Nike! (Victory!) We made it to Greece! We leave the night ferry and hop on our new bus; the driver greets us by barking like a small dog, and we travel north from the Peloponnesian peninsula, across a super-modern suspension bridge, to the mainland of Greece. We stop for lunch at a taverna in a tiny village on the edge of the sea to eat an amazing meal of Greek salad, octopus, sea bass, snapper, lamb, spanakopita, baklava, and fresh fruit. Who knew that the reason your table setting has a three-pronged fork for seafood is in tribute to the trident of Poseidon, God of the Sea? We stretch our legs and walk down the rocky beach strewn with thousands of small sea urchin skeletons...ripe lemons and oranges hang from branches and litter the ground along the shore, and the eucalyptus trees are covered in beautiful yellow flowers!
We drive on -- to our hotel in the foggy mountains: Delphi! Reminiscent of a Himalayan hill station in the clouds, this tiny village is tucked into the mountain side; the front of our hotel has five stories, the back has only one. Winding streets, rustic woodwork and stone masonry: the village is lovely, and its many small stores sell items that tell of its shepherding past: woven wool carpets, walking sticks, olives and olive wood carved tools, honey, and of course: souvenirs from temple of the Delphic Oracle! A toothless old woman dressed in the widow's traditional black sells odds and ends in the corner market and smiles as she tries to teach a couple simple words in Greek to an American customer unaccustomed to the tongue twisters of her native language...
Holy Apollo! The next morning we drive five minutes down the road to see the magnificent complex of buildings at the ancient site of Delphi -- chosen by Zeus, when the two eagles he released at the far ends of the earth crossed paths here. The magnificent, massive stones of the retaining walls are fitted together like puzzle pieces...not unlike the Inca buildings of Machu Picchu. And upon closer inspection, we see that volumes of history and mythology have been painstakingly carved on the surfaces of each stone...an archaeologist's dream discovery! This site was used for many centuries as the place of prophecy -- the Pythoness, or oracle, would communicate with the gods and answer in riddles the questions of countless generals and kings and other seekers who were confronted with major, perplexing decisions...this, like so much of our trip, is like stepping into the pages of Herodotus' Histories!
After visiting the site, we walk over to the Delphi museum, where we stroll in numbed silence through the halls, examining the beautiful artifacts of bronze and gold and marble that were brought her for safe-keeping: a horse and rider, a giant sphinx, weapons and tools, gold jewelry, carvings full of figures playing out scene after scene from ancient mythology and history. Minds spinning, we load the bus again...for Athens! We drive east, arriving in the evening, and settle into our new hotel. It is pouring now, and we throw caution to the wind and put on slickers and hoist umbrellas for a walk across the city to go shopping. In our tour director's words: "You aren't made of sugar, and you aren't made of salt!" Although Monique was born in the Belgian Congo and now lives in Rome, you can tell she spent time studying at our very own University of Oregon! Of the many items purchased, gyros, halvah and candied kumquats were among the favorites... Tomorrow, we board our cruise ship for our island adventures!
We drive on -- to our hotel in the foggy mountains: Delphi! Reminiscent of a Himalayan hill station in the clouds, this tiny village is tucked into the mountain side; the front of our hotel has five stories, the back has only one. Winding streets, rustic woodwork and stone masonry: the village is lovely, and its many small stores sell items that tell of its shepherding past: woven wool carpets, walking sticks, olives and olive wood carved tools, honey, and of course: souvenirs from temple of the Delphic Oracle! A toothless old woman dressed in the widow's traditional black sells odds and ends in the corner market and smiles as she tries to teach a couple simple words in Greek to an American customer unaccustomed to the tongue twisters of her native language...
Holy Apollo! The next morning we drive five minutes down the road to see the magnificent complex of buildings at the ancient site of Delphi -- chosen by Zeus, when the two eagles he released at the far ends of the earth crossed paths here. The magnificent, massive stones of the retaining walls are fitted together like puzzle pieces...not unlike the Inca buildings of Machu Picchu. And upon closer inspection, we see that volumes of history and mythology have been painstakingly carved on the surfaces of each stone...an archaeologist's dream discovery! This site was used for many centuries as the place of prophecy -- the Pythoness, or oracle, would communicate with the gods and answer in riddles the questions of countless generals and kings and other seekers who were confronted with major, perplexing decisions...this, like so much of our trip, is like stepping into the pages of Herodotus' Histories!
After visiting the site, we walk over to the Delphi museum, where we stroll in numbed silence through the halls, examining the beautiful artifacts of bronze and gold and marble that were brought her for safe-keeping: a horse and rider, a giant sphinx, weapons and tools, gold jewelry, carvings full of figures playing out scene after scene from ancient mythology and history. Minds spinning, we load the bus again...for Athens! We drive east, arriving in the evening, and settle into our new hotel. It is pouring now, and we throw caution to the wind and put on slickers and hoist umbrellas for a walk across the city to go shopping. In our tour director's words: "You aren't made of sugar, and you aren't made of salt!" Although Monique was born in the Belgian Congo and now lives in Rome, you can tell she spent time studying at our very own University of Oregon! Of the many items purchased, gyros, halvah and candied kumquats were among the favorites... Tomorrow, we board our cruise ship for our island adventures!
The next morning, we arrive at the port of Piraeus to load the Celestyal Olympia with another 900 or so cruise ship passengers. After navigating our way through security, the ever-present ship photographers, the lifeboat drill, the on-board beverage menu plans, the credit card registration, the cabin check-in and luggage pick-up, we are in our new home-sweet-home! Cabins are small but sufficient. Most of the showers work, but not all do. The pool is open, but a hot tub would be even better given the mixed weather we are enjoying! The food is great in all-you-can-eat buffet, and even better downstairs in the Aegean restaurant. Views from the many decks are stunning, but for the best view on ship, you hike up twelve floors to the crow's nest bar for a 360 degree panorama of the wide, blue yonder! We sit staring and journaling and sipping juice and smoothies for ages, until a shout announces that dolphins have been spotted, and we watch as they follow us, leaping playfully in the ship's wake...
By afternoon we dock in Mykonos! This island of whitewashed buildings and labyrinthine corridors transports us to a time before automobiles...and it does not take much imagination to drift back to a time before cell phones and electricity and the hum of modern life... Monique leads us through the maze to Little Venice, built right on the edge of the sea...to the iconic windmills of innumerable postcards. Dinner is at a small taverna only feet from fishing boats moored close to shore...near the marble fish cleaning station...classy! After dinner we walk back to our ship by moonlight, knowing that if we aren't back by last call, the boat will leave without you!
By afternoon we dock in Mykonos! This island of whitewashed buildings and labyrinthine corridors transports us to a time before automobiles...and it does not take much imagination to drift back to a time before cell phones and electricity and the hum of modern life... Monique leads us through the maze to Little Venice, built right on the edge of the sea...to the iconic windmills of innumerable postcards. Dinner is at a small taverna only feet from fishing boats moored close to shore...near the marble fish cleaning station...classy! After dinner we walk back to our ship by moonlight, knowing that if we aren't back by last call, the boat will leave without you!