Griechenland

Wheee, our first proper day in Greece! Starting from Athens we take our trip towards Delphi. Along the road we pass impressively green areas right next to seemingly dried out landscapes, the remnants of forest fires, followed by fields of solar panels and wind power plants.
We stop for a delicious lunch at a hotel/restaurant about 20min from our destination. The salad is so good, even Mali likes it...whaaat? Due to the wind it is surprisingly fresh and a sweater is needed - the heat wave southern Greece is suffering under doesn't seem to reach here. The first picture of the small church was taken here. (Yeah, the location is off for this footprint but we only just discovered FindPenguins, so bear with us😅).
Then, finally, the famous archaeological sites of Delphi! We start at Athena Pronaia, a temple dedicated to the Greek goddess Athena (and possibly other godesses and local heroes). (2nd and 3rd picture)
We are impressed by some of the info charts having been translated into braille!
Since the Gymnasium is not open for visit, we continue to the main attraction, passing the Castalian fountain that still is a source for water today - albeit a really small one.
The Sanctuary of Apollo and its surrounding area, however, is just huge. Complete with Sacred way, treasuries gifted by the Greek cities, impressive columns, an amphitheatre and stadium (for the Pythian Games), we are blown away by what still remains of the ancient times. And despite almost being cooked in the afternoon heat (yup, should have planned that better), it is very much worth it!
After a small break in the cafe, we end up in the museum, marveling at the smaller and bigger trinkets that have been found in the area. The sphinx as well as highly detailed statues and wall carvings are among what impressed us most.
Finally, we check in at our hotel for the night and love our little balcony with a view over the valley, all the way to the sea.もっと詳しく