Wednesday, 10 May

After breakfast, Dolora and I met the tour group in the lobby for today’s trip to Delphi and a new hotel. We left the hustle and bustle of Athens behind. Traffic was light so we were ahead of schedule. We took a short rest stop and picked up some more coffee.

Our lunch stop was about two hours from Athens in Arachova. This was a small town on the side of a mountain until a ski resort was built nearby. Now our guide, Ioanna, describes it as the place to be seen on weekends if you live in Athens and are wealthy. The main street through the town is really narrow, nearly impossible for two busses to pass. Of course there was an oncoming bus and our bus driver took the opportunity to demonstrate his backing up skills. The mirrors on the busses were less than two inches apart.

In Greece, it is traditional to roast a lamb on a spit for Easter. The town of Arachova has a contest for residents over 75 years old. There is a race up the steps from the bottom of town to the top, over 10 flights. The winner gets a cooked lamb. Dolora and I had lunch at The Agnantio, some grilled cheese and grilled mushrooms with a Greek salad.

Then it was on to Delphi the site of the ancient oracles. We are staying at Hotel Leto, not quite as plush as the Hera but still nice and right in the middle of town. After settling into our room we went for a walk through town. The town is new, it was relocated in 1890 when it was realized that the town of Kastri was built up over the ancient ruins. Dolora and I toured the museum and then the ruins. Along with the Temple of Apollo. there is a theater and a stadium. Relics in the museum were as old as 3,000 years. Many of the stones used in construction and bases of statues contained writing which helps put the pieces of history together.

Dinner tonight was a group dinner at Taverna Vakhus. Starters were soup and Greek salad followed by a couple of appetizers. Goat with wild greens for me and rooster with noodles for Dolora. Not sure what the dessert was but it was delicious. I was glad it was only a short walk back to the hotel.

Weather today stayed in the mid 50s with clouds. It was perfect for all the walking we did with lots of hills. The crowds disappeared when we left Athens. I am looking forward to the rest of the trip.

Tomorrow includes some more bus travel, a train ride and more bus travel.