Delphi

• We start early, early, early for us on this day, because we are
  
  supposed to meet our taxi at 7:45.  This is the first time we’ve been on a schedule that didn’t involve a plane flight for a while.  But we’re up and down stairs waiting by 7:30 and our taxi is already there and surprised to see us.  Our driver, Stratos, is happy that we can beat some of Athens’ traffic, but didn’t expect us there until 8am which was the time of the tour.  We get in and
  
  
  head out with Oscar’s little inflatable booster seat already pulling its weight on this trip.  The stroller, we could probably throw out soon.  It’s a pain and he never rides in it, but I digress.  This is our chance to live the high life because it’s a private tour and we’re treated to chilled water for the drive down, cooled wipes for our faces when we get back in from climbing, Oscar gets a Greek picture book and
  
  
    an Olive chaplet to wear like he just won the Olympics, along with door to door service everywhere, information about every place and all of our Greece questions answered.   We get to hear about a lot of stuff that we already know about the oracle, but we can hear it all again.  The drive is amazing, but boring for Oscar of course.  I’m just struck by the landscape.  I
  
  
   guess I didn’t think that Greece would look so hard and forbidding.  But when you get out in the land, especially in the mountain areas, I can see why there had to be a Pantheon of Gods that caused all of this.  It looks like huge, omniscient beings had to have made all of this.  When we first lay eyes on Mt. Parnassus, it is covered in clouds at the top and snow.  Oscar wonders why we didn’t bring his snow
  
  
  pants, but I try to make it clear that we won’t be in snow.  We are chomping at the bit to get out and explore, John is worried that we won’t have enough time in the site itself.  Most of the guidebooks talk about Delphi being more about the landscape and the pilgrimage and there is not much left of what would have been a very grand end to a long journey.  I can only imagine how it would have dazzled a visitor with all of its glories in place, it is dazzling in ruins. 
  
  
  The miniscule writing on the stones that were the names of freed slaves for Athens are amazing, the incredible amount of work put in to a place that had no other reason for existing except to answer questions.  To provide a religious experience.  Imagine the Vatican sitting out in the middle of Tuscany with nothing else around….and that the Pope actually talked to you personally….in riddles of course and high as a kite….maybe Catholicism would make more sense that way.  I was lucky that the stadium was closed
  
  
   on this day because it was another 700 meters up from the theater and saved us the time that John was afraid that we wouldn’t have.  I get to stand on the same stage that Nero would have walked on.  We head down and to the museum entrance to see the things that were uncovered when the French excavated.