruction) of The Temple of Apollo in the 6th Century BCE.  The centerpiece of the sanctuary was the temple, abode of the god and seat of the oracle.

Clay female figurines from the sanctuary of Athena Proaia from 1400-1050 BCE. 

Large Sphinx of Naxos sitting on an Ionic column about 33' tall. circa 560 BCE.

This delicate piece was incredibly fabulous.

Mia discussing with us the pediment and frieze from the east facade of the Treasury of Siphnos (detail below). The pediment depicts the dispute between Heracles and Apollo for the oracular tripod. 525 BCE.  She answered so many questions we had, appreciated and shared our amazement at what we were seeing.

Chryselephantine (gold and ivory) statues, possibly depicting Apollo.  6th Century BCE.

Jimmy guarding the Hellenistic statues from the creepy ladder.

Marble statue of Antinoos. 130-138 BCE.

The Charioteer of Delphi is undoubtedly one of the main highlights of the museum, and it's exhibited in its very own hall.  From fragments, archaeologists can piece together (background) -- a charioteer (or anything!) -- what an admirable art that is.  For me, this museum was the tops, bar none, but time ran out.  By gum, it was lunch time.

Nia steered us to one of the most famous taverns in Delphi -- To Patriko Mas.  Delicious, traditional Greek cuisine, homemade and freshly cooked, and made from fresh ingredients.  We enjoyed appetizers and salads, and I chose the moussaka for my main dish, which was some of the best I've ever eaten.  We sat in front of tall windows, though the afternoon sun was bright.  Why?  Because the panoramic views of the Corinthian Gulf and the Amfissa olive groves were icing on the cake.  (Darn, I forgot to take desert photos!)  I did get one picture through the glare, below.  Altogether, a wonderful lunch for the four of us. (Nia and the driver ate elsewhere.)

Love this picture of Ibby and Bernice, taken in the restaurant.

The sign on the van?  "Mr J. Wilkinson x4" -- Hi, Jimmy!

A quick stop at Arahova for a photo op.  Nia was kind enough to loan me her neck scarf since the day was NOT warm.  Thanks, Nia!  You rock!

Looking through the windshield at Arahova.

Christmas "snowflakes" dangle across the street.

Here we are at a scenic overlook -- Bernice and Ibby, me and Jimmy,

with Arahova as a backdrop.

The rains that fell in Athens dropped the first snow of the season on the mountain above as we drove toward Athens.  Nia was very excited to see it.  We were kinda impressed ourselves.

A final photo as we left the mountains, returning to Athens.  The drive back was quieter, and some napping might have been going on, not naming any names.  Our day was full and fine.  We got caught in rush-hour traffic again, this time the going-home people, and didn't get to the hotel till well after dark.  We shared thanks with Nia and the driver and parted.  The all-day tour was expensive, but worth every penny.

We hunted down an Athenian cafe again for dinner, and when we filled our tummies, we made for the hotel and crashed.  Tomorrow:  We do Athens.

Delphi (oh my!), Monday, 11/20/17

Gosh, it was a long night waiting for our flight, and a longer day of actual traveling.  We spent all day Sunday in the air or at an airport ... from Kochi, India, to Dubai, to Athens.  We left Kochi at 4:30am, Dubai at 11:50am, and arrived in Athens at 3:25pm.  (Of course, time changes figure in.)  At that point, we were devoid of wherewithal, but we muddled through!

A fixed-rate taxi carried the four of us -- Bernice, Ibby, Jimmy and me -- to the Hermes Hotel, located in the Heart of Athens.  Their website says they're a "very modern boutique 3 star hotel."  (With the smallest elevators we've ever been in!)  Our rooms were comfortable enough ... and the buffet breakfast was to die for.

After settling, we walked to their sister hotel, The Plaka, for stunning rooftop views of the sunset and -- whoops! -- a bit later, The Acropolis, lit up!  Our jaws dropped when we saw that.  Hunger drove us to seek out a spot to eat; luckily we discovered a number of cafes, all within walking distance of the Hermes and the Plaka.  Narrow streets, uneven walkways, and lots of people just Out and About at 9pm seemed right; you know, the urban scene.  The name escapes me, but the ambiance of sitting outdoors beneath a heat lamp and watching Athenians stroll by was perfect.  The food was good, but we loved the atmosphere!

