Upon arriving to Olympia, we had a guided tour where we learned about the first Olympic Games. Our guide filled us with information about this historic site as we toured the ruins. No one really knows the exact date of the first Olympics, but the first recorded games were in 774 BC. No matter what was happening in the world, the Olympics still continued, even during war times.
When the Olympic Games were held, people would walk for weeks to come and witness the events. No one was allowed to stay in the buildings, so everyone went camping for weeks to see the games.
Another interesting point is that athletes used to compete in the nude! Oh how things have changed in modern day games! Once the Christians took over the area, nudity was banned and remains the same today. Women were not allowed to enter the games back in the early days, but that has changed as well.
If an athlete won an event 3 times, a bronze bust was of the athlete and was paid for by the town in which the athlete was from. Our students had a chance to run a race like the athletes did back in the day.
The winner was Danny!!! Our runners worked so hard that we had a couple that threw up due to the exertion and heat.
In 394 AD, the city of Olympia was neglected and left behind. In 551 AD, an earthquake knocked down all of the buildings, and they have never been rebuilt. The first modern games were hosted in Athens in 1896.
This is the archway to the stadium where our athletes competed. After our visit to Olympia, our group had the opportunity to meet the major of Olympia for a short welcome from him.
Next on our agenda was lunch! This would be our last meal in Greece. Mmmmm! The restaurant even had a sign to welcome us!
After lunch we drove to the port where we got on our 14 hour ferry ride to Italy. We were put into little cabins and then had some free time on the boat.
It was bittersweet saying goodbye to Greece, but we were really excited to get to Italy!
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