Olympia

This morning we awoke to the sound of the ship slowing to dock at a small fishing village, a half hour bus trip from Olympia. We had an afternoon tour for a change, so went for a walk and explored the village after a late brunch. The main street is geared for tourists, full of souvenir and gift shops, cafes and restaurants. It only opens on days when there's a cruise ship in town, and today there were two.

We drove through fertile countryside, full of olive trees, orange and lemon trees, and grape vines. There are more than 95 million olive trees in Greece!

The first games were held in 776BC. There are many theories about their origin. One is that it was to provide a common aim for the warring tribes. A truce for 3 months was called so that the atheletes had time to get to Olympia, train and compete, and return home without fear of war. Every 4 years, heralds - young men, ran to all of the major cities and announced the beginning of the truce.


This is the main stadium, with a capacity of 100,000. Dignitaries had seats, others sat on the ground. The games continued till 393AD when they were stopped by the Roman Emperor. Much of Olympia was destroyed, initially by Christians tearing down the religious buildings and statues, and then by a huge earthquake in the 6 th century.


The marble starting line is still there for all to see. Another interesting fact is that the athletes trained and competed naked.

The Olympic flame has been lit on an alter here to begin its journey to the games since the Berlin Olympics in 1936.


;-) Ann-a-Gram