Week in the Pelopponese

Believe it or not, I am halfway through my stay in Greece! It seemed unreal to me until I was drowning in papers and mid-term tests last week. It was a somewhat stressful week in terms of schoolwork, but this week made it worth it. I was able to reengergize while on a class trip to the Pelopponese, from where I just returned.

Early Tuesday morning we loaded a bus. We had two stops en route to Olympia: the Corinth Canal and Dimitsas. The canal is just that - a canal which separates the area of the Pelopponese from the rest of the mainland. Technically, it makes the former Pelopponese peninsula an island with water on all sides, although if you're looking for a coast and beach on the fourth side, it leaves something to be desired. Anyway, it serves as a good 20 minute rest stop.

Dimitsas was the next site on the agenda, and was in fact the only thing on Tuesday's agenda. Unfortunately, the Water Power Museum we were scheduled to visit was closed, so adjustments had to be made. Luckily it is a great village, and I was happy to spend a couple of hours there, museum or not. We were driving up a windy road, and when turned around a bend and Dimitsas came into view, my jaw dropped. It is seated right in the Mountains. It is not tourist season, so the town was pretty desolate when we arrived. I didn't mind relaxing in its serenity and drinking tea with such a great scenery in view :) Pictures to come.

We arrived in Olympia later on Tuesday and began sightseeing on Wednesday. I was expecting Olympia to be much larger than it was. It definitely qualifies as a town, not a city. I'm sure all recognize the name of Olympia - the birthplace of ancient Greek athletics and the original home to the Olympic games in the 8th century B.C. In ancient times, women not only were not allowed to compete in athletics but also were not invited inside the stadium to watch. I broke the old rules and did a little jog down the track :) It is most well known for athletics, but Olympia historically also had religious functions. Most notable in the ruins were the Temple of Hera and Temple of Zeus. The Temple of Zeus at one point housed the gold and marble statue of Zeus, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. It perished centuries ago, however, so it unfortunately was not available for viewing.

On Thurday morning we visited the Olympic museum and then took off for Delphi. Our only stop on the way was lunch in the bay town of Nafpaktos, where I ate a delicious greek salad and pizza. Did I mention that this week's weather was great? The sunny skies brought out my freckles while eating next to the water.

Upon arrival in Delphi we visited the "lower site" before it closed at 5:30. While Olympia was a site of competition, Delphi was revered as the "omphalos" (center) of the ancient world. It is in a majestic location on the slope of Mount Parnassus, and it was no wonder to me that people from all over consulted the Delphic oracle to predict their futures. I think maybe if I lived amongst nature's beauty in Delphi, I might be able to come up with some prophesies of my own. Just kidding. The Temple of Apollo, which we saw today (Friday) is found at the site in Delphi, among other things. The town, like Olympia, is quaint and we had a very relaxing stay.

A promise I will try to keep: Pictures coming soon.