The Sanctuary of Apollo at Delphi
...of belly buttons and one of the most photographed sites on earth
27.02.2011
The Temple of Apollo at Delphi is famous for a few things: firstly, the oracle at Delphi provided advice to countless rulers, generals, and others for centuries; also, the sanctuary of Apollo was the site for the Pan-hellennic games, where Greeks from all over the country competed for laurel crowns in track and field events; and it is also home to the second most photographed site in Greece – the Temple of Athena.
We walked up the mountainside and saw the Temple of Apollo, with the recreation of the omphalos (the sculpture is representative of the navel, or center of the world, the stadium (even further up the mountain), and the buildings which once housed tributes from city-states all over Greece.
This day was an exercise in the power of positive thinking for us – when we left Athens, the sky was forbidding, the forecast rainy; however, it being one of our last days in Greece, we had no choice. We hopped into the car, and drove toward the darkening sky. We decided that we would force the weather to hold by thinking good thoughts as we drove. It rained as we approached Delphi, up the mountain to the other side. And when we got to the top –
The clouds parted (I am not kidding) and the sun shone on us as we started up the hill on foot, through the sanctuary of Apollo, the sun god. When we got to the top of the mountain to the stadium, and took our last pictures from that spot, it began to drizzle.
It got a little heavier as we went down, but we decided with our positive attitudes it would only rain for the time that we were in the museum: when we came out, it would stop so we could see the Temple of Athena in the sun.
Know what? It did just that. We got out of the museum, dry and happy, and went to the Temple – the sun shone through the clouds and we enjoyed one of the most beautiful sights I have ever seen. It’s no wonder this place has been photographed so much!
Sometimes, a Positive Mental Attitude is all you need.
The next day, I visited the American Community School, meeting my niece’s seventh-grade English class, and their Writing Center. But that is not for this blog to recount. We went to the National Archaeological Museum on Friday, and are now on the plane headed back home to snowy Ithaca, just as Odysseus did (without the snow, of course).
They say that Greece changes you when you visit – and I think they might be right. I spent two and a half weeks among things older than any I have ever seen, an felt connection to those people from so long ago that I never felt possible. The people were some of the nicest I have ever met, the country as beautiful as anything I have ever seen. I don’t know if I will ever return to Greece in the future, but it will always be a part of me. I hope my little blog helps my readers to understand a little bit why that is.
Wonderful to hear about your trip. Makes me yearn to be back there with family and frends, to see all the places we have not yet visited, and to revisit our old favorites. You are right - Greece changes you and becomes a part of you. I am lucky enough to married to a Greek (who loves to cook authentic Greek food) and to live in Greektown in Baltimore, where there's always at least a little feeling of Greece in the air. Thanks for sharing through your blog and pictures! Can't wait to head back in 2013 - going to try for a 6-week stay!
27.02.2011 by Todd