Hidden beauties of Greece
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Delphi - The centre
of the Earth.
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After
the Acropolis, DELPHI regarded in antiquity as
the " center of the world ", is the most popular
archaeological site in Greece, by common
consent the most spectacularly beautiful ancient
site in Greece.
Located 180 km. from Athens, a trip to DELPHI is by far the most popular
day trip out of Athens. Many people don't even
know why they are going there. It's just
something they know they are supposed to do when
they go to Greece. But for those people who read,
Delphi has a special meaning, more than just
another collection of ruins in a country that is
full of them. Delphi in ancient times was
considered the center of the known world, the
place where heaven and earth met. This was the
place on earth where man was closest to the gods.
In Mythology, Delphi was the meeting place of two
eagles, released by Zeus and sent in opposite
directions. Where they met indicated the center
of the earth and this decorated omphalos marked
the exact spot.
Delphi is known as the center of worship for the
god Apollo, son of Zeus, and other deities
including the earth goddess Gea, Themis, Demeter
and Poseidon, the god of the sea. By the end of the Mycenaean
period, Apollo had displaced all other deities
and became the guardian of the oracle. The oracle
of Delphi was a spiritual experience whereby the
spirit of Apollo was asked for advice on critical
matters relating to people's lives or affairs of
the state. Its prestige extended far beyond the
Greek world and was owed mainly to its oracle and
the prophetic messages from the Pythia. The
priestess was a peasant woman over 50yrs
old. Munching a laurel leaf and intoxicated by
the exhalations coming from the ground, she
uttered incoherent sounds, interpreted by a poet
in waiting. The interpretation, always obscure
and most times equivocal, was handed to the
enquirer who left from Delphi, even more
mystified and confused than he had come. Questions were asked to
the Pythia, or priestess, who 'channeled' the
spirit of the god. Whether one believes in the
channeling of gods or spirits is an individual
thing. But even the most skeptical person must
realize that there was something 'magical' going
on in Delphi for several thousand years.
The town of
Delphi sits on the edge of a cliff and despite
the number of tourists and the abundance of
tourism-oriented businesses, this is still a very
remarkable place to be. Hotels and restaurants
are plentiful.
The center of Delphi is the Sanctuary of
Apollo, on the southern tip of the
mountain slope. The Doric temple was the home of
the Pythia, who, seated on a tripod above a deep
crevasse, would pronounce her prophecies while
the priests wrote them down and translated them
to the people. This temple was destroyed by fire
in the fourth century BC and then rebuilt. The
temple walls used to be inscribed with words of
wisdom such as "Know Thyself",
"Nothing in Excess" and "Don't
take any Wooden Drachma", which are as
meaningful today as they were when they were
written.
The theatre was also built in the 4th century and
further above is the large stadium which was
famous for its chariot races, renovated by Herod
Atticus and considered the best preserved in all
of Greece. The Sacred Way leads to the temple,
passing the treasuries and monuments that
commemorate great events. In ancient times this
road was lined with statues and gifts given by
the city state in tribute to Apollo in thanks for
victories in battle. The treasury of the
Athenians has been reconstructed.
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The
frieze of the treasury is now in the archaeological
museum
along with many artifacts from the site including
the omphalos, the sculptured cone that stood in
the exact center of the world and the famous
bronze statue of the Charioteer, one of the most celebrated
pieces of ancient art in the world, dressed in
a long tunic and wearing the victor's fillet on
his head. In his right hand he holds the reins,
probably while performing his lap of honor at the
Pythian games, estimated of 478 or 474 B.C. The
eyes made of magnesium and onyx, have been
wonderfully preserved, and the work, one of the
best surviving bronzes, probably by the great
sculptor, Pythagoras of Samos.
The view down to the sacred plain of
Itea, is not the least of the delights,
which makes Delphi the goal of countless
excursions every day of the year.
Below these ruins are the Temple of Pronaia
Athena, also known as Marmaria, or the marbles,
supposedly because of the abundance of ancient
stones laying nearby. The Tholos is probably the
most widely recognized building on the site
because of the colour of the marble and the fact
that it is a round temple. What the temple was
used for and who it commemorates is not known.
