The Temple of Athena- Delphi

Sails up, sails down(again) as we make our way over to the coastal resort town of Itea with the plan to visit the ancient ruins of Delphi. We are pleasantly surprised to find on our arrival a large harbour with plenty of room to tie side on. Obviously the town has invested a good deal of money in developing this harbour and the size of it indicates that it must be popular with visiting boats during the summer. As it is the shoulder season, there are only 3 other visiting boats to keep us company while we are here. Itea is a very clean, orderly town with tree lined streets and no graffitti in sight! Tavernas line the main street with a promenade overlooking the beach, souvenir and clothing shops, a great bakery and supermarket. We are pleasantly surprised to see people of all ages riding around on pushbikes as opposed to noisy motorbikes, which seems the preferred mode of getting round in regional Greece. From Itea the outlook is to the large city of Patra across the water and backed by a high mountain range. As well, Itea also sits at the bottom of a very steep range of mountains-panoramic views all round. We decide to catch an early bus up to Delphi and visit the ancient sites in the cool of the morning. The ancient Greeks regarded Delphi as the centre of the world. According to mythology, Zeus released two eagles at opposite ends of the world and they met here! The road to Delphi is a steep climb up into a rugged mountain range and it's not long before the bus drops us off in town to walk to the sites. Not many people are around, so we are pleased we have beaten the crowds! However, all the gates to the main sites are closed and we are told that opening hours are delayed for two hours as it is election day through the EU!!! Fortunately we are able to wander around a few sites that aren't locked and after an early coffee it is opening time. The main site is a very steep walk up to the theatre and stadium and on our way we pass the Temple of Apollo where the oracle sat and handed out prophecies to the many pilgrims who visited seeking advice in ancient times. The museum visit is very impressive with amazing sculptures from the ancient sites. We enjoy a light lunch in the town of Delphi, with spectacular views down the valley towards the town where we are mooored. The next day we are off again heading further west into the Ionian Sea. After a brisk and bumpy sail/ motor to windward we seek shelter in a small bay for the night before an early start towards Corfu.