What else you can see around

Herdsmen in Mt. Parnassos: This shack is where the herdsman stays when he remains on the mountain overnight; it is generations old and without any modern conveniences. By the light of an oil lamp, you can share opsimotiri (salty goat yoghurt), cheese (feta), home-made krasi (wine), delicious olives, tomoatoes and cucumbers (from our garden), and an interesting bi-lingual conversation. We guess that makes you cultural ambassadors! And you may never have seen as many stars in the sky. Time moves backwards on Mt. Parnassos.

Corycian Cave - Spectacular view of the plateau of Livadi: The Gulf of Corinth lies behind the mountains on the right. These photos were shot from right outside the Corycian Cave high atop Parnassos, the cave that in ancient times was dedicated to Pan and where women from the surrounding areas would gather every five years, wearing disguises, to dance by torch light through the night. It is not hard to understand why the ancients thought that Deucalion's boat grounded on one of these summits after the Flood.

Arachova is a mountain town little touched by modern development. At an altitude of 940 metres, its quaint houses are built up the slopes of Mt. Parnassos. This is a good place to buy handwoven fabrics, "flokates" (rugs) and coloured shoulder bags, and you shouldn't miss trying the local specialities in one of the town's many tavernas. Arachova lies 35 km. west of Livadia and 10 km south of SKAMNOS. Is a usual stop for people headed for Delphi or the Parnassos ski centre. Most of the skiers, novices or experienced, spend their nights in Arachova. In the Wintertime Arachova is a skiers paradise, closely situated to the well developed ski center of Parnassos. In the summertime the atmosphere is more calm and relaxed, an ideal place to go when you want to escape from everything, and to admire the glorious beauty of the landscape. If you happen to visit Arachova in the spring, try to attend the huge celebration that occurs on St. George's day and his feast day is celebrated on April 23rd with a village festival of eating, drinking and dancing plus a race of senior citizens up the hill the village. The entertainment lasts three days and includes a race for old men dressed up in local costume followed by feasting on roast lamb. The winner gets a lamb that is brought down from Parnassus by the local shepherds and the survivors get their chance again next year. If the saint day falls within lent however, it is postponed to the Tuesday after Easter.

Ossios Loukas Just 10 km. east of Arachova lies Distomo, a town with important archaeological finds and an interesting museum (tel: +30-267-22 000), which played an important role in the Revolution of 1821, one comes to the Byzantine Monastery of Ossios Loukas, whose 11th century mosaics and frescoes are among the finest in Greece.The monastery built on the slopes of Mount Hellicon has two inter-connecting churches. The great octagonal church of Agios Loukas contains the tomb of the saint, though the bones have been sent to Rome. It also contains some of Greece's finest Byzantine frescos and icons by Michael Damaskinos, the 16th century Cretan icon painter. The wall paintings in the crypt are from the 11th century. The views from the monastery terrace are spectacular and there is also a small cafe. The monastery open from 8am to 7pm daily but is closed between 2 and 4 pm from may to September and you can't get in wearing shorts.

Delphi is only 21 Km far away from SKAMNOS. Still an awe-inspiring location for both Greeks and Europeans, Delphi is a headquarters for international meetings, architectural, archaeological cultural symposia, Congress of Ancient Drama held under the auspices of the European Cultural Centre of Delphi. Perhaps the organizers are reminded of these lines from the "Delphic Hymn" by Angelos Sikelianos: "Without your aid, o God, I will climb to the summit and alone, with my wits and guts - my brothers will wait on the lower heights - I will sing of the heart of Man, my heart" Sikelianos' house still stands in the modern town of Delphi.(European Cultural of Delphi - Athens office: tel.: +30-210- 72 33 943)

Today's residents, having superb facilities for tourists, welcome visitors for as long as they wish to stay. Souvenir shops, restaurants and hotels, both traditional and contemporary in style, stand for both the Greece of today and the Greece of the year 2000, Greece the member of the European Community. You can discover this modern fascinating land, choosing from among the itineraries proposed below, either using your own car, a rented vehicle or using trekking routs like the European Path E4. If you select the latter, you need to have more time at your disposal, but you will have a unique opportunity to get to know a Greece rarely seen by tourists

The Archaeological Site in Delphi: The first excavations began in 1838 and were completed in 1935). The Sanctuary of Apollo with the Treasuries (buildings where the city-states kept votive offerings and religious vessels), the temples and the peribolos (enclosure) lie on the south flank of Mt. Parnassos to your right if you are coming from Arachova. The centre of the sanctuary is dominated by the Doric temple of Apollo. The Sacred Way leads to the temple and is lined with Treasuries, monuments and offerings. Northwest of the temple is the theatre (5,000 seats) where the Delphic Festivals were held, which had as a central theme the representation of Apollo's victory over the serpent Python. Rather further to the west and somewhat above the theatre lies the Stadium where the Pythian Games took place every four years. To the right of the entrance to the Sanctuary is the Kastalian Fountain, where Pythia washed before speaking her prophecies, and on the left and below the road stands the Sanctuary of Athena; finds have shown that it had been dedicated as early as the Mycenaean era to a female deity. The tholos or rotunda, one of the most remarkable architectural constructions of antiquity, stands next to it. It is not known what this building was used for.

The Museum of Delphi: The first building date from 1902. The museum's collection consists exclusively of objects of all kinds from the Sanctuary of Delphi. Among its major works are: the navel of the world (a Hellenistic or Roman copy of the Sacred Stone), the Sphinx of the Naxians (550 BC), the statue of Antinous, the statue of Agias, the group of Thyiads (three colossal female figures portrayed dancing around a flowered column from the Sanctuary of Dionysos), the metopes from the Treasuries of Sicyon and Athens, the Karyatid and Zephyr from the Treasury of Siphnos, the bronze Charioteer, the head of Dionysos.Tel: +30-22650- 82 312.

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