6/11/2011 Drive from Nafplio to Olympia, Olympion Asty, Ancient Olympia, dinner at Ambrosia

This breakfast was the best of all!  Yogurt, fruit bowl, spinach/cheese pie, apple pie, croissants, orange juice, tea.  Check out-sad to be leaving.  Thanks to Panayiota for the delicious breakfasts, Akis who helped with our luggage, and Kerry who welcomed us so warmly.  Got our laundry back 9€.

Gotta load up that little lime green car!

On the road by 9:30 am.  Goodbye Nafplio.  On our way to Olympia!  The road was very winding.  It was a long, tiring drive.  Stopped for gas 55€.  Got to our hotel around 2:00 pm.

Windmills

Winding road

Olympia

OLYMPION ASTY.  Check in went well as they had my reservation in the books.  We will stay here for just one night.  I paid 27.60€/$39.39 USD deposit on 5/15/2011.  Total for the one night is 92€ so I will be charged the remainder when we check out.  The main building is reception/lobby area, dining, bar.  Rooms are in separate buildings.  Room #103 is very nice.  Bathroom has tub/shower combo, hair dryer, toiletries.  There is a seating area, desk, TV.  Balcony with table and chairs.  View of the Alfeios Valley and if you look hard enough the Ionian Sea.  We didn't bother unpacking as we wanted to get over to the ancient site.  It's only 1 km away.

Main building

Reception

Lobby area

Bar

Dining area

Pool

Balcony

View from our room

ANCIENT OLYMPIA.  This site has been inhabited since prehistoric times.  In the 10th century BC Olympia became a center for the worship of Zeus.  The sanctuary was also known as Altis.  An irregular quadrangular area and walled except to the North where it was bounded by the Kronion/Mount Kronos.  It consisted of a disordered arrangement of buildings the most important of which were the Temple of Hera/Heraion, the Temple of Zeus, the Pelopion, and the area of the great altar of Zeus.  In addition to temples there are remains of all the sports structures erected for the Olympic Games which were held in Olympia every 4 years beginning in 776 BC.  Remarkable works of art-great artist Pheidas.  Here the Olympic Idea was born-peace and competition at the service of virtue.  Ideals of physical and mental harmony, of noble contest, of how to compete well, of the Sacred Truce-values which remain today.  Admission 6€ per person for the site and 3€ per persion for the museum so if you want to do both it's 9€ per person.  Bought 2 bottles of water 4€.  I'm not feeling well and my right knee is hurting.  As a result I feel we didn't do justice to this site and I feel terrible about that since we are only here today.  We spent around 2 hours here.

Admission ticket

Postcard-aerial view of the site

Gymnasion

Kronion Thermae

Philippeion

Philippeion 

Philippeion

Philippeion

Philippeion

Philippeion

Temple of Hera

Temple of Hera

Temple of Hera

Remains Temple of Zeus

Remains Temple of Zeus

Postcard-Temple of Zeus

Restored column Temple of Zeus

Restored column Temple of Zeus

Leonidaion

Leonidaion

Leonidaion

Workshop of Pheidas

Workshop of Pheidas

Workshop of Pheidas

Palaestra

Stadium

Entrance to stadium

Postcard

ARCHAEOLOGICAL MUSEUM.  Artifacts from sanctuary of Zeus, father of both the gods and men, where the Olympic games were born.  Large bronze collection of helmets, cauldrons, weapons, human and animal figurines.  Notable are the sculptured ornaments from the Temple of Zeus.  There were 42 figures decorating the 2 pediments of the temple dating to first half of the 5th century BC.  The eastern pediment depicts the chariot race between Pelops and Oinomaos, and the central figure which dominates is of Zeus.  The western pediment depicts the abduction of the Lapith women by Centaurs, and has Apollo as its central figure.  Worth checking out.  Well labeled.

Archaeological Museum

Sculptor Praxiteles-Hermes carrying infant god Dionysos-made from Parian marble, around 330 BC

Sculptor Paionios-Originally winged woman-Nike representing Victory-Parian marble 421 BC

Western pediment

Western pediment

Western pediment

Eastern pediment

Bronze cauldron

Bronze figurines

Bronze helmets

Bronze shield decoration

Helmet of Miltiades-worn by the Athenian general in the Battle of Marathon where he defeated the Persians and then offered his helmet to Zeus as a sign of gratitude

Terra cotta statue-Zeus carrying off young Ganymedes-480-470 BC

Postcard

We get back to our hotel around 5:00 pm.  A long, long day.  Decide to spend time and relax in the pool.  The water is too cold for me but Richard loves it.  My knee is still hurting so we go into town to find a pharmacy and the pharmacist helps me chose a knee brace 4.85€.

Feels good!

We return to the hotel so we can get ready for dinner.  But first a splendid sunset!

Sunset

AMBROSIA.  This is the restaurant we saw as we walked to our car after our time at the ancient Olympia site.  Since my sinuses are also giving me a hard time I just order soup as does Richard.  OMG!  The soup tastes homemade and is full of vegetables.  It is so good and I'm feeling better!  Richard on a roll also gets the Greek salad.  So far he's liked all the ones he's had.  I go for a hot drink-nescafe and Richard has a sprite.  Cost without tip 24.70€.  Shortly before we finished a huge group of guys wearing jackets/shirts with what looked like team logos arrived.  They filled several tables and all ordered plates of spaghetti with sauce.

Greek salad

Back at the hotel before going to bed I take some of the sinus medication I luckily brought with me.  I really hope to feel better soon.  Tomorrow it's Delphi!