Seeking Wisdom

Saturday October 1, 2011

We were like pilgrims seeking wisdom as we climbed the the rocky incline up Mt Parnassos to the sanctuary of Apollo. This is one of the most amazing sites we have visited. It is built on the spot that was considered the centre of the Ancient world. When Zeus sent two eagles out from the ends of the universe to find the centre they met here.

Though the settling of this area began in the 14^th century BC, it was during the 8^th and 7^th century BC that the sanctuary of Delphi really began to take shape. The area was believed to be the place the gods spoke through Pythia who uttered sounds that were then translated by the priests of Apollo. The centre of the sanctuary was Apollo's temple and around the temple were treasuries built by different cities or areas in Greece. The sacred way, leading to the temple, was lined with monuments and statues celebrating victories of major battles. The area also had a theatre for musical and dramatic performances plus a huge stadium for the Pythian games that rivaled the Olympic games in fame and glory. The stadium and theatre were well preserved and the size and work of erecting them where they are is incredible. The museum adds further insight as we saw some of the statues and ornamentation that decorated the site. I believe ancient visitors would have been as enraptured as a kid visiting Disneyland. As you stand on the terraced hill above the theatre and look out over the majesty of the panorama that lays before you it is not hard to see why the ancients considered the site sacred.

We spent the morning in our time-capsule adventure, and then rode the bus back to the serene port of Itea for a relaxing lunch on the waterfront. The day was perfect with the sun dancing on the water, with a gentle breeze and the chance to just breath in the moment!

Our trip from the Corinthian Gulf took us winding up a narrow road over two mountain ranges and then down into the plain of Thessaly. There at Thermopylae 300 Spartan warriors lead by Leonidas gave their lives in an attempt to stop the Xerxes Persian army before it found its way through the narrow pass and into the rest of Greece. The next couple of hours gave us a view of rural Greece with fields of cotton ready to harvest, little flocks of sheep, patchwork grain fields and one little village after another. Many of the villages seemed to be built in the highest spot possible. Tonight we are nestled at the foot of Meteora where the monasteries are perched high on the cliffs above us. The town of Kalambaka is a buzz with tourists seeking the treasure that comes to adventure hungry travelers fulfilling their Grecian dreams.