Travel Journal Day 5 - Greece

6/6/16

Today was also busy, but not quite as much as yesterday. Mama is struggling with the heat and it is zapping her energy very quickly; it worries me, but she states she is ok. I'm praying she really rest tonight and is back to her joking, jovial self tomorrow - crazy and all. So what did we do today? I took several notes as we went along regarding what we did and notes from her talk I wanted to remember so here we go:

As we left the hotel we drove past Fort Tiryns; which was another ancient fort built in the 13th century. The size of the stones these are built with are extremely large. Its amazing. Vivian did share some unique facts about Greece I thought were interesting while we were on the drive this morning. Below are some of the notes I left:

1) Greeks wear rings on the left when they are engaged, but they are on the right after they are married; which is opposite of the US.
2) The God Mother and God Father play a huge roll in children's lives and it is a magnificent honor. They are responsible for buying a cross for the child when they are baptized and the crosses cost 1000+ Euros.
3) Owl shield is Athena symbol of wisdom. So owls are popular gifts for graduations and studying luck. You see owls quite often.
4) The greek alphabet has 24 symbols instead instead of 26. B sound in English is made by the M+the Pie Symbol in Greek.

After our drive we arrived as ceramic workshop. She showed us how the ceramics were made; teh differences in price and why. It was extremely interesting or maybe she just made it so. I personally really liked our hostess there and spent money to prove it :) lol Actually I spent money because I liked the stuff, but she and the people were really nice. One of the staff was male and really thought Beth was gorgeous. He kept hugging and asking her to stay; it was cute and let's face it - he was cute. Sorry though, you are 6 weeks too late you Greek cutie. I bought a vase for myself and a couple of gifts. I also bought a plate and me some earrings... yes I bought more for myself than others... oopsie.

We then drove by the Fortess of Lycadia which I took a picture from the bus of and then we were off for a 2.5 hour drive to Olympia. Most took this opportunity to get some shuteye. Once we arrived we stopped at the village of Olympia. We ate lunch at a little cafe and I tried the Gyros; which were great. And then we walked around the little village; which is very much a tourist town and I bought some post cards, t-shirts, caps, etc.. Yes I love cheap souvenirs that were likely made in China.

We then hopped back on the bus and drove to the site of the first Olympic games which began in 776 BC. They occurred once every 4 years. At that time it was a male only, Greek only competition. The men came 3 months early and had sponsors that paid for them and their families expenses while away. The games were only one week in August, but they needed time to train. The men actually competed naked.

The games were banned in 394 AD to stop the promotion of paganism as the Olympics were to honor the god Zeus. They were a great event with alot of ceremony. There was also only 1 winner - no 2nd or 3rd place and the winner got a crown made of an Olive tree branch. it was a fabulous honor.


The site itself was neat; several columns where the various training facilities were. The temple of Zeus site had one column standing that had been reconstructed for scale; but several of the original training facility columns have been stood back up by the archaeologist. The stone is original though. It was neat to see. The Olympic "stadium" itself was disappointing... or rather not what I expected. I expected stone bleachers; pomp and circumstance; when in reality it was a field with a marble starting line.

Once we left there we went to a wine and olive oil tasting which in reality is not my thing so I kinda checked out for a few and just wandered around.

We then came to our hotel for the evening. The hotel is odd... the floors make no sense in their layout and our room smells slightly when the air is not on; so I expect we will freeze tonight to avoid the smell. However, the grounds are gorgeous. Their are fruit trees - an Olympic size pool that is gorgeous, a view that is out of this world. I'm sitting now on the back patio hearing the pool water lap while looking at fruit trees. It is so relaxing and well that is what vacation is for right :)

But alas it is time to rest so that we can tackle tomorrow. Here is praying Mama gets some good sleep and that you are all well.