Acropolis is at far right.

 A true spectacle.

We have two full days in Greece.  Since our flight stopped here on the way to Newark, we decided to stay over ... none of us had ever been to Greece.  (This is not part of our Road Scholar trip; this add-on is on our own.)  Long before we left the states, we booked the hotel, and a day trip to Delphi (including lunch).  We thought we'd tackle Athens on our own the next day.

Monday morning a young woman we'd call Nia (with Siva Travel) waited for us in the hotel lobby at 8am ... and our tour to Delphi was underway in a six-person SUV.  The drive would take roughly two hours (115 miles), and the beginning in rush-hour, bumper-to-bumper traffic was inauspicious.  Once out of the city proper, the drive was delightful.  We picked a winner with Nia -- she knew Greek history inside and out, the legends, the archaeological sites, and everything about Delphi.

We didn't know how hilly, even mountainous, Greece is ... 80% is mountainous. The day was chilly (I had on all the layers I'd brought with me), but no rain was forecast, thank goodness ... flooding rains hammered Athens in the days before our arrival.  Personally, what I saw on the drive from Athens to Delphi reminded me very much of Southern California ... the land was beautiful.

At a halfway point we stopped for coffee and a piece of yummy spinach pie!

Pyracantha and autumn colors decorated the roadsides,
and clouds hovered over the higher peaks. 

We came close to being in the clouds!

Delphi is 1837' above sea level.

We drove through the lovely mountain town of Arahova, nestled picturesquely at the foot of Mt. Parnassós.  I would have loved to stop and walk around a bit, but our destination was ancient Delphi.  Arachova is a favorite mountain resort of Athenians ... lots of outdoor activities, including skiing, here.

The hillsides sparkled with color, accented by the dark clouds.

My first greeting at the Ruins of Delphi.

Lots of kitties roam the ruins.

Delphi was the site of the most important oracle of ancient Greece, the Pythia, the sibyl or priestess at the sanctuary dedicated to Apollo, for more than a 1,000 years.  There were many more oracles, but Pythia was the main one.

Bernice and Ibby pose by the niche in the wall of the Roman Agora.

The Sacred Way was once lined with tens of buildings called "Treasuries," literally "place where gold things are put" -- which housed the valuable and beautiful votive offerings provided by individual city-states and colonies.  The Treasury of the Athenians is below, top right.

I can't speak for the others, but I was thrilled to be here, prowling about the ancient Delphi ruins.  I took many photos; though my memory of exactly what was what is lacking, but that's okay.  Delphi is an archaeological treasure, and the stories and legends about the ancients are easily looked up in Google.

Above and below:  Along The Sacred Way, we paused to check out the carvings on the rocks.  Nia told us that most of the fine etchings are detailing the emancipation of slaves.

Ruins of the ancient Temple of Apollo at Delphi, overlooking the valley of Phocis.

The theater at Delphi is built further up the hill from the Temple of Apollo and it presented the seated audience with a spectacular view of the entire sanctuary below and the valley beyond. It was built in the 4th Century BCE from local Parnassus limestone and was remodeled several times. While we were there, workers were cleaning unwanted grasses from the stadium.  I took a photo of them, but (sigh ...) it wasn't clear.  The limestone mountains are very photogenic with their golden highlights.

Looking uphill toward more ruins.

Castalia Spring.

Looking down on the remains of the circular Tholos Temple, which shares an immediate site with other ancient foundations of the Temple of Athena Pronaia, and all located less than a mile east of the main ruins. Externally, twenty Doric columns supported a frieze with triglyphs and metopes.  Only three columns remain.  This photo is a long shot ... we didn't venture down to this temple.

So ... this post is only a small piece of our day.  From here we went to the Delphi Archaeological Museum, and then lunch, and those will wait for the next post!