Delphi, Greece: Navel of the Earth

The town of Patras is important for several reasons. It is a hub for large transport ferries that will shuttle people, cars and trucks to Corfu, a Greek island, and then to Italy. A few travelers in camper vans we met take this route to shorten the driving time to Greece, bypassing driving the coast through Croatia and Albania. We also saw groups of tents and Syrian young men hanging out near the ferries, waiting for an opportunity to cross.

There is also narrow channel in the Gulf of Corinth, which apparently focuses the wind judging by the windmills generating electrical power on the mountains on either side. We also know about the wind because just a few miles north of town, outside of the protection of city structures, we headed into gale-force winds. Joe had the wherewithal to shoot a video (view it here), while the rest of us just tried to stay standing. Camping was not an option, so we found a hotel, where we holed up for a couple of nights waiting out the wind and thunderstorms. Ann and Joe stayed one night, then biked, bused, and rode the train east to reach Athens and their flight home.
 

The Rio-Antirrio Bridge, peeking out of the marine layer.

And the other significant feature of Patras is the Rio-Antirrio Bridge, the world's longest multi-span cable-stayed bridge, that crosses this narrow channel. We crossed it by bike, but only after a bit of research to make sure that was possible.  Thanks to a waiter at the restaurant and a Crazy Guy on a Bike post, we confirmed there was both a bike lane and a pedestrian lane.  We opted for the pedestrian lane so we could stop and take pictures along the way.

Taking the pedestrian lane meant getting the bikes an panniers up the stairway.  My man is a strong man.

The art of engineering.

Almost over!

Once on the other side, we had two moderate days of cycling to get to the ancient site of Delphi.  Here are a few pictures from the journey and the destination...enjoy!

The sleepy little seaside town of Nafpaktos.

A stealth camp, wedged in between two limestone cliffs off a steep access path, overlooking the ocean and the structure protecting the highway from rockfall.  We were perfectly hidden, except from the goats browsing the hillside above us.

Looking south from where we came, after a long grade.

We crossed an aqueduct, transporting water from the high snow-capped mountains to who-knows-where.  We could the see the trace of the structure prominently on the hillside up and down stream.

The final twisty road up to Delphi.  It was actually a moderate grade, presumably for the stream of tour buses which passed us going both up and down.  Delphi is one of the most visited sites in Greece.

We arrived early afternoon for some quality R&R next to the pool in the very nice campground.

We rose at dawn to be at Delphi before the crowds.  In peak tourist season there is a miniature train that shuttles visitors to the site.  We walked the 2 1/2 kilometers as the sun came over the ridge.

The ancient site of Delphi is sprawled over the side of Mt Parnassus, dense with the remnants of monuments.  This is the Polygonal Wall, so skillfully built it has lasted almost 3000 years.

The stones in the Polygonal Wall bear inscriptions.

We were so lucky to have clear skies, the morning sun, and no crowds.

Statuary bases all in a row.

The famous remnants of the Temple of Apollo.  As the legend goes, Zeus sent eagles flying from the east and west extremes of the earth, and they crossed at this site, where the center (navel) of the earth was found.

There is a large theater, currently being painstakingly restored.

From near the top of the site, looking to the southwest towards Athens.

There is also a stadium, where games only second to the Olympics were held.

Further down the slope from the main site is a group of temples, with the partially reconstructed Tholos most prominent.  To the left in the distance you can see ruins of the main part of ancient Delphi built on the slope.

With sightseeing over, it was a walk through modern Delphi to get back to our camp.