Delphi

Greetings from Delphi, the navel of the Earth. I had a great time exploring this place today. It is so beautiful here. If the Greeks had not decided to make this special city on the cliffs thousands of years ago, someone would certainly have built a resort up here today. Look closely at the picture and you can see the Aegean Sea way down below, far off in the distance.

The story is that Zeus released two eagles at the same time, each at opposite edges of the earth. They flew toward each other until they met at the exact center of the world. Zeus dropped a stone where they met to mark the navel of the world.

The story is a myth of course, but no one yet today can explain where the stone came from. I guess the ancient Greeks sat around meditating about that stone until the story was revealed to them. I knew some people back in the seventies who did sort of the same thing: Ohhhh ----Navel --- Ommmm.

Here is a picture looking up at Delphi. Can't really see the temples, can you? They are there though.

People came from all over back then to visit this place. They especially wanted to visit the Temple of the god Apollo. This is what it looked like back then

And this is what it looks like today/ Not much left, is there?

Want to know why the pilgrims all came here to the Temple of Apollo? No? Well, dadgummit, I'm gonna tell you anyway---

Inside the temple was a crack going down into the earth, and gases came up through that crack. An old woman, the "oracle", would breathe those gases, get stupid as a toad frog, and start talking in strange gibberish ( I think I knew some people like that once and--- oh, never mind.) Anyway, a priest would interpret what she said and tell you your fortune and answer your questions about what you should do, like go to war or get married (If you just said to yourself that those two are opposite sides of the same coin then I give up on you).

The pilgrims who came to consult with the oracle would stop on the way up to the temple to buy gifts from the stores that lined the roqd. You can see the remains of those stores to the right. I guess they don't look like much now, but they were pretty cool gift shops back in the day.

Cities and rich people lined the streets with gifts. Some even built treasuries to keep the gifts in.

This city was so important back in those early Greek days that they even had their own race track (for foot races and other athletic events) and held the second most important games in Greece (After the Marathon games)

And they had a big theater for those famous Greek tragedies and comedies.

It is all ruins now. The really good stuff is kept in the nearby museum.  Like this thing that once stood on a pedestal in the city.

I sure learned a lot there, but I don't want to bore you with more.

I left Delphi about 1:30, and started going west, looking for a bridge that I had heard the modern Greeks built to get across to the huge island of Peloponesia.

Tonight I am camped on the shores of the Aegean, looking from Peloponesia north to the Greek mainland just a couple of miles away. I am so tired of hotel rooms that I am looking forward to camping again.

I think Odysseus is happy to be camping again too. He has been spending so many lonely nights on the streets outside the hotels that he is like a child again.

Look, Ron. Eye candy!

What are you talking about Odysseus?

Right over there Ron. Can't you see her?

oh for --- Get a grip on yourself boy. I think I've left you alone too many nights.

I am really enjoying this campground. I am listening to the gentle sound of the breaking waves, looking at the lights far out across the sea, nursing a beer as I type, and loving this cool weather. The air conditioner in my room at Delphi last night leaked all over the place and I woke up with wet riding gear. None of that tonight. I am going to sleep well.

Goodnight,
Ron