Athens, Delphi, and Vouliagmeni

We're in Greece!  (July 7-10) 

So excited to be in beautiful Greece.  We rented a car from Athens and took a super easy drive out from the airport onto highways and through a bit of mountain roads to Delphi.  Wow - beautiful.  This evening we'll head to the museum and a couple sites and return tomorrow morning to visit the rest of the ruins before heading back to Athens.  Greece in July - yes its hot.  Very very hot!  But also stunning!

 Landing in Greece

Our little yellow car

Driving to Delphi  -- So beautiful.  Most people take a morning bus from Greece, spend the day at the site and then take an afternoon bus back.  But that means that you are with throngs of people, and visiting the site in the hottest part of the day. That seemed ridiculous to us, compared to this beautiful quiet drive, afternoon siesta and sunset visit to the Athena Pronaia tholos site, and then an early morning walk through the Delphi ruins.  Obviously, we opted for the latter!!

 View from our room at the Pan hotel in Delphi.  A great room, and the owner was very nice.  He helped us secure afternoon wine (stores were closed in this small town (siesta?), giving us the rest of his own bottle from last night's dinner.  :)  Also he spoke fluent French, English and who knows what else.  In this tiny town in mountainous Greece.

The Tholos at the Athena Pronaia site, right outside the Delphi site

Delphi is so gorgeous!  Here we got to see the sunset light redden the mountains across the valley from the Athena Pronaia site

Beautiful

We finished up our sunset experience with this view from our table at a little restaurant in town -- an amazing Greek meal with dolmadas, Tzaziki, lamb kabobs and Greek salad.  Damn!  

Day Two (July 8):  Delphi and afternoon with Amy and Natalie

The next morning we walked through the ruins of Delphi, most importantly visiting the Temple of Apollo, where the Oracle would prophesize about the major political decisions of the day.  She also famously told Chaerophon that there was no one wiser than Socrates.

...and the theatre

Kristi walking on the Sacred Way (down down down hill)


This retaining wall was built to stabilize the Temple of Apollo (made using "polygonal masonry," Jane would have you know).  It hasn't been touched since, and it's held strong through earthquakes and, well, 2000+ years.  Also, it has Greek inscriptions all. over. it. Like this:



This was an amazing day!   That afternoon, we drove back to Athens, returned the car to the airport, and headed out on the metro to Amy Scanlon's place.  We met cute cute Natalie, and played and talked for a few hours, until we headed out for dinner at a neighborhood restaurant.   Amy's place is beautiful, and right across the street from the U.S. embassy.  

Amy and little Natalie

Day Three (July 9):  The Akropolis, Agora and the Beach!  

The Acropolis

The Parthenon -- the "back" side

The Porch of the Caryatids on the Erichtheion.  Always wanted to see that.

The Odeon of Herodus Atticus 
(It's still used for concerts.  In fact, they were setting up for one while we were there.  We heard a short sound check.  Imagine how cool that would be to see a show there)

Looking down onto the Agora from the Acropolis

Overlooking Hadrian's Arch and the Temple of Olympian Zeus

After hanging out on top of the Acropolis, we headed down and into the Agora.  Even more than the Acropolis, this was what Jane came to Athens to see.  It's where all those philosophers hung out.  It's where Socrates would walk through the stoa and around the paths, talking about Justice, or Piety, or some such thing.  It's where Myletus, Anytus, and Lycon accused him of corrupting the youth and "not believing in the city's gods."...It's where he offered his famous "apology" (which was in no way apologetic, but rather a full fledged and beautiful (perhaps sometimes arrogant) :) defense of his life's purpose.  It's where the Athenian jury voted to have him sentenced to death.  And it's where Plato and so many others continued after him.  Cool.

The Middle Stoa -- where folks would hang out and talk

From all Jane could surmise, from studying the area, this is most likely the site of the Bouleuterion, a theatre-type structure where the jurors would hear cases, right next to the Agora's Tholos (the center of the legal offices).  So, Jane figures, this is where Socrates was tried and convicted.  Not sure though.  Because this building was covered, and Jane had read or seen somewhere that the site of the trial had, not a roof, but canvas-like shading.  So....not sure.  But it makes sense that it would have been here, at the Bouleuterion, the "Council House."  Jane will have to research that a bit more...perhaps come back. :)

A reconstructed stoa (where the Museum is), with a view of the Acropolis.

The Temple of Hephaistos, the most preserved structure in the Agora...and beautiful!  Look at that:

After a hot, but amazing, morning at the Acropolis and Agora, we ate lunch in the Plaka district (in front of a fan shooting out mist!).  Then we headed to our beachside hotel in Vouliagmeni (near Athens (just east of the port of Pireaus) for our last night in Europe!  What a gorgeous view!

View from the hotel - sweet!

Alas, the next morning (after a lovely, slow breakfast), we had to go home. 

Flying home

Another beautiful trip to Europe!  We plan to come back and spend more time in Greece in May next year hopefully while Amy is still in Greece.  Afterwards, we want to visit Sicily and northern Italy's Cinque Terra before heading to Spain for more time on the Camino.  These trips could get habit-forming!  Yay ;)