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4.29.2007 Katakolon, Greece
Today has been another very good on. Once again we were guests of Virtuoso and they had planned something very special. The ship arrived at portside at 8 AM and we departed by bus for a 20 mile ride to Olympia, the birthplace of the Olympic Games, believed to have started back in the 8th Century BC. Olympia is situated in the quiet valley of the Alfeios in the territory of Pisatis. After all the sand in Egypt everything seemed so green and lush. The ruins are shaded by evergreen oaks, pines and olive trees. Sallie and I had been here before but can’t recall when and as a result are anxious to review old photos when we get home. Of course the only thing will have changed is the beautiful new museum recently completed.
Today the weather could not have been better. The temperature was perfect, no humidity with no clouds in a very blue sky.
The archaeological site of the Olympics includes the Stadium, Temple of Zeus and Hera, the ancient Wrestling House and the alter where the Olympic flame of modern times is lit. It’s hard to believe what has taken place in the stadium when you walk through what was the participants’ entrance onto the field. There are only a few seats in the stadium for the judges and royalty. The Games were witnessed by 250,000 spectators, 60,000 who were seated tightly on the banked ground around the field.
The ruins of the Temple of Zeus contain fallen columns that are stacked like fallen dominos. This Temple once included a statue of a sitting Zeus that was 40 ft high. The new museum contains many sculptures from the Temple of Zeus as well as statues of Nike Peonios and Hermes of Praxiteles. In addition, the museum houses a rich collection of statues of Roman emperors and objects used in the Games by ancient competitors. After a short walk through town we boarded our coach for a 50 minute ride northwest to the beautiful Mondola Rosa Hotel known for its sweeping views of the Ionian Sea. All of us were really impressed by this large beautifully situated resort. Upon arrival we had a brief reception on the terrace and then a very elaborately prepared and served lunch in a dinning room overlooking the beach.During lunch we were entertained by a band featuring the classic bouzouki playing traditional Greek music and a 6 member dance group who changed dress three times during their folklore dance program. Upon our arrival back at the ship I chose to remain ashore and walk through the town of Katakolon taking some pictures of Greek families having Sunday dinner at waterfront restaurants.
Joanne and Donny called to say they were tired and dinning in. Since we had showered and dressed we decided to go to the Panorama Lounge where we ended up having a nice visit with Joanne and Hayden Eaves from Pasadena. Later at dinner we ended up having an interesting conversation with the couple at the next table, Wendy and Frank Patton from Vancover. We have lived closely with 142 World Cruise passengers for almost four months and I am sure we will undoubtedly keep in contact with some and recall fond memories shared together at some future date.
Tomorrow we will arrive in Taormina, Italy at 12:30. It was originally a Greek colony and is a beautiful small city high in the hills overlooking the harbor with the famous Mt. Etna behind it. It’s not surprising that this is a very popular tourist destination. We have been there twice before, the last time in May of 2000 with Joanne when she was still a widow. She says she is looking forward to sharing this experience this time with Donald as she loved it so much in 2000.
previous travel blog entry
Maryanne says:
I am loving every minute of your trip. Keeping a travel journal so the family can enjoy. Sorry I did not keep my cocktail date with you all but transportation was a little difficult. Will make up for it when you get home. Lots of love, Maryanne R.