 The windows of 72 Hours.The aroma was intoxicating. It's Saturday, October 18; our last morning in Athens before our road trip around the Peloponnese. And what's a road trip without snacks? In Athens the go-to bakery is 72 Hours -- named for the time it takes for the sourdough starter to proof. The line at the take-out window is long but moving fast and we have the pleasure of watching the bakers ply their craft through the windows as we wait.  The stone believed to be where the oracle sat on her three-legged stool (on the left) breathing the fumes that spewed from the hole (on the right). We pick up our tiny Nissan Micra and enjoy the adventures in chaos that is Athens' traffic; heading west to a destination we successfully kept secret from Rick. We somehow convinced him that Delphi -- the one place he wanted to visit most -- would be too far out of the way to include on our already crowded itinerary. About 2 hours into the drive, it was hard to avoid seeing the road signs...though they cryptically read "ΔΕΛΦΟΙ / DELFI". When Richard called Rick's attention to them, the psych was spiked. We'll blame it on Rick's enthusiasm that we had to remind him he was going 30 KPH over the speed limit as we climbed up the serpentine switchbacks past a shepherd with his flock. We finally reached the archaeological site of the Oracle of Delphi where we met our tour guide sporting a Yankees cap. The site and museum were fascinating, but much more so were the stories of the history-changing prophecies delivered by a priestess of Apollo --who most likely pretended be in a trance induced by fumes that happened to naturally spew from a chasm in the rock. People, including some of the most powerful in the world, traveled from far and wide to what was thought to be the center of the earth to seek her guidance. What did Rick ask the Oracle -- he'll never tell.
 A soggy Sunday morning didn't deter Nancy & Richard from one of their favorite travel activities -- exploring the neighborhood grocery store a short walk from our apartment. With Google translate in hand we aimed at the packages. Is this butter? Spinach? We grabbed some eggs, sold loose from a basket, and bacon too. We manage a conversation with the checkout clerk to figure out how to turn this frozen spiral disk into a crusty spanakopita. Back at the apartment we prepared a delightful breakfast of bacon and spinach omelettes alongside Greek yogurt with fresh peaches just as Rick & Stacy emerged from their room. Soon we are back into our Micra -- with a back seat that lived up to its name -- heading west for the coastal town of Missolonghi -- a last-minute addition to our itinerary at the strong advice of our Greek travel consultant, Alexia. The winding, cliff-hugging roads that ran along the coast were dotted with small roadside shrines -- tiny chapels that contained photos, candles, and mementos of people who didn't make it to their destination -- a stark reminder to heed the speed limits.  Once in Messolonghi, a long causeway delivers us to the Salt Museum. It's obvious that few folks make this trek, and we hope to change that. Stacy climbs the salt dune after we rummage through the gift shop for our "fleur de sel". It's now lunchtime and we head to Tourlida Fish Restaurant, right on the fish pier. A blazing wood fire greets us and we enjoy a grilled whole fish caught that day. We also sampled the local delicacy - called Avgotaraho by the Greeks, but also known as Bottarga of Messolonghi -- the roe sac of a mullet, salted, dried, and wrapped in wax. Like most delicacies, it's an acquired taste.  Greek Salad (of course), Grilled whole fish, Bottarga of Messolonghi, and creamy Fried Eggplant with Tsatsiki at Tourlida Fish Restaurant  After lunch, we are back on the road and crossing the Gulf of Corinth on the Rio-Antirrio Bridge -- the world's longest multi-span cable-stayed bridge that opened just in time to transport the Olympic flame from ancient Olympia (our current destination) to Athens for the 2004 summer games. Rick -- a bonafide transportation technology geek -- was in awe of its magnificent 4 towers that resembled tall ships in full sail over the gulf.  Once on the Peloponnese Peninsula, it was one long tunnel after another drilled through the mountains. Stretching in all directions were miles of hills and valleys dotted with cypress trees. Finally we reach Olympia and check into Irene's Place before enjoying a home-style meal just outside of town at Taverna Thea, hosted by a Scandinavian ex-patriot and her Greek husband and wisely recommended by Rick Steves for its quality and value.
Like the athletes in the ancient games, we'll be up early, rain or shine to visit Ancient Olympia. However, UN-like the athletes in the ancient games, we plan to keep our clothes on.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Use the "Next Post >>" Button at the bottom of each post to step through our story chronologically.
Countries
All
Archives
November 2025
AuthorSNancy McCabe & |
RSS Feed