Travel Highlights

Stadium at Olympia

Olympia is our next city to visit. Today marks the start of our road trip through Greece. This morning, we used the Beat app to call a taxi, as Uber doesn't work here. Our accommodation is in a narrow alleyway, so there aren't many cars passing by. After some research, we finally found a nearby taxi. The driver, a new hire, was a bit unsure about the controls, but she eventually took us to the rental company.

When we got the car, it wasn't the one we'd booked. Rental cars in Greece aren't very honest; they often give you cars they claim are similar. We had no choice but to pick it up. Since there were three of us, we barely had enough luggage. The car had a manual transmission, so it took some getting used to. Since the rental location was in the city center and there was a lot of traffic, I was a little nervous at first, but I gradually got used to it. The drive from Athens to Olympia takes 4 hours and 15 minutes, a surprisingly short journey. After passing the Monastery of Daphni, our first attraction, we'll follow the scenic coastal road to the majestic Corinth Canal. We'll stop at the Temple of Corinth and visit the city of Corinth, where Paul preached for the second time. We'll continue through Nauplion to Mycenae, the heart of Greek mythology. From there, we'll drive through the central Peloponnese, where Corinth and Sparta were the main cities in ancient times, before continuing to Olympia, the birthplace of the first Olympic Games.

Monastery of Daphni

The Byzantine Monastery of Daphni, 11 kilometers from central Athens, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, founded in the 6th century. With its unique golden background and impressive mosaics, the Monastery boasts outstanding artistic features. The monastery also showcases the architectural perfection of Byzantine religious architecture (11th and 12th centuries) during the Middle Ages. The interior of the church is adorned with exquisite mosaics dating from the late 11th century, a unique example of the classical idealism of medieval Byzantine art. The intricate mosaics depict scenes from the lives of Christ and the Virgin Mary. Figures represent angels, prophets, saints, martyrs, and bishops, scattered throughout the dome and transepts. The layout of the sanctuary and transept is such that the nave represents the cosmos, while the dome symbolizes the heavens and the underworld. We visited on a Wednesday, and were grateful that they were open only on that day.

The Corinth Canal is a canal that separates the Gulf of Corinth (the entrance to the Ionian Sea) from the Saronic Gulf (the entrance to the Aegean Sea). A smaller canal was dug by Roman Emperor Nero in 67 AD. It wasn't until 1893 that the 3.9-mile (6.3-kilometer) canal was officially opened, shortening the journey from the Adriatic Sea to the Athenian port of Piraeus by over 200 miles (320 kilometers). This monumental project took 11 years to complete, and it brought significant economic benefits. Its width varies from a minimum of 21 meters at the bottom to a maximum of 25 meters above the surface.

Bungy Jumping offers high-altitude jumping, and there are a lot of people waiting in line to jump, which is really brave.

Archaological Site of Corinth

The Corinthian Archaeological Site is located at the northern foot of the Acrocorinthian Hill, around the ancient Temple of Apollo. This area is the biblical Corinth, where the Apostle Paul wrote First and Second Corinthians. Extensive excavations have revealed a Roman forum, temples, fountains, porticoes, baths, latrines, and other monuments. The earliest inhabitation of Corinth dates back to the Neolithic Age (6500-3250 BC). It is located north of the Acrocorinthian Hill, on the site of the ruins of Corinth we see today. The Corinthian Museum was established in 1932 to house the numerous finds from the excavations. Its construction was funded by the American School of Classical Studies through a donation from Ada Small Moore.

The stone pillars in the background are the ruins of the famous ancient Temple of Apollo

This small Kia car was our vehicle for four days. It ran fine on flat roads, but during our trip to Greece, we had to climb a lot of mountain roads, and its power was clearly lacking.

I'd like to share a few anecdotes from this drive. When we looked at Google Maps, it seemed like Corinth wasn't far away, but the GPS kept taking the coastal road. I was puzzled at the time, as we often see highways nearby, so why wasn't it taking us? Finally, we figured it out. Wei Li's phone was set to avoid toll booths, so the GPS automatically avoided them. Because we missed this little spot, we spent at least 30 minutes longer on the detour. But the upside was the beautiful coastal views. Another thing I want to share is that Greece's roads are incredibly well-built, just like in the US. The only problem is that if you take the wrong exit, it can be fatal because there's nowhere to turn back. We were only two minutes away from the exit for the Corinth ruins, but we accidentally took the wrong turn and ended up driving for almost 20 minutes to get back. It was such a pain! Due to the road design, it's common to make mistakes, so if you reach an exit, you have to drive very, very slowly. There are no rest stops on their roads, but restrooms are easily accessible. Here, there are roadside restrooms where you can turn off and stop.

