Day 14: Day One in Greece, First Stop, Delphi!

Day One in Greece, First Stop, Delphi!

After a long afternoon and evening of traveling, we arrived in Delphi, Greece around midnight. After what felt like only five minutes, we woke up again to begin our adventure throughout Greece.  Due to some morning rain, we made a minor switch-up and went to see the only accurate replica of the ancient sanctuary of Delphi. We examined the replica while our tour guide Nikki explained the various buildings and statues within the sanctuary. Delphi and Olympia are the only two Panhellenic sanctuaries. Specifically, she told us the history of the sanctuary and the story in which Apollo, the god of poetry, archery, the sun, and music, defeated a python and then went into exile in which he absorbed the python’s supernatural powers and returned to Delphi. This story furthermore explains the ancient saying that with bad there is always some good. In other words, Apollo could not just destroy the python, instead he had to absorb its powers and take some bad in order to have some good. Nikki then described the oracle and the ways in which people brought their questions to the oracle. These questions included political questions, questions of war, and questions of sickness. She then described the layout of the sanctuary which is marked by the outer wall. The sanctuary is found in the center surrounded by smaller treasuries. These treasures stored various valuables. The lower sanctuary contained a gymnasium where young competed in both running and wrestling. This gymnasium was also used for military purposes.

            After the rain stopped, we headed to the archaeological site and instead of examining a replica of the sanctuary, we got to explore the real thing. Prior to entering the sanctuary, individuals had to cleanse themselves with the sacred water. Below is a picture of some us doing just that upon entry.

            I really enjoyed the archaeological site because it brought the replica to life with a picturesque view of Greece in the background. While exploring the sanctuary, we stopped at a few important spots including the gymnasium, the theater, and the stadium. We also examined the temple and Nikki pointed out right where the oracle would be. It was amazing to walk throughout the sanctuary and imagine the sanctuary filled with individuals dating all the way back to 800 BC. After taking in some of the beautiful views, we descended towards the museum. On our way towards the museum we saw inscriptions of the Olympic rings. Professor Kim described to us the ways in which Hitler used the 1936 Olympics as a political platform and furthermore as a way to expand the power of the Aryan race. The Nazis planted the Olympic rings among the sanctuary and then excavated the inscription of the rings to connect the ancient Greeks to the Aryan race. Below is an inscription of the rings.

            Throughout the museum, we saw various statues that were excavated by the French in the 19^th century. One of my favorite parts was the gold and ivory statues that were found buried throughout the sanctuary. The ancient Greeks both disposed of unwanted goods in wells as well as hid various treasures and statues during invasions and wartime's. These are the goods and statues we saw in the museum. While some have been destroyed, many have been left in beautiful conditions. Below are pictures of some of these statues.  

            After the museum we got on the bus and headed to lunch. We stopped at a small café where we shared some authentic Greek cuisine family style. The food was absolutely delicious. We shared some Greek salad with lots and lots of olives followed by an eggplant, potato, and beef dish followed by Tzatziki and French fries and ending with an assortment of meats including chicken, lamb, and beef. The food was amazing!

            We then got on the bus and started our four-hour journey to Olympia. Halfway through our trip we stopped at a small coastal town called Nofpaktos. We walked around and took in the beautiful views which included both a fort and an ancient castle. We then stopped by the local café and enjoyed a few beverages by the water. It was extremely relaxing. An hour later we hopped back on the bus and completed our journey to Olympia. We arrived at our hotel just a little way up from the main street of Olympia. We look forward to checking out Olympia and having some pool time tomorrow!

Nofpaktos

Kalinychta!