Delos

While the ruins themselves are not as spectacular as those we are supposed to see at Ephesus and Aphrodisias, Delos is undoubtedly a place that a classical scholar has to visit at least once in her life. To perceive the barrenness of the island is to realize the paradoxical quality of its importance as celebrated in the Homeric Hymn to Apollo and Callimachus' Hymn to Delos. Here is a panoramic glimpse of the site.

After returning to the ship and listening to a presentation on Ephesus--quite tepid, in contrast to the vivid and lively talks by Bill and Suzanne--I was hoping to see the windmills of Mykonos and perhaps do a little shopping. The winds, however, were fierce, making it impossible for Ron to get into the tender. We settled instead for coffee on the observation deck and our respective books. Not a particularly eventful afternoon and evening, but one can't be entertained all the time.