Our last morning in Delphi, we decided to wake up fairly early and see the rest of the historical site, then make up our lost sleep on the bus ride back to Athens. Our first stop was the Kastelian Spring, where pilgrims used to stop to cleanse themselves before visiting the oracle. The waters are supposed to have healing powers. Frankly, it was less than impressive when we visited, partially because of the season -- we couldn't actually see any water, and partially because you can't actually get close to it due to the danger from falling rocks, and there's a big tree and a fence blocking your view. Despite my slight disappointment, I (of course) took a photo for your enjoyment. Below, what we decided was the real spring. We saw a woman filling up water bottles from it later!
Then, we made our way to the remains of the ancient gymnasium. In antiquity, a gymnasium wasn't just a place where you went to get exercise. It was also a social gather place and the site of mental training, in forms such as philosophical discussion. They often had their own baths and were really more like our conception of a villa than a gymnasium. There's not a whole lot left of the site, and it's kind of difficult to tell what was what. Since it's one of the less important sites, there's no entrance fee, and thus, very few signs explaining the site.
After wandering through the gymnasium and pausing a couple of times to contemplate its use, we made our way to the Temple of Athena, which was one of my favorite sites. It has a round tholos, and they have reconstructed a few of the pillars. The foundations of the Temple of Athena itself and other auxiliary buildings surround it. From the ground, it's quite impressive, and when you start climbing up the hill to leave the site, you get a view that gives you a good idea of how the site is laid out and what the buildings would have looked like. I found it to be a very elegant building, and of course, I loved the columns. They're just so beautiful to me!
On the way back to the hotel, we walked through the pathway next to the main site and this time, since it was only cold, not bone chillingly freezing and windy, we stopped to look at some of the artifacts along the way. My favorite was this piece of a mosaic. Having seen all of the outdoor site in Delphi (we skipped a few museums in the town), we were ready to go, but the bus wasn't for another hour or so, so we headed to yet another cafe to get a snack and while away the time. On the way back to Athens, we drove through the ski resort town of Arahova and saw this view.
Our last morning in Delphi, we decided to wake up fairly early and see the rest of the historical site, then make up our lost sleep on the bus ride back to Athens. Our first stop was the Kastelian Spring, where pilgrims used to stop to cleanse themselves before visiting the oracle. The waters are supposed to have healing powers. Frankly, it was less than impressive when we visited, partially because of the season -- we couldn't actually see any water, and partially because you can't actually get close to it due to the danger from falling rocks, and there's a big tree and a fence blocking your view. Despite my slight disappointment, I (of course) took a photo for your enjoyment. Below, what we decided was the real spring. We saw a woman filling up water bottles from it later!
Then, we made our way to the remains of the ancient gymnasium. In antiquity, a gymnasium wasn't just a place where you went to get exercise. It was also a social gather place and the site of mental training, in forms such as philosophical discussion. They often had their own baths and were really more like our conception of a villa than a gymnasium. There's not a whole lot left of the site, and it's kind of difficult to tell what was what. Since it's one of the less important sites, there's no entrance fee, and thus, very few signs explaining the site.
After wandering through the gymnasium and pausing a couple of times to contemplate its use, we made our way to the Temple of Athena, which was one of my favorite sites. It has a round tholos, and they have reconstructed a few of the pillars. The foundations of the Temple of Athena itself and other auxiliary buildings surround it. From the ground, it's quite impressive, and when you start climbing up the hill to leave the site, you get a view that gives you a good idea of how the site is laid out and what the buildings would have looked like. I found it to be a very elegant building, and of course, I loved the columns. They're just so beautiful to me!
On the way back to the hotel, we walked through the pathway next to the main site and this time, since it was only cold, not bone chillingly freezing and windy, we stopped to look at some of the artifacts along the way. My favorite was this piece of a mosaic. Having seen all of the outdoor site in Delphi (we skipped a few museums in the town), we were ready to go, but the bus wasn't for another hour or so, so we headed to yet another cafe to get a snack and while away the time. On the way back to Athens, we drove through the ski resort town of Arahova and saw this view.
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