Greece Days 1-4

Day 1: Santorini

We spent a lot of time finding how to transit from Iceland to Greece.  Many countries still require COVID tests to transit.  

We arrived late in the afternoon in Santorini. Took bus to Fire and saw beautiful sunset close to hotel. 

We stayed at Hotel Thira: cute clean family run hotel with super nice lady at the front desk. View of the East coast. 

Day 2 Santorini: 

Hiked from Fira to Oia 10k, up and down mountains. It was so hot and tiring but beautiful views. 

We went to 3 blue domes viewpoint.  This location is on many magents and postcards.  The exact spot is hard to find.   

Castle of Oia: beautiful views of the entire city, would be nice for sunset but we had to go. 

Day 3 Greece: Epidaurus & Nafplion

Drive to Epidaurus 2 hours. Important center because of fertile land and harbor. Dorian city. Center of healing Asklepieion was the cradle of the art of medicine. Where we get the snake symbol for medicine (nonvenomous snakes used for healing in past). Purification with water and communal meal with the devine with animal sacrifices performed. Bath purifies and sleep is when the god approach in sleep/dream to heal. They also developed scientific healing (diet, exercise, surgery, etc). 

Document Asklepios' miraculous healing on stones. God of healing had daughters: Hygieia (goddess of cleanings, where we get "hygiene"), Panacea (goddess of universal healing). 

Temple of Asklepios (370BC): destroyed 4 century AD by fire. 

Myth: Asklepios struck by Zeus lightning banished him to Hades, but can still heal people. So sleep is imitation of going to Hades to meet Asklepios to be healed. 

Documented accounting of building projects on stones. 

The theater: can hold 12000 people. Excellent acoustics. Musical and dramatic contests took place here during festivals for Asklepios. Three parts: orchestra, caveat, stage building. 

Fortress of Palamidi in Nafplio: built during Venetian rule, conquered by Turks before completion. Greeks retook 1822, became prison for life sentences and executions. It's has 8 bastions.

Ancient Corinth:  Paul spoke to Corinthians in AD 52.

Drove to Delphi through Petras. Beautiful Mediterranean views, but didn't realize the toll for bridge was so expensive (13.5 euro!). Made it up with good Greek meal of exohiko.  

Day 4: Delphi 

Myth: Zeus released 2 eagles, which met at Delphi and Zeus threw a rock there. That's the naval of the earth. 

People travel all over the world to visit the oracle. They would get interviewed first so there is are a lot of records from different places. Also so the priestesses can give an educated response. Priestess breathed in underground gas and then babble some things that are taken as response from the gods. 

It was like psychotherapy for people who traveled there. City states dedicated their own buildings at the site.  Some are preserved/reconstructed.  

Treasury of the Athenians:

Motto at Delphi: everything in moderation. 

Myth: Apollo (god of music, harmony, light) defeated the Python that guarded the oracle of Ge (goddess of earth), and then established the Pythian games (athletics, theater) that occurred every 4 years (off years from Olympic games). Reenactment every 8 years at the Halos. 

Ruins of temple of Apollo at Delphi