Day 6 - Olympia to Delphi

This morning we started the day visiting the sanctuary of Olympia which flourished from the 10th c. BC to AD 426. It was a major religious, cultural and sporting centre. We spent a fair bit of time here checking out the gymnasium, the Philippeion, temple of Zeus, the hippodrome, the stadium, the temple of Hera where they light the flame for both the summer and winter Olympics. They are still excavating the site and it looks like there is still a lot to uncover.

After the site we visited the museum which houses all the statues and antiquities found on the site. They again have done an amazing job reconstructing the temple of Zeus monumental pediments. They also had some shields, helmets, cuirasses, greaves and other offensive equipment used by soldiers. The museum houses the finds from prehistoric  Olympia from the late Neolithic to Mycenaean times.

After another gyros for lunch we took a short walk of the village before our drive to Delphi. They don't have lamb like at home, it is either chicken or pork, the pork is sensational. I am hooked. The drive to Delphi was magnificent. We stopped at a couple of gorgeous villages along the way for coffee breaks and photos. One in particular was Galaxidi which is said to have been created from a star coming down from the sky to create a harbour. This is were Greek merchant shipping began. The drive up the mountain to Delphi looks down over the sea of olive trees, you can also see the aqueduct along the side of the road which they tell us takes water to Athens.

Our hotel rooms look over the valley into the Kolpos Iteas, it is the most amazing view. We visit the temple of Apollo tomorrow and will have lunch at the side town of Itea. After lunch we head inland to Kalambaka.

I must say our coach is fantastic, not only do the seats have extra leg room, recline but the isle seats slide sideways to create extra space in between the chairs. Huge big windows which are kept speaking clean and of course a loo. We rotate seats everyday so we all get a go at the front.

 

After another massive buffet dinner we did a short walk into town before coming back to the hotel lobby to get on the net.

Until next time J&N