Am I allowed to mention a restaurant I didn't go to? It must have been a good one because Mr B saved a piece of his veal steak for me. Very nice it was too. They went to To Patriko Mas because it was recommended and has a good view over the valley that goes to the sea.
We got a better photo this morning - those are olive trees on the flat land.
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| BTW the chickens at that house went into the basement last night... |
After breakfast today we went to the Delfi archaeological site. They wouldn't let me visit so I went back the van and kept an eye out for vagrant dogs. Just going along the path to the entrance I could see the attraction was going to be lots of rocks modified by humans. F would show me photos anyway
Turns out some Tigger cousins have already got the franchise on this site
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| Momento shops line the market place on the way in |
Unlike some other ancient sites that we have visited (Mystras for example) this wasn't really a working town. You don't get to see the foundations of houses and workshops and bakeries and gardens and stuff. These buildings were grand ceremonial affairs; temples and treasuries. They sort of date from a bit over 500BC but it seems the site got seriously damaged by earthquakes a few times - even at the peak of its importance as the top place to attend upon the god Apollo.
A notice board told us Apollo was the god of music, harmony and light.
Strange then that many of the treasuries were topped up with the spoils of war...
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| Treasury of the Athenians. Today the only intact/reconstructed building on site |
So it got a few rebuilds and upgrades in ancient times, then the Romans stamped their mark on it (in true Roman style they 'organized' it...) and even the early Christisns had a go before it fell completely out of use and was eventually forgotten completely.
It was excavated by modern archaeologists from 1890, and excavations are still ongoing.
We haven't mentioned the Oracle.... you can look that one up for yourselves. It is of course what Delfi was probably most famous for.
Here are a few more photos....
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| Theorized to be the original pulpit rock and that salesman I mentioned yesterday might actually have been a woman.... |
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| Stoa of the Athenians |
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| Corner of Apollo's temple |
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| Theatre seated 5000! |
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| Bronze colomn of three snakes - originally had a gold top ornament and was the only votive on site contributed to jointly by all the States that paid homage here. |
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| Part of the main path the Romans constructed through the site |
You have to admit it must have been spectacular and a huge engineering undertaking in its time.
We have a National Geographic magazine from March/April 2019 with lots of info in Delphi. This is the editor's note:
Hari OM
ReplyDeleteI love the mystery of history... the idea that so many people and pawsons existed before us but lived lives almost exactly as we do (albeit with differing technologies)... and would fall for the commercial traps to be found around places of interest! Lovely photos - F did well so that you (and we) did not miss out. Hugs and wags, YAM-aunty xxx
Glad to read you gave new technologies....any commercial traps in that? We have visited more 'intact' ancient sites but I guess this is all round the one that most people know about (like Stonehenge in England) so you kind of have to visit it. Thinking about it will help compose a comment for Mark's latest View from the Bikeshed. xxx Mr T and F
DeleteThat is a place I would love to visit. One day perhaps ...sigh....
ReplyDeleteI am envious of your glorious sunshine there!
If you visit do it in Spring - less crowding.
DeleteThat's a wonderful site. My mother's favourite. She went twice . The view up there is magnificent too. The olive trees swaying silver in the wind. Definitely best time of the year to visit.
ReplyDeleteF wanted to walk on the hillsides but it was closed off higher up and it isn't spring flower season yet.
Deleteit truly is a place of history and beauty and I am sorry you could not go. with all that rough terrain you would have had to leave donkey behind and ride in you backpack, so don't understand why you could not go... i know you took good care of the car... it looks like the sunshine allowed all the beauty to sparkle in the photos
ReplyDeleteWe do backpack tourism. Donkey is just for home turf. The woman at the gate knew i was in the backpack even tho F had zipped it all closed.
DeleteWe visited the last time we were in Greece
ReplyDeleteIt was an amazing place
Unfortunately I couldn’t get right to the top but hubby did and got some great shots of all the mountains
The path to the top was closed so they didn't see the stadium or the caves higher up.
DeleteThanks for the photo-tour around these remarkable ruins. Fascinating :)
ReplyDeleteYou know what? F says I would enjoy seeing some of New Zealand's wild places (but because I'm a cat I might not be best welcome).
DeleteI definitely want to visit Greece…..hopefully someday I’ll have my passport! Lovely photos, thank you for sharing those!
ReplyDeleteGood luck with that passport challenge.
DeleteThanks Tigger (and F) for providing us with lovely armchair travels - you’ve inspired me to relive my time at Ephesus. Photo folders here I come
ReplyDeleteI think F should have photographed some more curly carved bits and a wider view of the whole site.
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