Adventures of Beth and Dan: Ancient Olympia

Our next stop was Katakolon (Olympia) Greece. Our ship would be in port from 8-4. We booked a tour here with a small group of folks from Cruise Critic. There were to be 8 of us but one of the older ladies was ill so she missed the excursion but still had to pay her share. Katakolon is a seaside town situated on a headland overlooking g the Ionian Sea. Much of its history dates from the Middle Ages and the remains of an ancient castle still stand on a hill top northeast of the modern port. This port is the gateway to Olympia, birthplace of the modern Olympic Games in 776 B.C. Many of the structures date back as far as the 9th century B.C. They were an integral part of the ancient society of Greece. Every four years men from every city state would travel to Olympia to compete and honor the king of the gods, Zeus. Due to natural disasters and the destruction of the city by Theodosius, Ancient Olympia is mostly comprised of four rations, columns and steps. Built as a shrine to the gods it’s sheer size symbolizes the import of this archaeological site. The stadium, the largest of its kind , held a capacity of 40,000 spectators.

The group SS also host a museum which is one of the most important museums in Greece. Situated on the Kladeos River, it provided the ideal setting to enjoy sanctuary here.

Our tour was with Taxi Katakolo and lasted approximately 6 hours. The weather was about 75 degrees and sunny. Our trip was to include visiting a honey farm or monastery and winery. Our driver was a local and very knowledgeable gentleman.

The ruins really can’t totally be seen in a day as with the museum. It would be easy to spend several days tracing the steps and reading all the information but you can only take in so much and the feet tend to give out after about four hours!! Our guide dropped us at the entrance and we arranged a rendezvous point and time. As usual our day packs contain snacks, water bottles, emergency medications, battery packs to recharge our phones which serve as cameras and jackets.

After we met our driver he laid out our choices for the remainder of our time. Very close by was the honey farm so we opted to see that and we are so glad we did! It was the real authentic thing! A very small family run business with mother and daughter doing most of the tour. The daughter is a certified bee keeper and gave an extensive talk about how long they have been in business and how it all works. They had prepared home treats to sample the honey along with quiche preserves!! We ended up buying some honey salve as we knew it would be easy to pack. Then our driver took us past an old monastery which is now a convent with very few sisters living there. We passed the immaculate grounds and gardens and then miles and miles of olive trees. He described his own small farm and how they harvest the olives and press the oil. We had so many questions and you could tell he enjoyed sharing his culture and information. Our last stop was at a rocky but pleasant beach where two of the group went for a swim. It was a nice resort with bar and that’s where we parked ourselves for a beer and a snack!

This was one of our best days yet and tired but happy tourists reboarded the ship by 3:30 for the 4:00 sail away. We enjoyEd dinner on the Lido with our friends and a few games of cards or triominoes before calling it a night. Our next day was scheduled for Athens, Greece and we had another tour booked.

But just as we were preparing to call it a night the captain announced that due to high winds we would have to skip Athens. It had a narrow port entry and two other cruise ships that were also scheduled to be there also cancelled! In its place he hurriedly was able to schedule us in to Heraklion, Greece. So we were off to bed with the decision being we would just get off at our leisure and see what would be available to us.

Now in ruins but once a marvelous historic location full of zest for life and rugged competition. Many of the foundations were shops and stores feeding the Olympic competitors and providing fir their needs. There was a village also of people who lived here full time caring for the grounds.

Earthquakes and natural disasters have caused columns and structures to crumble and fall but one can see the beauty and vastness of this place.

Archway to the Olympic field!

The actual field where completions took place. The spectators sat off in the grass on the sides. The only seats were for the judges. The grounds could hold 40,000 people!