By Lara
Where was I? Yes. Kalambaka.
It had stopped raining in Kalambaka by the time we left the hotel. We drove back up into the mountains of Meteora. We visited the monastery of St. Mumblecough. I could reach over to my little pile of things to include in the eventual scrapbook to look up the name, but you won't remember in five minutes anyhow. It was beautiful no matter the name. There were more stairs to climb than I had expected, but it was worth it.
After I finished poking around in the various dark corners, running into monks, and wishing I could take pictures of the velvet-bound Bibles, I walked back down the stairs to find a place for some quiet reflection. I sat on a small stone wall where I had a view of a rose garden and two mountain peaks. I contemplated the surreality of it all. I was in Greece having a once in a lifetime experience. I tried to really take it all in. The cool mountain air. The distant birds. The sheer history of it all. The radio of the vendor behind me playing AC/DC...
Far too quickly, it was time to get on the bus. There were long periods of time on the bus. I know that we had lunch. I am fairly sure it was in Lamia. Yes! I had my first taste of genuine Grecian baklava. It was heaven.
On our way to Delphi, we stopped at Thermopylae. It was interesting. There is a giant statue of King Leonidas. There were cicadas. However, I imagine that it was a much more impressive place to be back when the ocean actually came up to the mountain. It doesn't anymore. When one replaces the roaring sea with gently waving olive trees, it loses some of the epic battle atmosphere. I was glad we stopped, though.
The closer we got to Delphi, the more beautiful the view... Until it started raining. We had just enough time between rain drops when we got to Delphi to take pictures of what I believe was a temple of Artemis, but, again, I'm too lazy to find the map. It was stunning to realize that I was standing on an ancient site. I could not wrap my mind around it. Then it started raining in earnest.
We took that opportunity to go to the museum. I enjoyed the museum, but it was slightly depressing. There were lots of chunks of statues. It rather looked like a marble battleground. A foot here, a hand there, parts of a head, a toe, a sphinx, white marble carnage. Apparently, between the earthquakes and the Romans, it is a small miracle that anything is left of Delphi.
The rain stopped long enough for us to get the full tour of the ancient site. The highlights of that tour for me were the Rock of the Sybil and Apollo's Temple where one would come to consult the oracle. You will be happy to know that I did not consult the oracle about any pressing matters. If Oedipus taught me nothing else, I learned to keep my head down and my questions to myself.
I spent the evening in Delphi on my exquisite balcony. While the rest of the group enjoyed dinner at Karen's favorite restaurant, I ate an apple and some crackers half way up Mt. Parnassus overlooking the Gulf of Corinth. I was also treated to the harmonious sounds of a herd of goats hoofing down the trail. They sounded not unlike a wind-chime in a storm. It was lovely.
I know that the morning in Delphi started with breakfast and moody college students. What happened next? Sigh. I think I finally need to dig out my travel journal. Hold on.
Breakfast... Moody students in lobby... Drove around Gulf of Corinth... Crystal clear water... Unsuccessful bus photographs... Some famous sea battle...
Ok. We stopped at the bridge that connects the mainland of Greece to the Peloponnese Peninsula. I'm sure that stop would have been a lot more interesting if I were a civil engineer. However, I am not. I think we stopped there more so people could use the bathroom and less because it was an exciting tourist hot spot.
We got back on the bus. The scenery changed slightly. It became more tropical. I noticed that the flowers were bigger and brighter. Then I saw them. The beautiful flowers I had fallen in love with in Naples. The so-blue-they-hurt-your-eyes flowers. I asked Karen what they were. Apparently, they are morning glories. Hmm. Mornings on the Mediterranean must be more glorious than they are on the east coast of North America. I've certainly never seen morning glories like that in my garden.
We arrived in Olympia in time for lunch. The Olympia museum was interesting. Again. There were only bits and pieces of statues. The highlight of the museum was the statue of Nike (Goddess of Victory) where Olympians were crowned as winners. Or, perhaps, I should say the remains of the statue of Nike. It had been located at the base of the Temple of Zeus. At the museum, I also learned that the sculpture of Zeus that had once stood in Olympia as one of the wonders of the ancient world had been looted by a sultan and destroyed in a fire in Turkey.
From there we were treated to an opportunity to sample local wine and olives at a tourist trap. I would have been more irritated had the olives not been so delicious. I sampled many olives and olive-related products. I also bought some for my dad. I got earrings for my mom. They were not, however, made of olives.
The rest of the afternoon was free, so I wandered in and out of the shops and meandered around Olympia. I found the Olympics museum. It was interesting. They had a recreation of the sculpture of Nike. I also learned that any women caught trying to sneak in to watch the Olympic games were thrown off a mountain. Nice.
Honestly, I think I spent the rest of the day catching up in my journal and resting. Another successful portion of the trip.
[Editor's Note: In case you missed it, be sure go read
Part 1 of the International Adventure 2010.]