Athens and Delphi

Yesterday, Nikos drove us to Naxos City so we could catch the ferry back to the mainland. After unloading our luggage, he gave each of the girls a traditional Greek kiss on each cheek. Nikos and his family welcomed and cared for us as if we were members of their own family. They have a terrific gift of hospitality.

It was dark when we arrived at Piraeus Port and we were treated to the sound of a full peal of the orthodox Cathedral's bells, celebrating Holy Spirit Day! In Greece, Monday after Pentecost is a holiday known as Holy Spirit Day.

This morning we took the subway to the Acropolis and the long, steep hike to the top! We paused at the Theatre of Dionysus, the Odeon of Herodes Atticus, just below the entrance to the Acropolis, and then we made our way through the Propylaea (entrance) and on to the Parthenon.

There is a significant amount of cataloging (every rock) and restoration in process right now. It was impressive, despite some of the cranes and scaffolding.


We also visited the Erectheion Temple with its infamous Caryatid Columns. Our girls posed in front to lend a little extra feminine character!

Next, we walked over to Mars Hill (the Areopagus) where St. Paul made his famous speech to the people of Athens. 

Sitting on the Areopagus just below the Acropolis.

This speech (which we just heard as the lesson on the 6th Sunday of Easter) is one of my favorites. We brought along the lesson sheet from that Sunday so we could read it aloud as we sat on that outcropping of rock. Just having visited the remains of the temples on the Acropolis, the context and the power of St. Paul's theological discourse were all the more powerful. If you want to read what he said, you can look it up in Acts (17:22-31) . 

We enjoyed the gentle descent into the agora (gathering place) of ancient Athens, where democracy was born long ago. We passed along the Stoa of Attalos which serves as a perimeter along one side of that archaeological park. After lunch, we returned to our hotel, collected our bags and proceeded to the bus station, where we boarded a bus for Delphi.

Three hours later, we were in the mountains enjoying fresh air, expansive views and a glimpse of the gulf to the west.  We stayed at Pan Hotel in Delphi, where we will explore the Sanctuary of Apollo, where the Oracle of Delphi made her many predictions, and the Sanctuary of Athena.