We're off to see the Oracle

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Where I stayed

Hotel Levidia

Flag of Greece Delphi, Greece
Wednesday, June 6, 2007

That evening we picked up a car and proceeded to drive out towards Delphi. Unfortunately as we were unable to get any accommodation in Delphi through the internet we had to settle for a hotel in a town called Levidia. It was here and in some of the smaller Greek towns that we realised that English was not as commonly understood by the general populace as in say, Germany or the Netherlands, and we were frequently lost in translation. Ordering our food was a real experience, but somehow after a couple of frantic hand signals and feeble attempts at Greek we managed to get more or less what we wanted.

We set off early the next morning for Delphi, a well preserved archeological site most famous for its ancient oracle. Along the way we passed by a very picturesque town called Arahova, built on the slopes of a mountain. We were to discover later through conversations with other tourists in Santorini that aside from its pretty location, this town is also famous for its colourful traditional rugs and carpets

Delphi 9

. We did not make a stop at Arahova as we were anxious not to miss out on the early morning light at Delphi, a decision that was perhaps a tad regrettable.

We reached the ruins of Delphi around ten in the morning, on Christmas eve. Despite it being the winter season the sun was beating down on the ruins as if it were a sunny summer day. The temperature was a cool ten degrees, pretty mild for winter temperatures in the region, and there was a slight haze that hung over over the site.

The ancient city is spread over 2 main areas - the main section of the city on the upper side of the mountain where the Doric temples, stadium, amphitheatre and former homes are located, and a second section just across the street and down the slope where the gymnasium and oracle are located. The entrance was free for that day as it was a Sunday, though thankfully the place was still relatively peaceful unlike during the height of the summer season. We were able to wander around at ease, without feeling perturbed by camera toting tourists and loud tour groups with flag waving guides herding people around like sheep. This allowed us ample time to appreciate the layout of the city and the effort that had gone into preserving this legacy.

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