Delphi
In classical Greek mythology Delphi was considered to be the center of the earth by Zeus and has been an important site since 1400 BC. It is known for the Oracle of Delphi who answered important questions that the rulers of the City-States had regarding things such as whether to wage war or not. Because of the Oracle, Delphi became a very rich city since tribute was paid to the Oracle for answering the questions posed to her.
The Athenian Treasury – a gift to the Oracle and Delphi, built to commemorate their victory at the Battle of Marathon in 490 BC.
The remains of the Temple of Apollo at Delphi
Overview of Ancient Delphi showing the amphitheater and the Temple of Apollo
Meteora
Ever since seeing the 1981 James Bond film “For Your Eyes Only” I have wanted to visit Meteora. There are just some places you visit where you are in awe and say Oh My God – this is so breathtakingly beautiful. Meteora is one of those places.
Monks were inspired to build monasteries on top of these rocks so that they would be closer to god
At one time there were 30 monasteries but there are now only 6 active monasteries
Over the years differing methods for accessing the monasteries have been used by the monks
The monks used nets with hooks and rope ladders in the past
More recently stairs, roads and cables have made the monasteries much easier to access
The Monastery of the Holy Trinity was the one used in the Bond Film. We watched a monk board the funicular to cross over to the monastery
Here is a different view of the Holy Trinity Monastery – you can see the cable that allows access on the left
A local goatherd moving his goats to fresh pasture
Having a spiritual moment 🙂