Foto: The training complex in Olympia (bron: Ronald van der Veer)
Greece - At the entrance to Olympia, I meet Saskia. She is guiding our travel group through the old city today. Saskia used to be a tour guide but met a Greek man. She has now lived in Greece for 23 years. In Olympia, the ancient sanctuary of the god Zeus, games were held every four years. From all directions of the Greek empire, athletes gathered in Olympia. Wars were even interrupted to allow athletes to participate in the games. For 1,200 years the games were organized here. In total, the games were held 293 times. In 394 AD the tradition ended. By imperial order, the games were banned. They were considered too pagan. The temples were destroyed. Due to earthquakes and floods, Olympia fell into decay and was buried. Only in 1875 was Olympia rediscovered and excavations began. In 1896 the Olympic Games were organized again, this time not in Olympia but every four years in a different country and city. Athens was the host of the first modern Olympic Games. I follow Saskia into Olympia. By a colonnade, she says this used to be the training complex for the athletes. The wooden roof has been lost. The columns have been rebuilt. Behind lies the workshop where statues were made. Further behind were the accommodations for the wealthy. The athletes themselves slept in the open air. Prominently in the middle of the complex lies the temple of Zeus. This temple used to be seventeen meters high. A reconstructed pillar shows the impressive height. Inside the temple stood a 12-meter-high statue of the Greek chief god Zeus. The statue was moved to Constantinople in 426 AD and later lost in a palace fire. The temple itself collapsed in an earthquake. The pillars lie on top of each other like dominoes. At the temple of Hera, the Olympia fire used to burn during the games. Nowadays, the Olympic flame is still lit at this temple. The fire is made with a parabolic reflector and sunlight. From here, the fire is taken to the city of the Olympic Games. A tunnel leads from the temple to the athletics stadium. Here the competitions took place, Saskia continues. The slopes rise gently so that spectators could follow the players well.
Delphi
Greece - The Temple of Apollo is just outside of Delphi. Yesterday, I already walked past the entrance. Although it’s a short distance, we’re picked up by bus. Outside the hotel, I meet Jorgos, the new driver. It still feels a bit strange to step into his ...
Surprisingly trendy Xanthi
Greece - From Alistrati we continue to the overnight stop in Xanthi. The hotel is located in the city center. Here too, the Land Rover does not fit under the entrance to the parking lot. We are allowed to park right in front of the hotel. On the central square, ...
The Acropolis
Greece - Today, we leave early with a large bottle of water and a bulky Weekend Telegraaf newspaper on our way to the Acropolis. We’re still unsure what we’ll have for breakfast, but luckily the small corner shop is open. Problem solved. At the Acropolis, ...
The caves of Alistrati
Greece - We continue to Alistrati. In the center, we park our Land Rover in front of a little eatery. The owner immediately comes to meet us. He has worked in Germany for 30 years and wants to know everything about our trip. He translates our travel program for ...
The island of Santorini
Greece - On the way to Santorini, the wind is directly against the ship. It gets so cold that I get up. At quarter to five, almost two hours later, the ship arrives in Santorini. It seems as if the entire population is on the shore with signs reading “rooms.” ...
The monasteries of Meteora
Greece - The landscape becomes more rugged as we approach Meteora. Steep rock points protrude in the landscape. In the 14th century, hermits lived in these hard-to-reach places. Later, monks built monasteries on the rock points. Many monasteries were destroyed ...