Last Stop

Hello, friends! We finally made it to the last stop on our world tour: Athens! Yesterday morning, we kicked off the day with another visit to the site of the ancient Olympic ruins in Olympia, this time to explore the second museum on site there. We got to see a number of Ancient Greek artifacts, most of which related directly to the athletic aspect of the games. From busts of athletes to helmets and shields used in actual athletic competitions, we saw first-hand just how fierce the ancient Olympians truly were. Our resident Greek history expert, Professor Ares, pointed out some key items, including murals that connected the mythological and religious traditions of Ancient Greece with the heroic athletic feats of its Olympic competitors. The one shown below depicts Eros, the god of love, being crowned victor by Nike, the god of victory. Ares explained to us its meaning, which has come to permeate cultures worldwide: "love conquers all."

After leaving the museum, we got back on the bus to start the five-hour trek to Athens, which consisted of a lot of napping, gazing at the beautiful Mediterranean and (of course) a quick stop for some authentic Greek souvlaki. We arrived at our hotel around 5 PM, settling in before we headed out to explore the bustling city.

First, we walked past the National Gardens to see the famed Zappeion, a venue which was created specifically for the revival of the Olympics and served as the main home of the fencing events during the first modern Olympic Games in 1896. It was used again in 2004 as the press center for reporters covering the Games. An interesting fact Professor Ryan shared with us is that the heart of Evangelos Zappas, the man who financed the building yet died before ever seeing it come to fruition, is encased inside the building. 

We then saw the marble stadium, another significant venue in modern Olympic history, which was originally used in ancient times to hold the Panathenaic Games before being revamped with seats completely of white marble for the 1896 Games. From there, we visited the Temple of Zeus, which amazed us with its sheer size and age. 

We ended the night with some delicious Chinese food, and some of us spent a relaxing evening outside on our balconies. Professor Ryan showed us the best-kept secret of our hotel, which features a rooftop view of the Acropolis! I can't believe we only have a couple days left before heading home -- we'll be seeing you soon!