Greece

Mosaic rendition of a panther at the Archaeological Museum on Delos, Greece. Ancient Greeks believed that the panther was one of the favorite mounts of Dionysus , the god of the grape harvest, wine and winemaking and well as celebratory feasting. AIMG_3590

Ancient head at the at the Archaeological Museum on Delos, Greece AIMG_3589

Oia (pronouced Ee-ah) is one of the most beautiful towns on one of the most beautiful islands (Santorini) in Greece. The town is situated on a high cliff overlooking a volcanic caldera that is now filled with water from the Aegean Sea. Because the views are so spectacular, many tourists crowd the narrow walkways to peer out at the water and to enjoy the charming shops and restaurants. To see what one has to walk through to get photos like this, check out www.flickr.com/photos/ejhrap/6945397629/in/photostream . AIMG_3341

Delos, Greece, according to Greek mythology was the birthplace of Artemis and Apollo, the twin twin children of Leto and Zeus. When Zeus' wife, Hera, discovered that Leto was pregnant, Hera banished her from the earth. Poseidon took pity on her and provided Delos, an island not believed to be attached to the ocean floor, as a place for her to give birth. Delos was considered to be one of the most sacred places in Greece and numerous temples were built on the island. AIMG_3579

Delos, Greece, according to Greek mythology was the birthplace of Artemis and Apollo, the twin twin children of Leto and Zeus. When Zeus' wife, Hera, discovered that Leto was pregnant, Hera banished her from the earth. Poseidon took pity on her and provided Delos, an island not believed to be attached to the ocean floor, as a place for her to give birth. Delos was considered to be one of the most sacred places in Greece and numerous temples were built on the island. AIMG_3580

Delos, Greece AIMG_3568

Erhard´s Wall Lizard (Podarcis erhardii) on a wall in Delos, Greece AIMG_3560

Delos, Greece "has been inhabited since the 3rd millennium BC. . . . By the time of the Odyssey the island was already famous as the birthplace of the twin gods Apollo and Artemis. . . . Indeed between 900 BC and AD 100, sacred Delos was a major cult centre, where Dionysus is also in evidence as well as the Titaness Leto, mother of the above mentioned twin deities. Eventually acquiring Panhellenic religious significance, Delos was initially a religious pilgrimage for the Ionians. A number of "purifications" were executed by the city-state of Athens in an attempt to render the island fit for the proper worship of the gods. The first took place in the 6th century BC, directed by the tyrant Pisistratus who ordered that all graves within sight of the temple be dug up and the bodies moved to another nearby island. In the 5th century . . . under instruction from the Delphic Oracle, the entire island was purged of all dead bodies. It was then ordered that no one should be allowed to either die or give birth on the island due to its sacred importance and to preserve its neutrality in commerce. . . ." en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delos AIMG_3554

Delos, Greece, an island in the Cyclades chain, is the mythological birthplace of Apollo and Artemis. AIMG_3548