Beyond is the Gymnasium and the Palestra which
were used to train the athletes who competed in
the Pythian games, held every four years to
commemorate Apollo's victory over Python. The
Castalian spring is where the pilgrims washed
themselves before consulting the oracle and the
crystal clear water still flows from it as it has
for thousands of years. |
Athens packages and tours to Delphi
Tours to
Delphi & Meteora
and
One day tours to ancient Olympia
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METEORA, a colossal
mass of rocks looming over the attractive little
town of Kalambaka, comprise a series of monastic
buildings. They rise from the surface of the
valley; a group of iron-grey colored pillars of
rock, of great heights, perpendicular in their
ascent, seems to the eye as a vast wall. The
landscape in lowering weather or by the light of
the full moon is extremely daunting. The motor
road that now makes the visit a common place of
tourism has shattered the solitude and isolation.
Visit the
monasteries of Meteora. The area of Meteora has
the biggest and most important group of Byzantine
monasteries in Greece after those in Mount Athos.
We can locate the first traces of their history
from the eleventh c. AD when the first hermits
settled there. There are now only some 15
monks and some twenty nuns occupied mainly in
receiving visitors. Remember: Female visitors to
the monasteries must be properly dressed for
their visits.
All the options to visit Meteora....from 35.00 euro
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LAKE PLASTIRA: We strongly recommend you
include a modern component of Greece in your
tour. We all aggree that Greece is a magnificent
country. Most folk think first of the Greek
islands and we admit they are beautiful and each
one of them has a unique aspect, be it
architecture or geographical. The modern segment
we are recommending is an overnight at PLASTIRA
LAKE, a
part of Greece that does not resemble like the
rest of Greece. It is a unique place with special
anthropological data. The waters of the Megdova
River (ancient Tavropos) filled in the plateau
and created the Nicholaos Plastiras Lake that is
named in memory of the man who created it. In
the well-hidden plateau of Nevropolis, hidden
ridges shaped balconies are seen above the plains
of Thessaly, and an inexplicable beauty holds the
thoughts of everybody who visits the area, a
prisoner.
Starting
the journey from Karditsa, the road climbs gently
upward and the Monastery of Koronis, a spiritual
and religious lighthouse during the Turkish reign
in the general area, calls for a change of
direction. The dam is spectacular to see, the
place is covered by pine and fir huge trees that
outline the lake.
The
Byzantine heritage is admirable at the Pelekitis
Monastery and in the town of Karditsa. Villages
with homes built of stone and memories from the
"Stone Age". Here fires were lit in the
souls by the printing shops of the National
Resistance, and nearby in the town of Mpelokomiti
it is worth visiting the Kerantan Ravine. A
footpath leads us now high up to the observation
post, which is in Paliomonastiro, and here you
will discover the ruins of an old monastery.
The
shore of the Pezoulas Lake and the mountain
resort of Neraidas will surely monopolize some of
your time. And the view from Filakto towards
Voutsikaki and its' wild peak is one more reason
to visit and stay at least one night in this
area.
At
the beautiful and peaceful setting of the lake
you can enjoy mountain sports such as: riding
well trained horses, cycling on a mountain bike,
canoeing, boating or riding a hydro bike in the
lake, take a long walk in the peaceful mountain
land. Every season is beautiful at the Lake.
Autumn is a colourful picture, winter is the
white picture, spring and summer everything is
green. Give a different touch to your tour.
Accommodation(tel. code 24410..): Hotel
Naiades(93333), Agnanti(93190), Anatoli(93063),
Megdovas(92377), Aiolides(92966), N.
Plastiras(92460), Odysseas(92001), Nevros(93201),
but for a different experience we suggest
that you try the house of the retired actor
Vasilis Mavromatis(92065) high up on the
way to Neraida. Vasilis, is a source of valuable
information you need in order to have an
enjoyable stay in the area.
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