Let the games begin

Today we landed at Katakolon Greece. This is the closest port for cruise ship visitors to visit the site of the first Olympic Games in 776 BC.  The site was actually a religious site where men came to compete every 4 years.  Representatives from all of the surrounding city states would participate. At the most popular time there could be as many as 40,000 would compete.  If the warrior was the victor he was considered to be a god by his peers and countrymen.  And would be on platforms next to the Temple of Zeus.

The site  is actually in ruins (is this a surprise)as it was covered by other buildings and materials until it was rediscovered.  There is much written word so the archeologists have been able to describe and piece together the site.  Ruins that have been spared after the Roman’s and Turks raided the site have been preserved in a nearby museum.  It is really amazing to look at artifacts that are 3000 years old.

They have recreated the cornerstone column at the temple of Zeus to give the visitor an idea of the proportions in the Temple. The original statute has been destroyed in Constantinople when the Turks invaded.  It was made of ivory and gold and stood 40 feet high.

Today is a short day for us. We are scheduled to be back on the ship by 12:30.  There is only a small town to explore.  We are going to actually have lunch at the poolside grill. This is the first and only lunch we are having on the ship since the other days we are on tours.  There is the usual hotdogs and hamburgers and a Mexican specialty including a hot pico de gullio  The food was great and the salsa extra hot. Seems a surprise on a cruise from Venice to Greece.

The weather so far has been perfect. Lots of sun and clear skies. Not quite warm enough for shorts or going in the pool.   It is also an early night for us since we are exhausted. Good news is I am not too far behind on the blog