On the Way to Delphi – And the Oracle Said…..

On Monday November 1 we drove the 5+ hours from Meteora to Delphi. It should have been less but we made our first wrong turn and had an adventure getting off the motorway and finding our way back to the right exit. In the off-season, Delphi closes early so we had to save the visit for the next morning.

As an alternative, we drove to the nearby Monastery of Osios Loukas – a World Heritage Site. There were very few tourists in the late afternoon so we could wander the area almost alone – coming off-season has its advantages. The monastery was founded in the 10th century and is the alleged site of St. Luke’s tomb. As a result, the monastery is a pilgrimage site. It is in a remote location – with wonderful views across valleys with olive groves.

Monastery of Osios Loukas



We arrived at our hotel – a simple 8 room place with a very friendly and helpful owner. The room had a balcony with a beautiful sunset view of the Bay of Corinth – not bad for 35 Euros for the night!

View from the Hotel Balcony



Since this was primarily a day of driving, let’s talk about Greek drivers! Everyone told me I was crazy to drive in Greece – dangerous roads – worst drivers in Europe. Since I have been driving in Britain and Europe for 40 years, I was not deterred. If I could drive in Italy, in Paris, and on the “wrong side of the road” in England for a year, why not drive in Greece? If I could brave the fast lane on the German Autobahn (also known as the flashing lights Mercedes/BMW lane), why not drive in Greece?

Well – it was not that bad but of course it was off-season and we were mainly driving mid-week. Fortunately our nephew had warned me about a couple of things that made the driving conditions less of a shock. Many Greek roads have wide paved shoulders – with a white line delineating their boundaries. The trick is to drive with at least the right two wheels on the paved shoulder. This gives the idiots passing on a curve plenty of space! Everyone drives partially on the shoulder – so “when in Rome” – I mean when in Greece drive like Greeks!!! This procedure also applies to motorways. The motorway (sic) from Patras to Corinth is mostly two lanes with the same wide shoulders – there is construction everywhere! I was told this was the worst road in Greece – but we made it! Other motorways are modern and in great condition.

Next Delphi!