Olympia

We arrived at Katakolon, a small coastal port near Olympia and had 2 Mercedes taxis waiting for us. This meant we arrived well before any of the tourist buses. We were able to explore most of the site without the hordes. We found it very picturesque with the remains of various temples, stadiums and other buildings.


The Philippeion was interesting as it had been restored by the Germans after they returned the ‘stolen’ antiquities. The temple of Zeus was massive and once housed the statue of Zeus made of gold and ivory that was once one of the 7 wonders of the ancient world.

We also visited the workshop of Pheidias where the statue of Zeus had been made. This was converted into a church in the 5th century AD. We found it serene and beautiful but eventually the tourist coaches arrived and we moved on to the Archaeological Museum. This housed many of the treasures of the Olympic site as well as items from earlier periods. Our clear favourite was the brilliant sculpture of Hermes holding the baby Dionysius who later became the god of wine!

There are also many of the statues from the pediment of the temple of Zeus and some excellent Roman busts and figures. Another favourite was the detailed work in the clothing of the statue of the emperor Marcus Aurelius.

With the flexibility of our own transport, we decided to go to another museum which focused more on the Olympic events along with many fine artefacts including mosaic floors.

We went to the Floka theatre not for its antiquity but for its wonderful views over the surrounding countryside and even out as far as the port. Our final stop was a brief visit to a beach and then we were dropped at the beginning of the village where we walked through the shops before returning to the ship.

Our Happy Hour on board included local Katakolon wine along with olive oil from our driver’s own grove soaked up with ship board bread. All agreed it was the best oil we had ever tasted.

Gail at the Philippeion.  Restored by the Germans with returned materials.

The workshop of Pheidias.  This was the site where the statue of Zeus made from gold and ivory, was made. This was 1 of the 7 wonders of the Ancient World.

The sculpture of Hermes.  This was the outstanding exhibiy at the Archaeological Museum.

Close up of the uniform of Marcus Aurelius.

Our group with Andrew the taxi driver outside the Olympic Museum.