EUROPE - Part 4

GREECE

The FINAL Days

DELPHI

The Saronic Cruise was the last day we spent in Athens.  From there, we headed to Delphi to see the ancient ruins of Apollo & other Greek Gods & Goddesses.  On the way to Delphi, we passed through a the small town of Arachova...which only has one narrow street that runs through the middle of it.  It is the only way to get to Delphi, which is stuck in the middle of nowhere, really.  Our bus driver, Kris, was amazing at navigating through these small roads.  We only had one mishap, when he hit the awning of a local restaurant (oops!).  Take it from me...it was VERY scary when we came around the bend only to barely miss the side mirrors of an oncoming tour bus!  Yikes!  I'm so glad we made it through it safely!  See for yourself in these pics, taken from my seat in the tour bus:

Seeeeeee...I told you it was scary!!!!!

Anyway, we got to Delphi around 1:30 or 2 in the afternoon.  Again, it was over 100 degrees outside, and we weren't eating lunch until afterwards (can you imagine???).  So again, we were let loose to peruse through these ancient ruins by ourselves, and afterwards we'd meet our tour guide who would tell us about what we saw.  I have to admit...I made it only halfway up the mountain.  I had a migraine and was suffering from the extreme heat, so I decided to wait in the shade and I watched Steven climb to the top, to see the Olympic Stadium, until he disappeared for about 15 minutes.  He got a short video where he said if he ever went back, he was never climbing to the top again!  But just seeing the video makes you have goosebumps.  It is huge.  Such history lies in a place like this.  And to think places like this are still being discovered today.  To be able to walk among these ruins, and feel the spirit of the Greek Mythology was something I'll never forget.  It was so calm and serene.

Pic #1: This is the treasury of the Arthenians.  Interesting.

Pic #2: This is what is left of Apollo's temple.  I wish I could've seen it back in the old days!  It would've been so cool!

Pic #3: This is the view of Delphi, as we started hiking up the mountain.  Man...it was scorching outside, but the experience of climbing up these winding paths was amazing.  The history that you are witnessing, and the "spirit of Delphi" was indescribable.

Pic #4-5: This is the view of Delphi from above. How in the world the Athenians managed to build such a city o the sides of these steep mountains is beyond me.  However, I do know how they were so athletic...from walking up and down these stairs so much!!  ha ha ha

Pic #6-7: Steven & I, in front of the arena.  I only went up a little higher than this...then I went back down to the shade.  This arena was HUGE.

After exploring the ruins of Delphi, we went to an air-conditioned museum where they showcase various things they have found, things that belonged to the Athenians.  I'm sure Steven enjoyed every minute of his perusing through the museum. As for me, I laid flat on a bench with sweat and tears running down my cheek.  Little did I know, but my migraine would last for the next 2 hours.  It. was. TERRIBLE.

METEORA

After Delphi, we headed to Meteora, which was one of my favorite places we ventured to.  I think it is because of the land formations.  I have NEVER seen such miraculous architecture in my life!  I mean, the buildings are such unique pieces of artwork, yes.  But to think that God made the land so perfect...it's almost like these monasteries were meant to be built here.  Now, we saw a LOT of catholic churches, but these monasteries fascinated me like I never imagined.  See for yourself:

(side note:  See the ropes coming through the windows of the above pic?  That's how they used to get food and water into the buildings, before there were roads built.  Interesting.)

Anyway, we actually visited 2 of the 5 monasteries which are still standing today. Originally, there were over 25 of these built, but over the years (from severe weather and deterioration) only 5 of them are still standing and are fully operational.  Visitors are allowed in, and it was really interesting to see their way of life, and to learn about the Greek Orthodox Church. One we visited was more monks, and the other for nuns. It wasn't until about 25 years ago that women were even allowed inside these monasteries.  And yes, all women (even the visitors had to wear skirts inside).  Here's proof: 

Pic #1: standing outside the 1st monastery, in my beautiful skirt. It was hot...at least men could wear knee-length shorts.

Pic #2: standing atop the same monastery. The view from here was stunning. 

 Pic #3: In the middle of each monastery, there is always an open courtyard. It was so nice and breezy here. Such a nice area.

All in all, it was a GREAT last 2 days in Greece, in Delphi & Meteora!

And, that about sums it up for Greece.  After the monasteries, we got on a ferry boat and traveled to Italy.  Oh yeah...there's a story there!

 

Because there was construction going on, on the road to Meteora, we had to take a 3 hour detour.  That put us behind. Then, we went to a store where they made their golden idols...the store was on fire. So, we took another detour. We get a call saying our ferry is leaving an hour earlier. We missed dinner, and had to have food delivered to us in a trash bag. When we got to the port to board the ferry, our border patrol boarded our bus and asked a bazillion questions, and some of us didn't have our story straight...can you imagine going through all of this (plus not even remembering what day we even arrived in Greece b/c of our flights being canceled and changed???).  Anyway, we made it...barely!  The ferry boat was quite an experience in itself...we'll save it for next time. :)

Stay tuned for Part 5....

¡Viva Italia!