After the second morning workout (to which the attendance rate had coincidentally dropped), we got in the vans and headed off to the archeological site of Olympia. At Olympia, we were met by a very knowledgeable guide who took us on a tour of the ruins. We learned a lot about the culture of Greece at the time, as well as recognizing the similarities and differences between the Olympic Games today and when they first began.
Some of these differences include:
- In Ancient Greece, women and barbarians -also known as anyone not Greek- could not compete
- Chariot racing was a popular sport in the Ancient Greek Olympics
- The Ancient Greek track was a straight line which they ran back and forth on
- There was an event called 'Pankration', a mixture of wrestling and boxing in which two men covered in olive oil fought to the death. There were no rules in this sport, with the exception of no biting and clawing eyes out. And yes, they all competed naked.
We walked to the Olympic stadium, and had the incredible opportunity to run in the "footsteps of the ancient Olympians" (credits to Ms. McQueen's trip brochure for the quote.) Next we went to the Olympia Museum, where we saw many reassembled statues, all with their individual myths that revolved around the time of the ancient Olympics. The most significant one depicted Hermes bearing the child of Zeus in an act of protection from Hera. On the way back, we stopped in several souvenir shops. We learned that with souvenirs, there is tacky and then there is REALLY tacky. Ask us for a photo of the spartan-warrior-rubber-duck-toy for a better explanation.
Once we arrived back at the hotel we had time to swim in the pool and explore the town. After a lovely dinner we were then joined by Yannis and a few NOKY kids to learn a Greek dance which we will be using tomorrow at the beach party. The dancing was very fun and although difficult at first, we ended up being able to dance in a group circle, with only a reasonable amount of toe stepping. During that rehearsal, we also found out that Mr. Doland was a very good salsa dancer and we insisted that he taught us. What at first started off as just for a laugh, turned into a three hours session where we were taught four different moves that even included sliding under the legs.
Overall, it was a very fun, educational, hot and sticky day. We found today's adventure to Olympia a very interesting excursion which showed us in real life, what we had learned about in school during grades five and seven. Our guide, Vasilis Panagiotopoulos was passionate and loved sharing his knowledge with us which made him very engaging and easy to listen to. Our favorite part of Olympia was getting the chance to run on the track if the Ancient Greeks, and stand on the podium with olive branch wreaths on our heads. Dancing was an incredible experience and it made us connect to the locals in a fun and cultural way. We learned so much about the one of the of the main foundations of Greek culture and history, and most importantly, learned that Mr. Doland is a fantastic salsa dancer.
Some of these differences include:
- In Ancient Greece, women and barbarians -also known as anyone not Greek- could not compete
- Chariot racing was a popular sport in the Ancient Greek Olympics
- The Ancient Greek track was a straight line which they ran back and forth on
- There was an event called 'Pankration', a mixture of wrestling and boxing in which two men covered in olive oil fought to the death. There were no rules in this sport, with the exception of no biting and clawing eyes out. And yes, they all competed naked.
We walked to the Olympic stadium, and had the incredible opportunity to run in the "footsteps of the ancient Olympians" (credits to Ms. McQueen's trip brochure for the quote.) Next we went to the Olympia Museum, where we saw many reassembled statues, all with their individual myths that revolved around the time of the ancient Olympics. The most significant one depicted Hermes bearing the child of Zeus in an act of protection from Hera. On the way back, we stopped in several souvenir shops. We learned that with souvenirs, there is tacky and then there is REALLY tacky. Ask us for a photo of the spartan-warrior-rubber-duck-toy for a better explanation.
Once we arrived back at the hotel we had time to swim in the pool and explore the town. After a lovely dinner we were then joined by Yannis and a few NOKY kids to learn a Greek dance which we will be using tomorrow at the beach party. The dancing was very fun and although difficult at first, we ended up being able to dance in a group circle, with only a reasonable amount of toe stepping. During that rehearsal, we also found out that Mr. Doland was a very good salsa dancer and we insisted that he taught us. What at first started off as just for a laugh, turned into a three hours session where we were taught four different moves that even included sliding under the legs.
Overall, it was a very fun, educational, hot and sticky day. We found today's adventure to Olympia a very interesting excursion which showed us in real life, what we had learned about in school during grades five and seven. Our guide, Vasilis Panagiotopoulos was passionate and loved sharing his knowledge with us which made him very engaging and easy to listen to. Our favorite part of Olympia was getting the chance to run on the track if the Ancient Greeks, and stand on the podium with olive branch wreaths on our heads. Dancing was an incredible experience and it made us connect to the locals in a fun and cultural way. We learned so much about the one of the of the main foundations of Greek culture and history, and most importantly, learned that Mr. Doland is a fantastic salsa dancer.
11 comments:
When reading our itinerary, I was very pleased that Olympia was on the list. I had always been excited about visiting a significant place that has changed our world today, this world being the sports world. Our guide was very kind and told us many inside things most people will not know. I loved seeing the actual artifacts and running where the original athletes ran.
