greece (day 6, not the band) - delphi
i needed to dip out of nafplio early because i had a three-and-a-half hour drive to delphi (via the scenic route) so i could have enough time to look around before it closed.
i found a cute café, yiayia, that was open early and ordered the “greek” breakfast: kagianas, bread, butter, jam, honey, yogurt, juice, and greek coffee (this was way better than the breakfast i had yesterday in nafplio. i won’t name names). i forgot to take a photo before i started eating, but hey, i’m doing my best.
after my scenic drive, i showed up at the foot of mount parnassus in delphi, once home to the oracle and the place greeks considered the center of the world. in ancient times, delphi was a sanctuary honoring apollo (who spoke to pilgrims through the prophetess oracle) and also home to the pythian games (second only to the olympic games).
winding my way up the “sacred way,” i passed the belly button of the world:
the athenian treasury:
the altar of chians (i thought this was called the "altar of chains" which would be a wayyyy cooler name). this altar sits at the foot of the temple of apollo and is made from black marble:
the temple of apollo, home of the oracle:
the well-preserved (but-not-as-well-preserved-as-epidavros) theater:
and finally the stadium:
then i grabbed a late lunch (also with a great view). i ordered spanikopita, tzatziki, baklava, fresh juice, and ouzo (a greek apertif flavored with anise).
after visiting the site, i checked into my hotel. my room has a great view :)
for dinner, i ordered souvlaki and an orange soft drink.
the plastic bottles in europe have special caps that allows the lid to hinge open without falling off:
tomorrow, i drop off the rental car back in piraeus and hop on the ferry.