Because we just hadnt had enough ferry rides, we added in one more (plus, once we arrived in Piraeus around 5 30 am, a subway, a city bus and then a regional bus) to get to the spiritual center of ancient Greece, Delphi. We spent only two nights, and unfortunately the thing I will remember most (well, maybe second most) is being tired, sandwiched as it was between two days of 24 hour travel.

The site itself is a pretty good collection of ruins perched on the slopes of some bizarre mountains, peering out over the valley far below. Its where people once flocked, coming from all over to consult the famous Oracle. Based on her cryptic, possibly hallucinogen-induced predictions, marriages were set, business contracts were signed, and wars were waged.

Much better than the ruins was the museum, which contains all the vast amounts of treasure that the Greek city-states piled up in tribute to Delphi, the sacred "navel of the earth." They had the famous bronze statue of the charioteer, with his calm, piercing gaze and perfectly sculpted face; the intricate friezes from the various treasuries recording famous myths; a lifesize copper bull plated with silver; a Greek sphinx (?!) and many more fantastic things, all labelled in perfect English with the full historical context and a pictorial reconstruction. Truly one of the best museums Ive ever seen.