Delos and Paros
The stunning morning light rose over the sacred island of Delos. Situated in the heart of the Aegean Sea, this island was where both Artemis and Apollo were born. To the ancient Greeks Apollo was god of light, music, poetry and prophesy.
We set off early to be the first ones to set foot on the island. Our tenders tied up between the sacred and commercial harbors and off we went. The island began as a place of pilgrimage for the Ionian Greeks in the 7th century BC and over the centuries developed into a world trade center. With the conquest of Alexander the Great, the Greek world expended to include foreign lands and his successors granted the island autonomy making it a very significant center of trade. The Romans granted the island a “tax-free” status and that made the island boom. In its heyday the population was up to 30.000 people.
With the help of our guides, we visualized the magnificent sanctuary: the long colonnaded stoas, the sacred way, the temples and all the art work that once embellished this great site. The colossal statue of Apollo lay broken and scattered but served as a beacon to ships wishing to anchor in its harbors. We strolled past the archaic marble lions of Naxos positioned to guard the sacred lake where the twins were born. The museum revealed a multitude of artifacts related to everyday life in antiquity and fabulous mosaics.
After lunch on board the Sea Cloud we sailed to Paros. Most of our party went ashore to hike to the 19th century lighthouse and the rest took the zodiacs to the beautiful sandy beach off Naousa Bay.
The close of a great day came with a barbecue dinner on board followed by shanties sung by the crew of the ship and all of us together.