Morning view of Olympia

Our hotel

Sucking the Street

Nearby churches

Mobile Market

Archaeological Museum of Olympia

Museum of the History of the Olympic Games

Archaeological Museum of Olympia

The Archaeological Museum of Olympia is one of the most important museums in Greece, showcasing the rich history of this most famous ancient sanctuary, the sanctuary of Zeus, the father of the gods, and the birthplace of the Olympic Games. The museum's permanent exhibition features finds from excavations at the sanctuary of Altis, dating from prehistory to the early Christian period. Among its many valuable exhibits, the museum's renowned sculpture collection, bronze collection, the richest collection of its type in the world, and a large collection of terracotta warriors are particularly noteworthy.

The left pediment depicts a chariot race between Pelops and Oinomaos, with Zeus dominating the composition. The right pediment depicts centaurs abducting Lapith women, with Apollo as the central figure. The metopes feature reliefs depicting the labors of Heracles, sculptures dating from the 5th century BC. The statue of Nike of Paionios depicts a winged woman, with her (now damaged) wingtips reaching 3 meters.

The Nike of Paionios statue depicts a winged woman. Cut from Parian marble, Nike stands 2,115 meters tall, but if you include her (now damaged) wingtips, it would reach 3 meters. The impression is that of Nike returning triumphantly from Olympus. It dates back to 421 BC.

One of the masterpieces of ancient Greek art, the Hermes of Praxiteles, as Pausanias tells us, depicts Hermes carrying the infant Dionysus. It is made of Parian marble and is 2.10 meters high. It is believed to be an original by the great sculptor and dates back to 330 BC.

Zeus and Ganymedes is a multi-figure Late Hellenistic terracotta statuette depicting Zeus carrying the boy Ganymede to Mount Olympus. It was created in the first half of the 5th century BC and is now on display at the Archaeological Museum of Olympia.

Bronze breast-plate with incised decoration. On its lower part, it features a carving of Zeus and Apollo with his kithara, along with other figures. Probably the work of an island bronzesmith from around 650-625 BC.

The Helmet of Miltiades, the dedication of Miltiades, as the inscription tells us "Miltiades dedicated to Zeus". This is the helmet worn by the Athenian general at the Battle of Marathon, where he defeated the Persians and therefore dedicated it to Zeus in gratitude.

Clay Body of a Warrior, Archaeological Museum of Olympia

Archaeological Site of Olympia

Located in a valley on the Peloponnese Peninsula, the ruins of Olympia have been inhabited since prehistoric times. In the 10th century BC, Olympia became a center for the worship of Zeus. Altis, the sanctuary of the gods, boasts one of the greatest concentrations of masterpieces in the ancient Greek world. In addition to temples, there are also remains of all the athletic facilities built for the Olympic Games, held every four years at Olympia starting in 776 BC. While the site is largely a collection of broken remains, with no intact monuments, its most famous feature is the Stadium at Olympia, the birthplace of the Olympic Games. This archaeological site is a truly dismal sight, a scene of shattered stone and ruins. I got up early this morning to take some photos, and since it was still early, the outer gate was only slightly ajar. I assumed there was no one guarding the site, so I entered without permission to take photos. Soon, someone started yelling, probably asking why I was entering without permission and why I needed a ticket. They were very nervous and asked me to write down my phone number, saying they were going to call the police, but we couldn't communicate, so they just let it go. Greeks are really quick-tempered. Besides the shouting market vendors, I was also surprised by the shouting uncle. Interestingly, some of the ruins are temples. When I tried to take some photos, my camera ran out of battery, so I couldn't take any photos. They probably didn't want my photos to be seen in these ruined ancient temples!

We found a nice restaurant in Olympia, Zeus Restaurant-cafe-bar. The food was delicious and the service staff were very warm and hospitable. After we were full, they gave us dessert and even packed a bag for us in case we didn’t have enough.

Zeus Restaurant-cafe-bar

Mosaiko (Greek Chocolate and Biscuits Dessert)

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