An Easy Day in Athens, and then Off to Delphi! – Lycabettus Hill, The Acropolis at Night, Delphi, and the E4 Trail Wildflower Hike
On my last full day in Athens I woke up late and feeling tired. Jet lag was finally catching up with me, I think. I had quite a few things planned for the day, and I wasn’t sure which to keep and how to revise my plans. Finally, I decided that I definitely wanted to climb Lycabettus Hill, even though I’d missed the early morning light, so off I went. The walk from my accommodation took about 20 minutes, with peeks up at Lycabettus as I neared.
After some very steep streets, I reached the base of the hill and then the steps started.
The path, mostly stairs, was paved the entire way as it zig zagged up the hill, and it was not long before wonderful views to the Acropolis opened up.
The view grew even wider as I rose higher. In the photo below, I love the green sweep of the Ancient Agora that spills off to the right of the Acropolis. You can just see the Agora’s Temple of Hephaestus at the very right edge of the photo amongst the trees.
After more stairs, I reached the top where there is a bell tower and the tiny white Church of Agios Georgios which dates to 1870. It was a quicker climb than expected! There is also a restaurant at the top, and for those who do not wish to make the climb there is a funicular that rises up on the other side of the hill.
I enjoyed the views of Athens, and the brisk refreshing wind at the top. I took yet more photos of the Acropolis, and also of views across Athens to the northeast,
and towards the Panathenaic stadium which is located in the Pangrati neighbourhood, not far from my accommodation. The 50,000 seat stadium was built in 144 AD, entirely of marble, on the site of a much older stadium, and it was excavated and restored for the first modern Olympic games in 1896.
I then began my descent, very happy to have made the climb, but my tiredness returned in a wave as soon as I reached the bottom of the hill. It was getting hot and muggy, and both my body and brain were asking for a rest, so I decided to return to my apartment rather than continue with visits to the Benaki Museum of Greek Culture, and the Archaeological Site of the Lyceum of Aristotle, as I had planned. In the end, I did not make it to either place. I rested, ate, did laundry, sorted through photos, and finally got started with a blog post. Twice in the afternoon, as I enjoyed my quiet time in the apartment, heavy rain fell on my balcony as thunder showers passed over the city. Luckily for me, though, those showers ended by early evening and I felt rested enough to set out to climb Filopappou Hill for a second time in order to see the Acropolis at sunset, and also at night when it is lit with floodlights. It was fun to climb up wooded Filopappou again, and I settled onto a stone seat with this view as I waited for sunset.
However, the glowing light of a sunset never materialized, as there were heavy clouds low in the west, but I was happy conversing with two young French women who were travelling around Europe for six months. We talked travel, and when I mentioned that Mykonos was my next destination they informed me that the thunderstorms and heavy rain of the previous day had caused serious flooding on the islands of Paros and Mykonos, and that tourists were being asked to stay away. Oh dear, but I would worry about that later. We contined to talk until a chill wind began and the French girls left. I retreated to the leeward side of Filopappou to get out of that wind, sat on the ground, and enjoyed the views west towards Piraeus as the sky gradually darkened and street lights began to turn on.
I rose back to the top of the hill several times to peek over to the Acropolis until finally the floodlights were lit!
Then I stayed a little while longer, until the sky was a darker blue/black, for these last photos from my first stay in historic Athens.
The next morning, after negotiating crowded city buses and the metro, I said goodbye to Athens and travelled by coach bus to Delphi to see the famous archaeological site there. I enjoyed the rural scenery on the three hour journey northwest, especially as we began to climb up into the mountains. Soon the mountain scenery turned dramatic, as we rounded the shoulder of Mt. Parnassus, and then switchbacked several times down its steep southern slope to arrive at the mountainside town of Delphi which is in walking distance to the archaeological site and museum. I was happy to stretch my legs after the bus ride as I walked up the steep road to my accommodation at the family-run Castri Hotel. I loved it there! Very reasonably priced, at only 50 Euro per night including breakfast, I had a spacious room with my own small balcony.
And this was my view! All the way down the valley to the Gulf of Corinth!
Here is another view, looking over the rooftops, towards the church at the centre of town. Look at those mountains!
I was thrilled! I sat in the sun on my balcony and enjoyed my simple packed lunch. The hotel was quiet, and there was no one else on the other balconies. It was just me, and the view, and the swooping swallows. Heaven! But, I had a hike to do, so I set off to find the trailhead of the E4 trail located above the town. The E4 is a long European trail that runs all the way from Portugal to Cypress, and it passes through the town of Delphi. I would be walking on the ancient footpath that pilgrims from northern Greece would have used to reach Delphi in ancient times. I climbed up to the highest street of the town via several steep staircases like this one,
and then walked down that street a short distance to arrive at this beautiful and auspicious-looking start to the trail! Wow!
The wildflowers were amazing, and there were so many honey bees and butterflies flying from flower to flower. It was gorgeous!
And this was now the view down over the town to the Gulf of Corinth!
I began the climb and reached this view down to the ancient gymnasium of Delphi, located at the top of the archaeological site. This is where games and races were held when the citizens of the Greek city states met each year at Delphi. (Notice the road that our bus drove in on!)
Here is a zoomed in view of the gymnasium after I rose a little higher. The athletes would enter through the three stone archways at the far end of the field, while spectators sat in the stands.
I continued upwards, past some ruins,
and then higher to marvellous views up the valley,
and down towards the sea.
Then, I was clearly climbing on the ancient stepped pathway as it rose up the mountainside,
with views back over the small ridge that had led me to this point.
It was all so beautiful and exciting! I climbed perhaps another kilometre on the E4, and then doubled back to find the junction that would loop me back down to the town. I didn’t want to leave, though, and stopped again and again to admire my surroundings and the wonderful plants and scenery all around.
Eventually, I reached the street, descended the staircases, said hello to several cats, stopped to admire some lilacs,
and then returned to my room to rest and enjoy more views from my balcony. Later, hunger sent me back out into the town to check out its many restaurants. At the lowest street, I stopped for this view looking straight down into the deep valley.
While doing my trip planning, I didn’t realize that the E4 continues from Delphi down into the valley below where it follows the ancient pilgrims’ path all the way to the sea, a distance of about thirteen kilometres. If I had known that, I would definitely have booked a third night in Delphi in order to do that hike, down to the sea and the city of Itea (known in ancient times as the harbour of Krissa), and then back up to Delphi by bus. I will just have to come back!
I continued looking for an inexpensive pita wrap to take back to my hotel, but in the end I decided to splurge on a rare sit down dinner at the wonderful Bakhos restaurant. Bread, olive tapenade, wine, and cabbage rolls stuffed with beef and rice, and smothered in a rich lemon sauce – it was a true celebration in the spirit of a mountainside pilgrimage to Delphi!
I loved this town, and this view,
and I looked forward to my next day’s visit to the archaeological site of Delphi, the mythological centre of the Ancient Greek world. Goodnight from Delphi.
