Delphi Day Two

Today we went to the Museum, which was closed on Sunday, and to the Temple of Athena Pallas, which is below the temple of Apollo.

The museum is beautifully designed and displayed.



The above frieze is from a temple facade. Isn't it crazy? And look at this cool sphinx!



And then, as we were about to leave the museum, we rounded a corner, and there was... The CHARIOTEER! Can you believe it?? He was just right there, in his own room, looking just like he does in every single art history textbook ever! Wow...



(You've seen better pictures of him, but that's not the point - I took this one! I'm really excited about the Charioteer...)

The temple of Athena was small but pretty, and fun to look at in relation to the temple of Apollo that you can just make out/imagine you make out on the hillside above and behind it. I also love that the columns look spotted like cows. (Yes, it's because the whiter parts are a reconstruction, but still, it's wonderful.)

Delphi

Greece is beautiful and cool, and everyone is so nice! It is incredible to be here! Today we went to the site of ancient Delphi (you know - the oracle, Apollo... it's famous...) - and since it was Sunday, we got in for free! Thank you, Sunday!

We walked there from our hotel, which was in modern Delphi, on a hillside about 500m from the ancient site. On our way, flags:



We were so excited! This was about to be an ancient site that WASN'T in Egypt! So, not exactly new, since we've been seeing tons of Greco-Roman period things, but still. Different in an important way. Also, Hillary is helping me learn how to read modern Greek. See? It says "EISODOS" as well as "ENTRANCE."



Greece is just too green and beautiful!





This is IT: this is where it all happened! There is clearly not much left, but still, how exciting to think about all the prophecies from all the old plays happening RIGHT HERE:






You understand why everyone would travel so far to get there. And how incredible it must have been to travel here for days across this shockingly beautiful area - of course you would believe there could be an oracle living here. Any god would want to live here!