- Left Delphi the following morning and drove west along the northern shore of the Gulf of Corinth. Stopped for coffee in Monastiraki and watched the locals go about their business for a while. Crossed over the gulf at Patras, stopped in the port town of Kyllini for a very decent taverna lunch, then drove on to Olympia arriving mid-afternoon.
- We visited the Archaeological Museum of Olympia that afternoon which was fantastic. When opened in 1882 it was the first museum in Greece outside of Athens. The Temple of Zeus was the most important building in the Altis, the sacred grove at Olympia. The east and west monumental pediments from the Temple are on display in the museum. Another highlight is the famous statue of Hermes by the sculptor Praxiteles from the 4th C BC. Amazing.
- We spent several hours next day wandering the World Heritage archaeological site of Ancient Olympia. Highlights included the Gymnasium, Palaestra, Workshop of Phaedius, Leonidaion, Stadium, Philippeion, and Temple of Zeus.
- Also squeezed in a visit to the Museum of the History of the Olympic Games in Antiquity before it closed at 15:00. The Games were held at Olympia every four years from 776 BC to 393 AD, on the second full moon after the summer solstice. One important institution was the ‘sacred truce’, a suspension of all hostilities between belligerents for a short period before/ during/ after the Games.
- Another great day.
