Greece West

Corinth

The Temple of Apollo

We never expected to visit Corinth and frankly didn't even know exactly where it was located. Well, it happened to have a most excellent location astride the Isthmus that divides the Peloponnese from the rest of mainland Greece. It likewise had access to both the Aegean and Ionian Seas, thus making it a natural trading center for the vast Greek world. It sent colonists as far as Syracuse in Sicily and colonized other important Ionian islands such as Corfu (Corcyra). It was a major player in its day.

Corinth suffered a major sacking at the hands of the Romans, the standard punishment for resisting Roman domination. Therefore, much of the remains here are of Roman vintage, with exceptions such as the 6th C BC temple seen above. The area is also prone to earthquakes, which tended to ruin anything not ruined by humans.

Much of it is pretty ruined.

The remains of the Lechaion Road, which connected Corinth to its port on the Gulf of Corinth at Lechaion. Corinth had another port on the Aegean and the city itself was prudently located away from immediate attack from seaward in either direction. The massive natural fortress of the Acrocorinth in the background added to its security.

A closer shot of the Acrocorinth. If you look closely you will see the walls of a fortress running along the crest from left to right. It kind of reminded us of a mini-Masada. Naturally, the Hubster wanted to check it out (guys love forts), but we didn't have a car and all the taxi drivers were on strike (again), so all we could do was climb. The admiral said no, and that was that. A dislocated left knee with an ace wrap likes flat ground.

This is the remains of the Peirene, the main water source of both Greek and Roman Corinth. We wanted a closer look but it was roped off (grrrr). The pool in front was dry but you could still hear the sound of running water inside.

What's left of the South Stoa, one of the largest porticoed buildings in ancient Greece. In its salad days it was one would call a "mixed-use development", encompassing shops, restaurants as well as 33 apartments. It was remodeled over the centuries and finally abandoned in the 6th C AD.

The obligatory theater

An exquisite mosaic inside the Corinth Museum.

A chorus of headless statues. This seems to have been the standard construction method, i.e. an apprentice would do the torso and the master the head, then assemble and/or mix&match as desired.

Here we have a marble offering from Naxos to Apollo of Delphi.The mythical sphinx was be quested approximately 560 B.C.

Amazing that there is still pigment left!

A funeral bed 4th century B.C. Discovered in a chamber of a tomb at Cheliotomylos.

Colossal statue of Phrygian captive used a pier in the 'captives facade' of the North Basilica. (probably a bldg which doesn't exist anymore.) 2nd half 2nd to early 3rd C A.C.

Delphi

We were naturally familiar with Delphi and its famous Oracle, but were a little vague on just where it was located and what one would see upon arrival. As to the Where, Delphi is just north of the town of Itea, which is on the north coast of the Gulf of Corinth, about halfway between Corinth and the exit to the Gulf.

It's hard to see, but Itea is the urban blob just below the tongue of water in the upper right. Itea had a nice harbor with a derelict but cheap marina. Fortunately, the bus from Itea to Athens goes right past Dephi, so it was easy to get here.

The modern town of Delphi is quite pretty and orderly, seeming prosperous from all the modern-day pilgrims who pass through or stay in the many hotels. The ancient site is a short hike out of town.

This is the Temple of Apollo in Delphi, the seat of the Oracle herself. As you can see, most of it is gone above the foundations. to the right of it is the Athenian Treasury.

This is the Treasury, with the admiral for scale. Most Greek city-states had places here to store goods to be offered the Oracle as compensation.

Just above the Temple and Treasury is the theater. This was a full-featured city.

Another major feature was it stadium. This was the site for the Pythian Games, second only to the Olympics it its day. The stadium was built in the 5th C BC and later refurbished by the Roman Emperor Hadrian. Yes, it's a less-than-perfect photo montage. The visitor is hemmed in by ropes and not allowed a good vantage point.

The judges seats at the 50-yard line.

The finish line, complete with pedestals for the winners.

Towering above it all is Mount Parnassus, thought to be the Navel of the World.

Of course, no site would be complete without a museum housing all the stuff that would be ripped off it it weren't kept indoors. This is a sphinx donated by our good friends on Naxos.

White-ground kylix found in a tomb at Delphi. work of Athenian vase-painter. On white ground Apollo is depicted crowned with a wreath of myrtle-leaves, seated on a stool. 480-470 B.C.

The Greeks did amazing things in bronze. Unfortunately, most of it has been looted and melted down over the millennia. This is a bust of Apollo. No telling what the rest of the statue looked like. Nothing like a little gold.

His twin sister Artemis.

A full-size statue of the sacred Apic bull made out of silver and gold sheets. Kind of what the bull looks like on Wall Street now a days.

The Thyiad dancers, part of Dionysis' entourage. This was atop a column 13m (40') high.

And last but certainly not least, a magnificent bronze statue of a charioteer, still holding the reins. The only reason this survives it because it was buried in an earthquake.

Decided to shoot the back as well to show the stunning detail. The neatly tied headband indicates the charioteer is a champion.

Corfu

A land view of the Old Fortress. This marvel of Venetian military engineering withstood centuries of Ottoman attempts to dislodge the infidel Venetians from this last island of Christianity on the Muslim Balkan peninsula. Note the saltwater moat on the left.

Corfu briefly became British as a spoil of the Napoleonic Wars. The Classical building seen on the right is St George's Church. It was originally Anglican and built for the British Garrison by an English military engineer.

The Winged Lion of St Mark, proof that this was Venetian territory.

This fort had a second moat - a defense in depth.

A Venetian mortar. The fort also had Britsh and Russian cannon (yes, even the Russians occupied Corfu during the Napoleonic Wars). Many cannon were used to anchor guy wires, i.e. they were buried in the dirt and anchor bolts were cemented in the muzzles.

A very Venetian-looking clock tower; nowadays it's right twice a day.

The anchorage south of the fort. Ye Olde Tubbe is in the distance past a large motor yacht in the center. Some of the yachts that tied up at the Yacht Club quay were beyond huge; for us the advantage of the bay was freedom, i.e. it was free.

A panoramic, fort's-eye view of Old Corfu Town aka Kerkyra.

Just to the north, a view of what Greeks do best - hang out, in style.

Well, not always in style. This beach reminded us of the crappy beach in Mykonos, or may other places in the Med. People make a place in the sun where they find it. We were astonished to find that even on a 'beach' with a few meters of sun one was charged for the privilege of that golden worship. Not so in the Caribbean where one cake bake at hearts content.

A homeless guy lived under the tree to the right. He appeared Middle Eastern and wore a suit even though he slept under a cardboard leanto. So, Greece is taking care of its brethren! Admired the guy for his insistence to make a home against all odds.

This sure ain't the Aegean. The houses were classics in their own way, if a little rundown. The worst part was the European scourge of graffiti, which defaced even the nice buildings. As heard one tourist remark.' Its so dirty '! Her partner repined, Oh, its just the old world charm.!

The New Fort - don't worry this is your only picture.

One day we rented a car to drive around the island. As you can see, the admiral had a injured knee. About the size of a Texas fence post. After negotiating one-lane Greek villages with no road signs, she also almost had a stroke. It didn't help that we rented a car on a major Greek holiday, which meant that all the holiday spots were bumper-to-bumper. We saw one guy wipe out on his motorbike. Then, we came across a burned out all terrain vehicle right around the corner from a precipitous hairpin curve. Wonder why, someone was on pins and needles.

Boy, speaking of a stroke we're about out of juice working of Greece. We have a lot more material, but we're not sure you (or we) have more patience. Thanks for viewing! Don't forget Athens!

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