Very neat! I certainly had a good time and learned a lot about Greek mythology and culture. My favourite part was the museum because after walking around outside I was ready for a break from the sun and the museum provided blissful air conditioning.
Very neat! I certainly had a good time and learned a lot about Greek mythology and culture. My favourite part was the museum because after walking around outside I was ready for a break from the sun and the museum provided blissful air conditioning.
With the Olympics coming up, going to Olympia was perfect timing. I enjoyed running (you would think that the Ancient Greeks would've thought to invent lanes), and my favourite part was the museum. At the museum, there were statues, vases, statue parts, helmets, statues, tools, statues, gift shop statues, and (wait for it) statues. I also loved getting to read Ancient Greek that was on a podium that once held a (guess what) statue of an Olympic champion. At the end of the day, we were asked about our hi-lights and low-lights. I thought hard, but couldn't find any low-lights. Both the Greek dancing and the Salsa dancing was fun; I am glad I got to learn it. Olympia day was a fun day, and I'm glad to be a part of it.
Amazing! I really think the whole thing was super fun. We had a great tour guide and loads of fun with the new tabblets which let you see what Olympia was like in its day. I learn't lot's about the building's purpose and what they looked like. My favourite part was definitly running on the first running/ javelin track in the world.
Olympia was amazing! At olympia we learnt a lot about the place and how the people back then acted. We had a lot of fun with the tablets which gave us a sense of how it would've looked like during the ancient times. I loved running in the stadium, looking at the staues in the museum and of course eating lunch next to these famous artifacts. Overall, it was a great day and I learnt alot.
Today I was lucky enough to visit Ancient Olympia, the site of the origins Olympic Games. The tour guide was extremely knowledgeable and helped us all to gain a better understanding of the similarities and differences between the Olympics today and long ago. We also learned about what life as an athlete was like during that time period, what sports were played, and the purposes of each building. Being able to use the iPads helped us to visualize what the ruins would have looked like, which made it much easier to understand the significance of ancient Olympia. As a track runner, I particularly enjoyed being able to run in the same stadium that the ancient Olympians competed in so many years before. When we weren't learning about the area, we were complaining about my bread-eating habits and laughing at the €10 Spartan rubber duck warriors in the tacky souvenir shops. Despite the hot, sticky weather, going to Olympia was a great learning experience that I'll never forget. (And finally, shoutout to Mr Doland for his awesome evening salsa dance lessons.)
When I think of Greece, I think of olives, tzatziki, and hot weather, but most importantly, Greek gods and ancient ruins. This is why I was so excited and grateful to be given the chance to visit and learn about Olympia. I really enjoyed being able to tour with IPads that displayed a representation of what Ancient Olympia used to look like. It gave me a lot more appreciation for what I was looking at, and I was able to imagine what life was like back then and how amazing theses structures really were (It's actually not just rock). My favourite part of the excursion was running on the track of the first Olympics. Although it was very hot, it was tons of fun and a very memorable experience. I also had a blast learning how to Greek dance, but also how to salsa. Overall, I feel very blessed to be given the chance to go to Ancient Olympia and learn salsa dancing, a new transferable skill I will use for the rest of my life. (Or not... We'll see)
It was awesome to be able to run on the same ground that Ancient Greek Olympic athletes did so many years ago. I am extremely grateful for this opportunity, as our tour guide was engaging and interesting, and the site was thrilling. I also loved how we were able to compare the ruins to digital representations of what Olympia would've looked like back then. The museum was an enriching experience, and the statues were incredible. One of the most significant had different facial expressions depending on the side you viewed it from, which was definitely a highlight for me.
Yesterday might have be one of my favourite days in the whole trip. I love the history behind Olympia and to see it in person was such an amazing experience. The day started out with a long drive which I slept for most of. When we arrived, we had to find the entrance to the ruins which was surprisingly challenging. We finally made it to the gates and we met our guide. He gave us iPads so we could go around and see a digital representation of what the sights we were seeing would have looked like when when they would when they were first made and you could see the resemblance between what was infront of and the iPads. We walked down into the stadium and ran were the Olympics we held. We made our way back to the car and stopped at a souvenir shop. This shop was full of interesting things like small statues and bracelets. We got in the boiling car after a short walk and put on some music. Amira and I sung a lot of songs which past the long car ride quite quickly. After a long time of rest, we ate a large dinner and then we learned how to do a Greek dance. This led into Mr. Doland teaching us how to Salsa which was challenging. After three hours of Salsa we were all ready to sleep.
The trip to Olympia was a thing that I was looking forward to because it is a place that you could go back to and hear or see something new about the stories surrounding the Olympic games and the athletes that competed. I was not disappointed this time and our guide managed to show me something that I had not seen before even though I had gone before by using this neat new tablets that should the site as it used to be during the first Olympics. When we got to the museum the guide should use some of my favorite staches. These stachus can have their head removed and replaced with another this is so that they can be used for multiple people.
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