Hotel Arion Delphi

... left standing. Ewe found out that Greek pillars are fluted and that Roman pillars are not. Engraved on individual tablets of rock made up into a wall at one part of the site were the slaves' stories celebrating when they became free men. The engraved printing made on the rocks was tiny and yet very accurate and neat and the stones were interlinked without any cementing, both tasks of impressive craftsmanship. <br>On the return trip to Athens there was a stop at ...

... fine temperature, light breeze. Far off in the distance I can see massed clouds hanging over the valley down towards Athens. Ah, to be up in the hills, basking in it! After about an hour, they are not so far any more &amp; I am beginning to regret discarding proper cagoule for lightweight thingy in pack that doesn't keep the water out at all... <br>Am getting strong sense of the kind of impression ...

<br>Day 17 We decide to head south too. Even if wet, big city can offer many distractions, we reflect. Get robbed by motorway bandits (in booths!) Bit of a low-point this - not what you expect in Greece. Scarcely seen the sun: but road is very fast and smooth and it does begin to dry out the further we go. Hopes secretly rise... Just after Lamia, turn off to look for memorial to Leonides, heroic Spartan leader of 300 who held off massive army of Xerxes at ...

... there are some hot springs as well.<br><br>In the area there are a couple of campsites, although I don&#8217;t know if campsites are so popular nowadays since hotels were not very expensive, at least this year!<br><br>GOOD NEWS!<br><br>The house is ok! My God&#8230;we are at ease now, but still worrying as to what we shall find on the way home.<br><br>.<br><br>

... blue water- the Gulf of Corinth. Second, people used to make pilgrimages to Delphi because there were Oracles who lived there who spoke for the god Apollo. That is pretty darn interesting! Third, Ancient Delphi ruins are situated on the slope of Mount Parnassus. The ruins are terraced on the side of the mountain and at the top of the ruins where the stadium is, when you look down you can see all the ruins: including the theater, the temple, lots of small ...

... Also, legend has it that Delphi is the center of the world because Zeus released two eagles that flew around the world and they met at the temple of Apollo in Delphi. One of my highlights was exploring a tunnel that lead underneath the temple of Apollo. Although no one knows exactly where the Oracle sat, they know it was in front of a cave; I imagined that I was crawling through this cave. Who knows? Maybe I was an oracle for a few minutes...

... lunch and a quick dip in the sea, then finally we arrived in Delphi (after many twists and turns up the treacherous cliffside roads! And finally, here I am, lounging in my little hotel room, awaiting my next adventure in ancient Greece! links to facebook albums with some of my Greece pictures: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2 065994&amp;l=42505&amp;id=35108637 http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2 065995&amp;l=b0ece&amp;id=35108637

... the Corinthian column. We also witnessed the twin Kouros , the Sphinx and the bronze statue of Apollo. We were lamenting with the Aussies about the cost of spending in Euros when we were interrupted by our indignant South African friends who quickly added that 1 euro was equivalent to 12 rands. We were aghast! We decided to quit complaining and count ...

We left early in the morning from Athens on a charter bus, all of our big tour group. We stopped early on at a touristy shop in the middle of nowhere, I'm positive it's one of those places where prices are marked up and they cater to tourist busses. We were there for quite a while, there were rugs, pottery, olive oil, evil eyes, stuff like that. It was pretty though, my mom and I took the opportunity to get a photo with the pleasant ...

... world. There was a great museum there with 7th century bronzes which were very interesting. St. Andrews cathedral was the first Greek Orthodox church I had been in and was impressed with the frescos, mosaic tiles and the atmosphere. Lunch at Patras and had souvalaki, then on to Delphi.