Greece ancient sites questions - Delphi better in morning or evening?
Jan 31st, 2009, 04:38 AM
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Greece ancient sites questions - Delphi better in morning or evening?
I'm working on my itinerary for Greece for the first half of July 09. I'm thinking of Epidaurus, Mycenae, Corinth, and Delphi.
I'd kind of like to eliminate one of them as I think it could be overkill - I don't want them to all jumble in my memory, which can happen if you visit too many of the same type place on the same trip. On the other hand, in Sicily I couldn't decide which Greek temple to eliminate so we did all three and enjoyed them all. The one that seems least interesting to me is Mycenae, yet that's the one all the guidebooks seem to think is the best. So - opinions?
About how long would you say to visit each site? Obviously you could do a "coach tour" type blow through in an hour, or spend the entire day, but I'm looking to leisurely visit to see and photograph each site, but I don't need to explore every single rock.
Last question - I know you should do Delphi first or last thing in the day to avoid the tour groups and mid day sun. But which is preferable?
I'd kind of like to eliminate one of them as I think it could be overkill - I don't want them to all jumble in my memory, which can happen if you visit too many of the same type place on the same trip. On the other hand, in Sicily I couldn't decide which Greek temple to eliminate so we did all three and enjoyed them all. The one that seems least interesting to me is Mycenae, yet that's the one all the guidebooks seem to think is the best. So - opinions?
About how long would you say to visit each site? Obviously you could do a "coach tour" type blow through in an hour, or spend the entire day, but I'm looking to leisurely visit to see and photograph each site, but I don't need to explore every single rock.
Last question - I know you should do Delphi first or last thing in the day to avoid the tour groups and mid day sun. But which is preferable?
Jan 31st, 2009, 04:59 AM
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I've been to all four and consider them all fairly different. I don't think you'd find it overkill to visit all, assuming you have the time.
I revisited Mycenae and Epidaurus last year when we went to Greece, with similar interests as yours. We spent about three hours at Mycenae (there's a small museum there, as well) and a couple of hours at Epidaurus. At the latter, we spent as much time exploring the other ruins around the theater as we did the theater itself.
Tough choices. We debated the same things for our trip and in the end decided to go south to Mystras (which we loved) instead of north to Delphi.
http://www.onelittleworld.com/greece_1.html
I revisited Mycenae and Epidaurus last year when we went to Greece, with similar interests as yours. We spent about three hours at Mycenae (there's a small museum there, as well) and a couple of hours at Epidaurus. At the latter, we spent as much time exploring the other ruins around the theater as we did the theater itself.
Tough choices. We debated the same things for our trip and in the end decided to go south to Mystras (which we loved) instead of north to Delphi.
http://www.onelittleworld.com/greece_1.html
Jan 31st, 2009, 06:02 AM
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Hi, yes definitely spending the night in Delphi. Either arrive mid day, visit in the afternoon/evening (till it closes) and spend the night - or -get there in the evening, spend the night and be there when it opens in the morning. Trying to figure which way will have less crowds and better light (for photography).
Mar 4th, 2009, 12:57 AM
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On terms of crowds, usually on the afternoon it's much more quiet than even early morning (some groups visit very early andf then move on to their nexr destination).
About photography, I am not much into it, but both would be fine.
If you choose an evening visit, plan carefuly. Most likely museum and site will close around 18.00 during summer, Athena Pronaea Temple will stay open a bit later...
About photography, I am not much into it, but both would be fine.
If you choose an evening visit, plan carefuly. Most likely museum and site will close around 18.00 during summer, Athena Pronaea Temple will stay open a bit later...
Mar 4th, 2009, 01:57 AM
#6
Hi Isabel, lucky you! I have been to Epidaurus, Mycenae, and Delphi, but not Corinth. The ones I have seen were very different types of sites, and I am glad I saw them all.
I loved Mycenae, but it helps to have a context for it. The history of its discovery and excavation is fascinating, and is well presented in The Tomb of Agamemnon by Cathy Gere (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0674021703).
I think of Mycenae as the city from which Agamemnon left to fight the Trojan War, and to which he returned to be murdered by his wife Clytemnestra. It was the chief city of the Mycenaean culture, which fell soon after the Trojan War, and its fall was followed by centuries of Dark Ages during which the art of writing and knowlege of this civilization were lost. The Homeric stories were recorded four hundred years after the fall of Mycenae but purport to tell of this time. In modern times, people were not sure whether the Homeric stories were history, myth, or a combination of the two until the site was discovered and excavated by a flamboyant archeologist intent on proving that the Trojan War had taken place. Walking on the actual stones, through the very gate through which Agamemnon entered the city, was a powerful experience for me to connect with the stories of distant antiquity.
And Delphi was probably the most evocative place I have ever visited, bar none. If you are spending the night, you could go both in the evening and in the morning to catch the evening light and the morning light. The archeological site is very close to the village of Delphi. The views are spectacular.
You might be interested in my trip report: http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...rip-report.cfm
I loved Mycenae, but it helps to have a context for it. The history of its discovery and excavation is fascinating, and is well presented in The Tomb of Agamemnon by Cathy Gere (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0674021703).
I think of Mycenae as the city from which Agamemnon left to fight the Trojan War, and to which he returned to be murdered by his wife Clytemnestra. It was the chief city of the Mycenaean culture, which fell soon after the Trojan War, and its fall was followed by centuries of Dark Ages during which the art of writing and knowlege of this civilization were lost. The Homeric stories were recorded four hundred years after the fall of Mycenae but purport to tell of this time. In modern times, people were not sure whether the Homeric stories were history, myth, or a combination of the two until the site was discovered and excavated by a flamboyant archeologist intent on proving that the Trojan War had taken place. Walking on the actual stones, through the very gate through which Agamemnon entered the city, was a powerful experience for me to connect with the stories of distant antiquity.
And Delphi was probably the most evocative place I have ever visited, bar none. If you are spending the night, you could go both in the evening and in the morning to catch the evening light and the morning light. The archeological site is very close to the village of Delphi. The views are spectacular.
You might be interested in my trip report: http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...rip-report.cfm
