First though, before the train ride we had a date with an oracle to keep. For the next 3 days we took an out and back detour to Delphi on the north side of the gulf. Our route took us further west to Aegio, where we caught the ferry across the gulf to Agio Nikolaos; and then east along the north shore through Galaxidi and Itea, before finally turning north and uphill for a ten mile, 2000 foot climb to Delphi.
We had fine riding conditions - mild, sunny, with reasonably quiet roads. We stopped for lunch near Itea, enjoying a mixed plate and Greek salad from our outdoor table overlooking the gulf. The climb to Delphi was steady and pretty as it meandered upward through the orchards. Rachael had no difficulty, but I was feeling the effects of my cold and struggled a bit to keep up with her. For the whole first week of the tour she had the edge on me until I got my health back.
In Delphi we stayed at the Varonos Hotel. They had no garage or other reasonable place for our bikes, but they were just fine with having us lean them against their couch in the lounge - one of the benefits of arriving in the off season.
We were forced though to change our plans and stayed here for two nights instead of the one night we'd originally registered for, with the intent of biking back to Galaxidi the next afternoon by way of the reknowned monastery at Ossios Loukas. In a planning error, I hadn't realized that the next day was a national holiday and most of Delphi would be closed, so we chose to stay over an extra day and take a hike instead rather than missing out on Delphi's sights entirely.
Boats in the harbor, Aegio, with the highlands of Arcadia behind.
