I was up and ready to hit the ruins reasonably early in the hope that it wouldn't be too hot and also so I could leave for Patras around midday.
My hopes that it wouldn't be too hot quickly disappeared as I walked to the entry of the ruins. The day was going to be a warm one.
The Sanctuary of Apollo ruins at Delphi are significant because:
- the ancient Greeks regarded Delphi as the centre of the world based on the mythological account of Zeus releasing two eagles and them meeting at Delphi.
- Delphi is where the god Apollo killed the dragon that was guarding the omphalos (navel) at the centre of the earth.
- Delphi was also home to the Delphic oracle, considered to be the most important oracle in the classical Greek world.
- Similar to Olympia, Delphi hosted the Pythian Games from 776BC.
The Roman Agora
The ruins are accessed from the bottom of the hill and the remaining elements are located along the winding Sacred Way.
The Roman Agora
The Omphalos of Delphi - the centre of the world.
Athenian Treasury
Along the Sacred Way, before arriving at the Temple of Apollo, there are several statues, and the treasuries that were required to hold the generous gifts from elsewhere in Greece donated in thanks to Apollo.
Polygonal Wall - covered with inscriptions
Inscriptions on the polygonal wall.
As you climb higher up the hillside with the ruins you are often presented with the spectacular view the site has.
The Temple of Apollo
Delphi's Theatre - fenced off (now show today).
The Pythian Games Stadium
Once you reach the stadium you have made it to the top of the sanctuary and you get to turn around and see it all again on the way down.
The view down over the theatre and temple into the valley.
Stormwater management.
After finishing the outdoor ruins of Delphi it was time to see what the neighbouring museum contained. Ancient Delphi had been amassing quite a lot of treasures from the 8thC BC onwards since it was considered the centre of the (Greek) world. The museum is quite well done with many interesting artefacts from the site.
The Sphinx.
Well preserved plate (480BC)
Helmet attachments.
The Charioteer
The Charioteer
The Charioteer
I had finished the ruins and the museum so it was time to get into the bike gear and loaded up to make my way to Patras.
I was ready to leave Delphi before 1pm and decided I would get fuel on the way. There was enough in the tank to get me a good distance towards Patras so I thought I would get going without delay and stop later when I needed a break.
Water canal on the way out of Delphi.
Just out of Delphi.
I was enjoying the ride while keeping an eye on the distance to empty....
With about 50km to empty I passed a couple of stations assuming there would be similar frequency of stations further on....
There weren't as many stations after that.
As I kept going I slowed down to be a little more economical. Soon the distance to empty was down to 20km and I was getting a little bit more anxious. I pressed the GPS to find petrol stations and it listed several a few km's down the road. I was on the highway and expected them to be alongside as they had been previously. With around 10km to empty the first petrol stations that were about a km away according to the GPS didn't appear next to the highway but were off into town somewhere. It took a few more km's to turn around on the divided highway and come back to the petrol station.
With 5km to empty I put in about 34.52L (1.5L more than the capacity) and based on my current 5.7L/100km it meant that there was only about 285ml in the tank.....
I was now able to make it to Patras.
I had the GPS coordinates for BMW and hoped to catch them for a replacement brake lever on the way into town. After finding the location, although I couldn't read the signage, they had moved....somewhere.
I also had the address for Motoraid who I had been in contact with regarding a Twalcom RaidBox to attach to the bike to put tools etc in.
It was great to pull up at Motoraid, step inside and be welcomed by the team before meeting Giannis who I had been emailing.
About as useful as a drink holder on a motorbike….
It is a great shop selling all sorts of spare parts, accessories and other motorcycle travel resources.
The TV runs continuously with movies from their various trips and you can also check the movies and gear reviews on YouTube on the computer monitor.
As you can see from the photo, and the Motoraid Facebook page, they really do welcome and enjoy travelling motorcyclists coming to their store.
Giannis is enthusiastic and generous with his time and knowledge of exciting and interesting routes to travel. Oh, and the Twalcom RaidBox is excellent.
After leaving Motoraid I tried in vain with the naming of streets and hotels to find my list of preferred places with the GPS. I stopped in a cafe, purchased a cappuccino, and connected to their WiFi to find somewhere to stay.
The GPS happened to have one place in its database so it was an easy one to try first. I was a little put off by the steep parking (considering I had dropped my bike on a slope recently...) I also wondered if it was a little too upmarket for a biker.... The price was good for the excellent quality and the superb central location……even so I thought I should check the other options.
Next option - was fully booked out.
Last option - undergoing renovations closed.
I was back to Maison Grecque and checked-in.
It had been a fairly long day so I was quite content to have a brief wander around the nearby part of Patras, find something to eat and then get into the comfy bed in the hotel. I found a place at the end of Georgiou I Square where I had a quick meal and did a little bit of background work for this website.