Athens, Greece

I don’t even know what day it is. That’s the best sign of a great vacation, right?

We left Nafpaktos and drove down to the Temple of Apollo in Delphi, the religious center of ancient Greece. It was one of the most sacred places to the ancient Greeks and was a destination for pilgrimages. They came to seek the prophecy of the Oracle of Delphi, a priestess known as Pythia, who was believed to be the communicator between the mortal world and the divine. The people who came had to go through a series of tests in order to see the Oracle. One involved a black goat and a bucket of water. If the goat shivered when the water was poured over it, the person got the opportunity to ask the priestess one question. If the goat wasn’t bothered by the water, the poor guy had to wait until next year. Farmers, business owners, and even politicians sought the wisdom and advice from the Oracle of Delphi. There were also markets and festivals, games and theater. It was also thought to be the center of the earth, as most ancient Greeks were flat-earthers.

The next day we drove down the coast to Athens. It was quite the drive. We made our way down narrow winding mountain roads in this huge, brand new tour bus. But the views were spectacular. Greece has over 1,000 islands! We stopped for a very nice lunch in a cute little town by the water. I know I say that every day, but it is true. Northern Greece is a very charming area. We arrived in Athens later in the evening and we decided to just have cheese and crackers with Barbara and Eric on the balcony. The Greece love to feed people and after another large lunch, we were ready for something light.

Athens has over 3 million people living within her. No more cute small towns; we were in the capital of Greece and one of the world’s oldest cities. We visited the Acropolis where the massive columns of the Parthenon soared above us. It was truly incredible to be in a place that had seen so much history. We toured many other parts of the city today. Eric’s watch said we did over 15,000 steps and not one of them was on even ground. :-) Needless to say, we were exhausted tonight. So after a very healthy dinner of gelato, we turned in early. We have a 5:00 am wake up call in the morning to catch the ferry to Mykonos. Our tour guide promises us that the next five days on the islands will be less sight seeing and more relaxing by the pool or on the beach!

Photo Album

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