Port of Piraeus

Although you may not see this town name on our itinerary, we will be passing through Piraeus on our way to the cruise departure. Piraeus is the third largest city in Greece by population and the location of one of the most important harbors in the Mediterranean.

Located a short distance from Athens on the Saronic Gulf, Piraeus is the departure point for cruises and ferries to the Greek islands. It became the port city for Athens in the 5th century BC.

The city proper consists of a rocky peninsula, originally an island, featuring three natural harbors. In addition to the central one, called Kantharos in ancient times, there are two smaller harbors to the east which are still in use. One is called Zea, also known as Pasalimani , and the other is Munichia, the smallest of the three and widely known as Mikrolimano.

The central port serves ferry routes to almost every island in the eastern portion of Greece, the island of Crete, the Cyclades, the Dodecanese, and much of the northern and the eastern Aegean Sea, while the western part of the port is used for cargo services.

Delphi Archaeological Museum

Located at the base of the ruins is the Delphi Archaeological Museum which houses artifacts that were found at Delphi. The exhibit primarily consists of offerings to the Oracle of Delphi discovered at the site and architectural parts of various buildings.

The museum’s 14 rooms are generally arranged chronologically. Collections include the Treasury of Sifnos, the Treasury of Athens, Hellenistic art sculptures, and Pediments of the Temple of Apollo.

Highlights to see include the Charioteer, one the most famous statues in the exhibit. Also known as the "rein-holder," it was part of a larger exhibit, including horses and chariot, to commemorate a chariot race win in 474 BC. Portions of the horses were found with the charioteer.

The Omphalos is an ancient religious stone representing the navel of the world...where the two eagles collided in myth at the center of the world.

Kleobis and Biton are the statues of two human brothers from Greek mythology.

The Sphinx of Naxos sitting on an ionic column was a gift from the people of the Aegean island of Naxos to the oracle of Delphi in the sixth century BC.

The acanthus column with dancer, carved from Pentelic marble, features statues of three young women forming the upper part of a column encircled with acanthus leaves.

The cult statue of Antinous sculpted in Parian marble during the reign of Hadrian (117-138 CE), was found in the Temple of Apollo in 1893.

Greece in the Movies

We’ve been looking at ancient Greece and found that the Greek theatre is a vital part of the ancient culture. We will see examples of these theatre ruins in several locations. But just for fun, let’s look at modern cinema and some of the movies that feature Greece – its culture and its countryside.

My Life in Ruins – Funny tale of a hapless tour guide in Greece was shot on location at the Acropolis, the Parthenon, and Olympia. Those who have been on tours before will recognize some humorous “tour” situations.

Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (1 and 2) – Four friends try to stay connected as their lives drift in different directions. The Greek portions of the movie were shot on the island of Santorini. Scenes were shot at the village of Oia, at the harbor, and at rock formations and pretty locations around the island.

Mamma Mia! –The movie musical is built around ABBA songs about a daughter's quest to figure out who her real father is. Some scenes were shot on the islands of Skopelos, Skiathos, and in the Pelion region of Greece.

My Big Fat Greek Wedding – A young Greek woman falls in love with a non-Greek and struggles to get her family to accept him while she comes to terms with her heritage.

Zorba the Greek – The classic film epitomizes the Greek spirit with star Anthony Quinn as Zorba. An English writer has inherited a lignite mine somewhere in Crete and meets the free-spirited Zorba in a cafe in Piraeus. Filmed in black and white the movie documents a Greece that has almost completely disappeared.

Never on Sunday – The classic film starring Melina Mercouri was shot in Piraeus and shocked many Greeks with its portrayal of a happy, even a bit pious prostitute.

Be sure to watch the movie trailers...just do a title search on YouTube or Google Video.

Delphi

Now that a visit to Delphi is included in our itinerary (Yoo-hoo! -see previous blog!), let’s take a look at what we will get to see…and why it is so well-known. Many people visit the site without actually understanding its significance.

Delphi, one of the most popular ancient sites in Greece, is located about 100 miles northwest of Athens on the forested slopes and rocky crags of the south side of Mount Parnassus. It takes about 2 ½-3 hours to drive there. Most of the ruins that survive today date from the most intense period of activity at the site in the 6th century BC.

In ancient times Delphi was considered the center of the known world, the place where heaven and earth met. Here Greek mythology says Zeus released two eagles from opposite ends of the earth and they met in the sky above Delphi. Impaling one another with their beaks, they fell to the ground on the very center of the world. The site was marked by the sacred Omphalos, or "navel stone."

Later, Apollo killed the serpent Python (son of Mother Earth), guardian of Delphi's sacred Castalian Spring. The sun god then established an oracle at the spring, promising to provide counsel to all who needed it. Located at the navel of the world and personally blessed by Apollo, Delphi was the holiest site in the world for the ancient Greeks.

The oracle of Delphi was a religious center, most famous for its accurate predictions of the future. The oracles were given by Pythia, the priestess who muttered incomprehensible sounds in a state of trance, which in turn were translated in comprehensible language and given to those who made the pilgrimage in search of answers.

The Temple of Apollo, where sat the famous oracle, appears today in a ruinous state in the center of the sanctuary. Only a few of its Doric columns remain standing, but its imposing foundations are a visible reminder of the Temple’s splendor in ancient times. The present ruins of the temple date back to the 4th century BC.

At the entrance to the ruins are the reconstructed treasuries. These were built by the various Greek city states — those overseas as well as those on the mainland — to commemorate victories and to thank the oracle for her advice, which was thought to have contributed to those victories.

Delphi is famous for its many preserved athletic statues. It is known that Olympia originally housed far more of these statues, but time brought ruin to many of them, leaving Delphi as the main site of athletic statues now housed in the archaeological museum.

The ancient theatre at Delphi was built further up the hill from the Temple of Apollo giving spectators a view of the entire sanctuary and the valley below. It was originally built in the 4th century BC but was remodeled on several occasions since. Its 35 rows can seat 5,000 spectators.
The stadium is located further up the hill, beyond the Sacred Way and the theatre. It was originally built in the 5th century BC but was altered in later centuries. It could seat 6,500 spectators. Here the Pythian Games took place every four years to honor Apollo, and hosted poetry and music competitions besides the staple of athletic events.

At the base of these ruins lies the Sanctuary of Athena. The Tholos is probably the most widely recognized building on the site because of the color of the marble and the fact that it is a round temple. Strangely enough what the temple was used for and who it commemorates is not known. It was built between 380 and 360 BC, and only three of its original twenty Doric columns remain standing today.

Since, the location of Delphi is on the slope of a mountain one can enjoy the view of the whole valley below all the way to the Gulf of Corinth. However be ready for a strenuous climb to see the ruins.

And don't forget to Google "Delphi, Greece" and click on videos. You'll get some professional and some amateur views of the site. Sometimes the amateur ones give us a more realistic view of what we'll see.