Today we visited Delos, I haven’t been since I was a kid, but I am pleased to say that it is still as I remember it: probably the best, most-intact set of ancient Greek ruins in the world. Delos is a VERY special place. I had five things I wanted to do with the family on the trip, based on my fuzzy memory. Would we achieve them all?
- Visit a (specifc) ancient temple that I remember
- See a bathtub. Yep, go to Delos to see a bathtub
- Have lunch on a beautiful beach with a marble pillar in the middle
- See the Delos Lions.
- Go to the museum
Here’s our trip along with some graphical aids:
We left early on a Ferry from Mykonos. Kinda nice to be on someone elses’ boat.
There are a bunch of mega (motor) yachts on Mykonos. If I was going to get one (I’m not) I’d get one like this one we motored past rather than the modern monstrosities we see all the time:
Bye, bye Mykonos.
Hello Delos:
This was the first Mosaic we saw:
The kids loved it. First thing they wanted to do? Draw it! COOL
I know a thing or two about Delos you know. For example, this was a two story house with an atrium in the middle. Most houses on Delos were built in this style.
We liked the mosaics…
A lot… They are nearly 3,000 years old (reconstructed).
Where else can you go and still see the statues in place? (Most statues are removed from the location and taken to a museum).
Delos had a full blown water and sewer system. This is a picture of the water system that ran under the city supplying water to everyone. In fact the reason that everyone had to leave Delos is that the city became so important and so many people moved there that the water table went below sea level and all the water became salinated. No matter what they did, they couldn’t get the water table back up again, so everyone had to leave in a hurry (or die of thirst – no water makers back then). This is one of the reasons that the island is left so intact.
And for the record, next time someone tells you that the Romans invented indoor plumbing, guess again: it was the Greeks.
But moving on, here’s Paloma – somewhat shyly performing…
In this theater. The acoustics were AWESOME. You could speak quietly anywhere on stage and be heard anywhere.
“What did you think of the performance?”
“Pretty good really, I’m looking forward to the next act”
The next act was a big hike up a mountain to the first of my “must see” stops. An ancient temple built using a non-Greek style. Notice the huge stones balanced against one another and the lack of columns. The temple is built right into the side of the mountain. Delos is the birthplace of Apollo and Artemis (twins) and I imagine that this temple was there when they were born.
Everyone was pretty tired by the time we got here. Here’s the view from inside the temple:
On the way down, we had emergency surgery due to an injury.
We did do a fair bit of climbing around when we were looking for the beach and the bathtub.
We found the bathtub first. No wonder they ran out of water if everyone filled up one of these!
The beach was a long hike a way, and when we got close, I suggested that everyone else swim the rest of the way as it was H O T in the mid-day sun. Ronan found this fender from a mega-yacht and named it “booey”. The four of them swam to the beach.
I was so hot after that long walk carrying everything, all I could do when we got there was dive in the water (that’s my splash in the background).
That is MUCH better.
There is a marble pillar in the middle of the beach, I don’t know what it is about this pillar, but it makes you giggle to see it. We tried to dig it up several times when I was about 12 but it goes way too deep.
But in the end, we had to go. So beautiful and serene. Just like the beaches in Mykonos used to be in the 60s and 70s.
We had things to do. Find those lions! – Oh yes, and visit the museum.
There are the lions. But Dad, I’m done with pictures.
OK, one more.
And that was it. No time for the museum. The ferry was going back to Mykonos. And all we could do was pass out.
It was a good day…
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Fab! It sounds like an incredible voyage. So glad I found you too! Stay in touch (I guess you have my email from the blog register). Hope to see you next time
So happy you found us. It sent little tingles down my spine when I read what you were thinking about and how you found us. Thank you! A do love the internet.
Sorry we missed you as we sailed (rapidly) past Italy. I’m afraid that this little sailing trip is over for now as I have to go back to work. Next time…
James.
I don’t know why or how I found this post of yours, I really don’t! But I was wasting time thinking about a long time ago…James, Lucy, Nick, Jan, Sally Lou and us – Humph, Robyn, Trav and me.. and I sort of Googled a vague phrase – and this! Delos is etched in my memory and I remember all these things, I even have a picture of your mum lying in that bath from 1981! Remember sleeping on the roof, remember the grand cello concert in Castro’s, James. It all really is a marble column towering in the sands of memory>!< Tim (now living in Italy if you cruise past!)
You found the pillar. I thought it might have been buried….. Awsome!
WOW, i’m left breathless with old memories of us walking and playing exactly like Ronan and Paloma ! Such a beautiful and special place, your so right … Delos is one of the most wonderful memories i have of Greece, didn’t you play a cello concert where Paloma shyly acted ? I think you did.. Very cool James, must have been a wonderful day trip.
I missed that trip!
But I’ve stayed in that hotel and we’re both lucky to have been there as it is now impossible to stay in Delos overnight (hotel is closed).
It is such a magical place…
Didnt you go to delos with us? It must have been about 1982. we climbed up mount kinthos at sunset and slept on the roof of the hotel. The galaxy way was amazing, and there were all these eerie sounds and weird shapes among the ruins. WE went to that beach the next day, walking through the grass, tapping the ground to frighten the snakes. Your mum had a fall and hurt her back, and Nick swam out to a yacht and got her some painkillers, then we thought they were doing something dodgy, loading and unloading drugs? ruins? Sally Lou went and got the ‘authorities’. In the meantime Nick found what looked like a human leg bone.
A memorable and magical place.I will never forget it.
Ax