The last stop on our Panhellenic tour was Delphi, on the slopes of Mount Parnassus and most famous for its Oracle (the Pythia). It was also site of the second-largest athletic games, after Olympia.
(the gymnasium and palaestra)
According to myth, Zeus released an eagle at the western edge of the world and another at the eastern edge of the world, and the point where they met was at this exact spot. This sculpture therefore marks Delphi as the "navel" of the Earth.
A treasury of Athens, for the explicit purpose of bragging to other city-states
Temple to Apollo
The Pythian (Delphic) Games included musical and theatrical competitions...this is a Roman reconstruction of the theater and its acoustics are pathetic compared to Epidauros...
The stadium
(The Egyptians weren't the only ones with sphinxes)
Another important sculpture, the Charioteer of Delphi
I have for the most part left out descriptions of dinner, because most of them were not particularly noteworthy (because it is now the off-season, most of the towns we stayed at were mostly shut down and eating options were severely limited). However, dinner in Delphi was fantastic. I got the wild boar (slow roasted in a rich wine sauce with pearl onions and roasted garlic and juniper berries...and naturally served with french fries on the side), but also tasted "rooster soup" (not just ye olde chicken soup here) and veal with handmade pasta. A great way to end the trip!
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