Good morning from the beautiful town of Delphi – the city of an abundance of Olive trees, two very very narrow streets, and “the navel of the world”. We started off the morning with our usual hotel breakfast which we had all to ourselves! We then took a one minute bus ride to the Delphi Archaeological Museum where we saw many ancient artifacts, statues, and Latin inscriptions (which reminded us of the power Rome held over Greece in antiquity). We then took a small hike up to the Temple of Apollo and on the way learned more about why Delphi is often called “the navel of the world”, as it is the center of the world according to Zeus’s test in which he launched two eagles flying at the same speed to see where they would cross. When the eagles crossed in Delphi, he threw down a stone which now represents the “navel”. While visiting the Temple of Apollo, we learned about his strategic placement of it for the purpose of it providing an Oracle for visitors, something Delphi is now also famously known for. We then walked to the bus and on the way filled up our water bottles with fresh water from the Castalian spring. After another one minute bus ride, we arrived at the Temple of Athena which was in the lower portion of Delphi since it was the first temple that Athenian travelers (who mainly worshipped Athena) would encounter on their journey to the Temple of Apollo.
After our morning of touring the famous sites of Delphi, we all parted ways and enjoyed some lunch, shopping, rest and relaxation, and homework until we had class at 6:00 and our group dinner at 7:00. It was another great day of touring the famous archaeological and historical sites of Greece and we are looking forward to driving to Kalambaka tomorrow!
Oles in Greece 2020 