Delphi and The Athenian Acropolis

Well, you may have noticed that it has been a few days since I have posted my latest blog update, and that is with good reason. Unfortunately, I do not have a functioning adapter for the power outlets here in Greece, so I have had to borrow adapters from friends when I plan on logging onto my computer. The last time I had the opportunity to log on I actually attempted to make a video blog where I talked about my experiences over the last several days, to get everyone caught up, but that did not upload either. It has been a little frustrating.

It seems like wherever I go there are no power adapters. I have even been to two or three electronic stores in the area, and none of them carried a power adapter. In fact, they told me that the other store would have it. None of them did though, so my search for an adapter continues. Until then, my blog updates will be whenever I get a chance to borrow an adapter from my friends, or whenever I am using the computer lab at Deree, the college that I am attending in Greece.

Onto more exciting stuff....

This past weekend I have had the opportunity to go to some amazing historical sites. On Saturday we took a trip to Delphi, the site of the Temple of the Apollon and the oracle, which is located near the top of Mount Parnassus. The drive up Parnassus was absolutely beautiful, and the view that I could see from the top of the mountain cannot be captured in words or in pictures. It was amazing. Once we arrived at the site it was even more amazing. To be able to stand in the same spot that the ancient Greeks had once worshiped in, and received prophecies from the oracle, was so surreal. From the temple itself, to the ancient Greek inscriptions that covered the ruins surrounding it, the whole trip was just awesome.

We finished off the day with a trip through a small town right outside a Delphi that was like something out of a movie. We had delicious food there, and I was able to purchase some more statues for my Greek god collection. After the lunch we went to a beautiful monastery on the mountain side that had been there since the Byzantine empire. The whole day was just surreal.

On Sunday we went to another important historical site, the Acropolis of Athens, which is home to the famous Parthenon. I must say that the Parthenon truly is awe-inspiring. To think that people were able to build this massive structure thousands of years ago is just insane. Unfortunately there were quite a few people there, and the experience wasn't as quiet as Delphi, but it was still amazing to see such a historical structure up close. There were also several other temples around the Parthenon that I was able to photograph and visit. I am sure that I will have to be going back to the Acropolis at some point to continue my research on Pericles, as he was responsible for many of the building projects in Athens during his time period, including some of the structures at the Acropolis.