As the first lights, in the early morning, were sparkling against the glittering water the Caledonian Starapproached the Corinth Canal. During ancient times this was a very important trade position. Because of its importance lots of early attempts were made to build the canal in order to enable a short cut around the Peleponesus, but it wasn't until the end of the 19th century that the canal was built.
In 1893 the canal was opened and a new water and trade way was established. Today the canal has lost its great importance but still remains a spectacular place to sail through.
The afternoon was dedicated to one of the most famous sites in the Mediterranean, Delphi. Situated on the southern slopes of the Mt. Parnassus, looking down onto a wide valley of olive trees and the Bay of Corinth. Delphi is one of the most impressive sites of the ancient Greek World. The big shrine with its great temple, theatre and innumerable offerings stood in the middle of a small town that is spread out on the slope, with the steep rocks of the Phaidriades rising above it.
The shrine was dedicated to Apollo, one of the great gods of the Greeks, god of light and harmony, mathematics, music and poetry - above all he was the god of balanced life. Here at Delphi he was also willing to help men, individuals as well as city-states, through his oracle, a woman called the Pythia. People came to this sacred spot from all over, Greeks and non-Greeks alike, to ask the assistance of Apollo in the difficult moments of their life.
Just like ancient times, one reached the temple by walking up the meandering sacred way, a wide paved path bordered on both sides by an incredible number and variety of offerings.
Standing high up at the terrace of the Apollo temple and looking down the slope where once the ancient city of Delphi was spread out, one sees today only olive trees. But amongst those trees there are still a few more remains from antiquity - a wonderfully elegant circular temple of Athena, the Gymnasium and Palaistra for the training of the young citizens of Delphi, and at the foot of the steep Phaidriades rocks the sacred spring of Castalia where both pilgrims and priests purified themselves before entering the great shrine.
