As we drive to the archeological site of Brauran located near Vravrona, Greece, I notice the countryside feels like my home in California’s Sonoma County. Vravrona is an agricultural area with head-pruned grape vines growing in the fields. We pass several farm stands at road side, selling fruit and vegetables. The unassuming site of Brauran tucks neatly off the side of the road, blending in with the surrounding landscape. With no parking lot or signs to distinguish the site, we drive right past it and have to turn around and park.
Category: Greece
Brauron’s Ancient School for Girls
In Classical Greece, Brauron was a school for girls, many of whom came from Athens. Several columns of its stoa are still standing, surrounded by a manicured lawn. At the far end of the site, I notice a gardener, just finishing his lunch under a tree, as he stands up to begin raking leaves.
After walking through the site once, I choose a place on the far side, looking back toward the entrance, set up my chair, and prepare to draw. This location is perfect, not only for its view of the ruins, but also because of the large shade tree. After baking in Delphi’s sun all day yesterday, a little shade sounds good.
Espresso-to-Stay in Thebes
While in the town of Thebes, I notice a nearby coffee shop with an older man in the back and a young girl working the counter. I could use a good cup of coffee. As we enter the shop, I nod to a couple of Greek men drinking coffee and chatting it up on a couch in the corner. I walk up to the girl at the counter, say hello, and politely ask in English for a cup of coffee-to-go, but unfortunately, she doesn’t understand me. This is the first time since I’ve been in Greece and encountered a language barrier. I suspect it happens often when traveling off the beaten path. With a few smiles and gestures, I’m able to communicate my order, or at least I think I have. Instead of the coffee-to-go I requested, I actually get an espresso-to-stay. I probably look a little surprised when she hands it to me, but I smile and thank her. Ah well, my fault for not speaking Greek. It’s a delicious espresso with an almost sweet, nutty flavor and includes a glass of water with a little piece of chocolate on the side. This break offers a moment to pause during this busy day, stay off the crowded streets, and slow down enough to enjoy the moment with a luscious, rich, and foamy espresso.
Delphi at Night
We rise before daybreak, and with our eyes half open, pack our bags. Within minutes of waking, we drop off our room key and walk out the door, missing our free breakfast. Our car is parked just outside of town, and with the lack of light, we have difficulty finding it. But once we locate the car, we load it with the help of starlight burning brightly above.
The Treasury of the Athenians
I move my gear to another structure just below the Temple of Apollo, the Treasury of the Athenians, and set up shop. This should be a good spot for painting, and it’s probably the last one I’ll have time for today. I pick up my packet of finished paintings and glance through them. It’s ironic that all the paintings look so tranquil, as if I were the only one there. In reality it’s quite the opposite, as hordes of people in tour groups continually pass by while I draw. This demonstrates one advantage of drawing over photography. Not far off, I notice a person drawing in a sketchbook, the first artist I’ve seen drawing so far. My first thought is to go say hello since I wouldn’t mind talking to another artist, but she looks shy, or at least shows a desire not to be bothered, so I leave her be.
With daylight now beginning to fade, I finish my last painting and walk back to the hotel
Temple of Apollo at Delphi, Greece
After finishing my third painting of the Tholos at the Temple of Athena, I walk back up the hill towards the Temple of Apollo, set up just below it, and paint a quick watercolor. The finished painting is kind of quirky and too brightly painted, but as the path up to the Temple is still blocked because of falling rocks, I can’t find a better angle worth painting.
A tour group gathers nearby, and I overhear the tour guide talking about the Temple and its Oracle. The Oracle was a woman, chosen for her good character and virtue from among the peasants of the local community. When she became Apollo’s priestess, the Pythia, she prophesied the future by channelling the words of Apollo. She sat on a tripod above a fissure in the earth and answered pilgrims’ questions. A gas, probably ethylene, rose from this fissure causing a trance-like state and allowing her to channel the voice of the god. Her words, which came in poetic hexameters, were then transcribed by priests. Pilgrims came from all over the Greek world to consult the Oracle about everything from personal matters to the advent of war. Recently, geologists have discovered that two fault lines intersect just below the Oracle chamber, providing further evidence of the fissure and its gasses.
The Temple of Athena Pronaia, Delphi
Upon arriving at the ruins of Ancient Delphi, we learn that two-thirds of the site is closed due to technical difficulties. Grrrrr! This is very disappointing. We walk back to the entrance and talk to a woman at the ticket office at the gate. She tells us they’ve recently had rocks fall down the mountain onto the upper portion of the site. It’s very dangerous up at the Temple of Apollo and beyond. Understanding the situation better, we both calm down and look around, analyzing our options. My dad suggests I draw another part of the site, the Temple of Athena Pronaia, just across the road and a short way down the hill.
Once I’m at the Temple of Athena, I walk around to determine what might occupy me for the rest of the day, and I see plenty. Before me stand the ruins of the Tholos, a circular building of the Doric order, the function of which is still a mystery to archeologists. I’ll have no problem drawing here. What a relief. I pull my chair from its bag, unfold it, and begin to draw.