Wednesday 3-19-25
A welcoming “Kalimera!” (good morning) from Jenny, our guide, meant it was time begin our journey to Olympia.
We checked out of our cozy resort, leaving behind a beautiful, snowy view of the mountains. It was crazy to drive just thirty minutes and it be sunny and fifty degrees, instead of twenty-nine and snowing. As we followed the curvy and windy roads down to sea level, there were stunning views of the valleys and oceans. Greece is a place where pictures fail to depict the details and true beauty of its landscapes.
Along the way, we stopped at a rest stop for a “toilet,” as they call it, snacks, and coffee. Once we began getting closer to our location, we approached a long suspended bridge called the Rio-Antirrio Bridge. It is the largest one in Greece and costs a charter bus seventy-three euros to cross. On the other side lies Patras, a large port city. There were MANY olive trees and grapevines throughout the town.
After about four hours, the bus pulled in to the Olympia archaeological site. The first olympic games were held at this very same place… so cool! The games were originally held in 776 BC for Greek men only… maybe because they were competed naked. They had a choice of competing a few main events: foot race, wrestling, discus toss, javelin throw, and chariot races. One thing I found interesting is that men were not able to compete if their city or state was in a war. The event usually spanned over five days, and women were not allowed to attend, only men. There was one brave mother who dressed up as her son’s coach so she could watch, but that did not end well. The cover fell off and she was exposed but not punished since her son ended up being the champion. Speaking of champion, the winners were crowned with an olive branch and free olive oil for life. Eventually, the Olympic Games were stopped by a Christian emperor in Rome.
We also had a chance to race on the field and walk through the ruins of the temple of Zeus. Then, we walked through the museum to see various statues and carvings that demonstrated the peak of Greek art. Rather than large, less detailed statues, they were smaller with strenuous details. One had clearly detailed veins and drops of sweat on the back of his head.
Following our visit, Jenny informed us that we had a surprise Greek cooking and dancing class waiting for us at our lunch stop. We walked in to one of the cutest restaurants of the trip and got ready to cook. The head chef brought us up in small groups of five to eight so we could have a chance to prepare various dishes. My group helped cook cheese pies, a classic Greek delicacy.
Once we had gone through the buffet and finished our meals it was time for dance class. They first called the ladies up to learn the steps and then we did it with music. To say the least it was hilarious, but we had so much fun!! That meal has been my favorite so far for sure!!
The final activity of the day was olive oil tasting. It was at a locally owned shop where they produce and sell several different kinds of olive oil. Not only did they offer oil samples, there were balsamic glazes, honeys, sweets, and snacks. They were are all so good, but we did not buy any since you had to pay to ship or carry it in your checked bag. I sure enjoyed it while it lasted though.
It was finally time to head to head to our hotel for the night, Olympic Village Resort. The next step was finding some dinner and not from the hotel buffet again. A large group of us walked about ten minute to Olympic Village for dinner and shopping. While the majority of the group sat down for dinner, my mom, Brooke, and Mrs. Mandy, decided to shop a bit. We stopped in a few cute stores but most of the merchandise was super touristy so we only got a couple of things. Then, we capped off the night with a yummy dinner and drinks from a local restaurant called Zays, which was so good! Our waiter even helped us navigate and walk back to the hotel, since there were no taxis available.
Despite the long hours in the bus, this day like all the others was filled with amazing sights and even better memories. I am so sad that our land tour of Greece is quickly coming to a close.
Now it is time to rest because I can barley hold my eyes open while writing this. I cannot wait to look back on this blog though!
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