On Cloud 9
Delphi was well worth the drive...and the hike. This picturesque town was a prominent place for the worship of the god Apollo. Delphi is also home to the most important oracle in the Greek world. People from all over would trek to Delphi to have their future predicted. Today, I may not have taken the long trek that older generations endured, but I experienced the oracle and saw the stadium where pre-Olympics games were held. I had the privilege of being in the same spot where many stories are based. I felt like I was on top of the world. The class tramped up the side of a mountain to see the beauty of this 5th century BCE stadium. The sky was blue and even though we had to wake up at six in the morning, there wasn’t anything that could ruin this flawless view. I was in awe of the architecture and impressed by our PLU mentality coming to play. Markelle had a wonderful ideal to spell out PLU by lying down and taking the picture from up top. Together, we walked where the Gods had been and represented our school all at the same time.
Before making our way to Delphi, we stopped at the Osios Loukas monastery. Not only was the monastery beautiful on the outside, but it was breathtaking on the inside. As professor Finitsis explained the history of the monastery, I felt like I could see the people praying in the hidden nooks and kneeling before Mother Mary. The paintings on the inside of the Greek Orthodox monastery are impeccable. When I walked in, the light was partially shinning into the center of the building, showing the remarkable detail in the ceiling paintings. Candles of prayer slowly burned as we made our way around the grounds. Visiting the monastery was a good reminder to stop and take a breath of Greek air, and realize that this exact moment won’t last forever.