Sunday, May 7th, Delphi, Greece

Greetings!

While the rest of the world was beginning to watch the elections in France, we chose to drive north over the Rio-Antirio Bridge, and stop at a lovely seaside village (Nafpaktos) for the best coffee outside with a view.

Proceeding northeast for another couple of hours, we arrived at the southwestern slope of Mount Parnassus (Delphi), where we visited the spectacular museum, and walked up the hill to the Temple of Apollo.  Son of Zeus, Apollo is clearly the darling of everyone in Greece, in ancient and current times.  His temple designated a neutral zone wherein all city states and territories could gather, pay tribute to Apollo and other deities (including the earth goddess Gea, Themis, Demeter, and Poseidon), and seek advice from the Oracle.   

We are increasingly amazed at how our perceptions of greek mythology have not prepared us for the size and complexity of the ancient ruin sites associated with them.   Olympia and Delphi, and the museums here and in Athens, provide ample evidence of the strength and credibility of these early beliefs in Greece.  And they convincingly demonstrate the superiority of Greek sculpture.

Who were those providing the answers to questions posed to the Oracle?  And what was the source of their insight?  It turns out that the gases (ethylene, methane, and ethane) seeping out of cracks, discovered recently, have verified ancient claims that the Oracle's communicators were achieving a heightened state by breathing in these vapors.

To see all of the photos taken today, click on Sunday, May 7th, Delphi. Greece.

Saturday, May 6th, Olympia, Greece

Greetings!

The morning was spent visiting Sparta, an unimpressive but important historical site containing an amphitheater, acropolis, and no tourists.

Most of us hear the words "in the modern games.." when referring to the Olympics and think there was probably some decades before 1896 when the games weren't really official, or well-organized.  Would you be surprised to learn that they were going on for 1,200 years before the site was buried in 26 feet of flooded soil around 600 AD?

Or that one of the wonders of the ancient world was a 4-meter high statue of Zeus adorned with jewels which seemed to move when reflecting the light from an olive oil pool in front of it?

Without a standing army, how does a country keep their people fit enough to ward off their enemies for melleniums?  The celebration of physical prowess became the national obsession.  Preliminary contests of 13 events took place all around the country for a year before the games. Statues of the winners, and plaques announcing the cheaters lined the long entryway into the stadium.

To see all of the photos taken today, click on Saturday, May 6th, Olympia, Greece.

Friday, May 5th, Sparta, Greece

Greetings!

The first capital of Greece (First Helenic Republic) was the port city of Napfplio in the province of Peloponesse.  With an island sporting chains extending outward parallel to the waterfront, and a fortress on the hilltop behind it, the town was pretty defendable.  Kudos to our guide, Katarina, for introducing us to the architecture and ambiance of a city which was influenced so much by the northern Italians (Venetians).

Mistras was the last Byzantine holdout to the accension of the Ottoman Empire, and the castle on the hill down to the churches near the bottom reflects the blending of the Eastern Roman to Orthodox Christian architecture.  It fell in 1715 to the Ottoman empire, after being fought over by the Byzantines, Franks, Venetians, and Turks. The structures, church icons, and public designs demonstrate a blend of eastern and western Byzantine styles, and introduced us to one of the best single sites to understand the 14th to 17th centuries.

We're so glad we started at the top, that it wasn't too warm, and that we took our time getting down the hill.  Our guide, Natalia, was wonderful.  We descended 867 steps over 800 meters in elevation, and she packed every one of them with the history and importance of what we were seeing.

To see the photos taken today, click on Friday, May 5th, Sparta, Greece.

Thursday, May 4th, Nafplion, Greece

Greetings!

We started our Classic Greece Tour with Adventures Abroad today, and we drove and hiked to palaces, citadels, acropolis, the Lions Gate, Great Court, temples, sanctuaries, tombs, amphitheaters, and canals.

At each of the stops, our guide (Dora) provided an enormous amount of background with which to understand the historical and cultural significance of what we saw and experienced.

Combining the best information from Greek myths, story-telling, and archeological evidence, she equipped us with all that we needed. With Mycenean and Cretan parents, she was born to help us have a great day today.

To see all of the photos taken today, click on Thursday, May 4th, Nafplion, Greece.

To follow our journey over the next two months, click on Our Map.

Wednesday, May 3rd, Athens

Greetings!

At dinner tonight, we met our guide and the other two couples we'll be traveling with over the next two weeks.  Serra Hughes is our main tour guide, a seasoned member of the Adventures Abroad family.  Bill and Jean currently living in Connecticut, and Bill and Karen currently living in Minnesota, all shared stories of their lives and traveling histories.  It is remarkable how similar we are, and how closely our lives have crossed and mirrored.  Serra explained the itinerary in much greater detail, and answered our questions about daily schedules and routines.  Most of the time, we'll also have local guides, and they will bring a wealth of additional insights.

Not many photos today, as the flight over was pretty uneventful (but too long waiting in lines).  We're right underneath the Parthenon and Acropolis, but can't see it for the high-rise hotels and apartments nearby.  We'll have two days here at the end of the trip, so I'm not worried we won't see plenty of it.

To see the few other photos, click on Wednesday, May 3rd, Athens.

Tuesday, May 2nd, Knossos

Greetings!

Knossos is unlike any other ancient ruin in the world.  Like other great cities, it was a ceremonial, administrative, and commercial hub. But it contains structural elements which are both far earlier than any others, and which support a civic design open to the general populace to a greater degree.  The four-story structure uses wooden columns to accommodate earthquakes.  It preceded by a thousand years the extensive use of sewer drainage, rainwater cisterns, an aqueduct, and clay drinking water pipes.  The architectural placement of its leadership residences, courtyards, sporting arenas, and theaters furthered civic integration and accessibility.

The power of nature, fertility, dance, and goddesses can't be over-stated.  Absent are the images and designs favoring warrior sacrifice, military campaigns, territorial conquest, and blood-letting.  The Minoans did not build fortifications around their cities.  They did not store weapons, nor maintain standing armies.  They built ships for commercial trading, and were the most dominant sea-faring force in the Mediterranean.

The clearest example of contrast is the veneration of bull-vaulting by women and men in elegant gymnastic exhibitions in the central courtyard.  The feeling I get from visiting the ruin is that this is the closest civilization to one that fits Sonoma County's lifestyles.  The wine-loving, peace-aspiring, freedom-fighting matriachal society I love would find a good home four thousand years ago on Crete.

To see the rest of the photo taken today, click on Tuesday, May 2nd, Knossos.

      

Monday, May 1st, Western Crete

Greetings!

Three days is not enough to really see Crete.  Our formula this trip is to spend the first day adjusting to the flight over and to visit the Museum of Archeology, the second day (a local holiday where everything is closed and folks head for the beach) driving west as far as we can, and the third day driving east as far as we can.

Yesterday's drive reminded us of Sicily, with a lot more small villages.  Narrow winding, well-maintained roads filled with determined drivers.   We should have stopped more, and would have if we'd not been day-tripping.  But we love seeing countryside, and the life it supports.  Lunch at Cretan Corner and dinner presented great opportunities to sample more appetizers, entrees, desserts, and after-dinner spirits (Raki).  Olive oil is everywhere (as are the trees), and the local fruits are fresh and plentiful.

Tomorrow, we'll spend the early morning at Knossos, the prize ruin of Crete.  Afterward, we hope to get to a couple more ruins, and to the beaches in eastern Crete.

Not too many photos this day, but here's the link:  Monday,May 1st, Western Crete.