Olympia
It was only 5 minutes after we woke up that we heard Tom, our expedition leader, announcing that sails were up. I grabbed a cup of coffee and rushed to enjoy the wonderful view. The light was perfect and the sky so blue. The coastline of the Peloponnese was clearly visible and I was amazed to discover that we could make out the castle of Clermont (Chlemontsi in Greek) built by Crusaders in the distance. The guests had a chance to use the Zodiacs to enjoy the view of the ship sailing and to take great pictures. After a lazy late breakfast there was an interesting lecture by Robyn Woodward, the archaeologist on board, about ancient Greece. The lunch that followed was excellent as always, and then the time came for the archaeological visit of the day.
We docked at the port of Katakolon and drove along the beautiful countryside to the site of ancient Olympia. The harvest was in full force since September is the end of the grape season, but also the time to pick tomatoes, eggplant, corn and the last melons and watermelons in Greece.
We entered the site of Olympia for our guided tour and I have to admit that I am always enthusiastic about the beautiful, lush vegetation of the site. We found refuge from the heat under the glorious oak trees – the sacred trees of Zeus – and rediscovered the Olympic Games. We visited the gymnasium and tried to envision the ancient athletes coated in perfume training around us. Then we entered the palaistra, where the wrestlers stretched their impressive muscles, and we tried to take in the size of the Temple of Zeus, built in the 5th century BC.
I have to admit we were helped by the ancient pillar restored by the archaeologists, and we had a chance to stand near the entrance where the wreath of glory, made of wild olive tree branches, was awarded to the victors of the Olympic Games in antiquity. I can always “hear” the cheering of the crowds echoing on the site!
We then talked about the races, the pentathlon and the other events, the hippodrome for horse racing and entered the stadium to envision 45,000 spectators crowding the site. We followed the pathway to the Temple of Hera, dated to the 6th century BC, and took pictures of the altar where we light the Olympic flame for the modern Olympics.
The masterpieces excavated by the German archaeologists were awaiting us in the museum. The amazing pediments of the temple with their dramatic stories, the exquisite marble, the Hermes of Praxitiles of the 4th century BC, and the statue of Nike are the most famous exhibits.
The day ended on the coast with a visit to the Merkouri winery, where we tasted their wines under the beautiful pine tree gardens. Dinner was served on board while we sailed from Katakalon.
