We spent the night in the village of Delphi at a hotel hanging over an enormous gorge emptying into the Gulf of Corinth. Delphi, Greece’s most sacred ancient site, was known as the navel of the earth. Worship here was protected for all and it was known as a place of peace. Various city states built treasuries here and filled them with gold and bronze. The oracle at Delphi was sought out for wisdom. Delphi’s heyday was in the 6th century BCE. Earthquakes, raiders and time have changed the site somewhat — one quarter of the site is closed due to recent earthquakes and none of the 3000 statues that lined the sacred way remain — nevertheless, one knows one is at a holy place. An hour’s drive away is Thermoplyae, where in 480 BCE Leonidas of Sparta with 300 men valiantly stood against Xerxes the Persian for three days before Xerxes prevailed. Tonight we are in Meteora.
