Delphi

Alastair was grateful that Athens was a relatively easy city to drive in, despite none of the many motorcycles following the rules of the road.  The drive to Delphi, situated on Mount Parnassus, was another scenic mountainous route, giving us lots of beautiful views of the Corinth Sea. It gave us immense respect for the history of travellers thousands of years ago walking or travelling by Donkey, hundreds of kilometres for their pilgrimage to consult the Oracle of Delphi (thought to communicate with Apollo) or to participate in the Pythia Athletic Games.  The site museum was interesting it showed us lots of examples of the sculptures and relief work from the temples.  It had many examples of copper and iron offerings that the visitors to Delphi would bring as an offering to the Oracle. The small ivory carvings where most impressive (see the picture as I tried to capture the detail in these tiny carvings). It also shared lots of the Greek mythology, and displayed a fascinating diorama of what the site would have looked like at its Apex, helping us develop a fuller appreciation for the mountain side ruins.  Both the amphitheatre and sports arena at Delphi were in reasonably good shape, still very impressive. Again we were grateful to be there in low season without the crowds and pleasant, slightly cool weather to climb the hills.