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Ancient Olympia, or: The Day I Ran With the Olympians (In Spirit)

23 Monday Jul 2012

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From the sanctuary of Olympia

This weekend was a breath of fresh air. After traveling alone for almost a week having only had 2 substantial conversations–one with an Aussie waiting for our bus from Delphi, the other with a Swiss kid on the way back from Mycenae–I got to meet up with a dear, dear friend of mine and make some new ones who were working on the Mt. Lykaion Excavation and Survey Project.

Our destination on Sunday was none other than Olympia, home to the ancient Olympic games. It was fitting to go to Olympia with them, because their site, located near Megalopolis, in Arcadia, has brought forth finds that suggest Mt. Lykaion–a possible “birthplace” of Zeus–to be the originator of games to Zeus that inspired the ancient Olympics.That the modern Olympics fall this year was an even cooler coincidence.

Here are the basics: the ancient Olympic games supposedly began in 776 BCE in Olympia in honor of Zeus, king of the gods. Just as in the modern Olympics, the ancient games took place every four years, and (male, Greek-speaking) athletes came from all over the country to participate.

Events that were held during these games:

Boxing: unlike today’s boxing matches, ancient boxing didn’t have weight classes, nor were there rules about beating an opponent while he was down. You win when you knock the guy out, or he quits on ya.

Chariot Racing: Races lasted for 9 miles (12 laps around the stadium), and were divided in category by number of horses you had (2 or 4).

Horse riding: This sport strikes me as having huge similarities with modern horse-racing. Because of the high cost of training, feeding and equipping a horse and his jockey, the owner was the one who got the laurel wreath and the glory. Their event was 6 laps around the arena, or a little more than 4 miles.

Pankration: A combo of wrestling and boxing. The only limits were NO gouging or biting in the eye/nose/mouth area. Yikes.

Pentathlon: Included discus, javelin, jumping, running & wrestling. 


Running events: Just like now, there were a variety of running events, varying in length. One that we certainly don’t have anymore is the hoplite race, which required the participants to run in full hoplite armor, which weighed up to 60 lbs!

Wrestling: You had to down your opponent 3 times fairly. Oh, and don’t forget, no genital grabbing or biting.

Ancient Olympia, as a site, is expansive. Temples, altars, treasuries, stoas, training areas, housing areas, and the stadium were all part of the deal, so I’m going to share some highlights.

Ruins of colonnades from the gymnasion

Gymnasion: Your instinct to think “gym” is right! The gymnasion was basically a structure where men could train for running, javelin and discus, so there was an open-air central courtyard to do all these things, with a colonnade running around it. Nearby was the Palaistra, another training building but with more roofing and with special rooms for body work like oiling up those muscle-y muscles or having baths, as well as training for wrestling, jumping and boxing.

Temple of Hera at Olympia

The Temple of Hera: an archaic Doric temple, this place was supposedly where they housed the disk of the Sacred Truce, which was an agreement the country had made to allow their athletes safe passage the month before the Olympic games, meaning no one would attack another group at that time. It’s also the oldest temple in the sanctuary, dating to the end of the 7th century BCE. Cool fact: Right in front of this temple is the Altar of Hera, where the Olympic flame is lit for the modern Olympic games, and has been since 1936. 

Council house area



Council House Bouleyterion: where the athletes and judges took the sacred oath, and also the meeting place for the Olympic Committee.

The Temple of Zeus at Olympia, which I somehow forgot to photograph. Well done, me. Anyway, it’s a hugely important peripteral temple, in which once resided a gigantor chryselephantine (ivory & gold) sculpture of a seated Zeus that was 43 feet tall, and worked by the famous sculptor, Phidias! The temple was destroyed in the 6th century CE by earthquakes.

Base of the Zanes

Bases of the Zanes: Probably my favorite things, second to the stadium. These were sculptures of Zeus created as tribute, but were a penalty to cheaters and a warning to athletes considering it! If you cheated in the ancient Olympic games, you kept your olive-leaf crown. BUT, you’d get fined, and with the sum of the fine, this lovely Zeus sculpture would go up, and at the base of the sculpture, the explanation of your cheating scheme would be written. Athletes passed these Zanes–plural for Zeus–on their way into the stadium. Nothing like some good, old-fashioned public humiliation to keep things ethical at the games, eh?

The archway into the stadium. Every Olympic athlete would see this before heading in.

Check it out, I’m right here!

 The Olympic Stadium: With room for about 45,000 people to sit on the grassy surroundings, the Olympic stadium provided special stone seats for the judges on one side, and a spot just for the priestess of Demester, across the track from the judges. 

The starting blocks for the running races.

 The shortest foot race at the Olympics was the stadion, a sprint from one end of the stadium to the other, which was about 192 meters–almost double our classic modern 100 meter dash!

The proper starting position was with the left foot in the front groove of the starting block and the right behind. Barefoot. Here’s a demonstration of proper starting position:

Diana and me showing how the ancients started off! Except for the barefoot thing. We’re not that hardcore.

Naturally, I had to run it. After all, when else would I get to compete where other Olympians had? So, Lauren humored me, and we ran. It was really hot, and we didn’t realize at first where the end of the run was because there was an area about 3/4 of the way down that seemed like the end, but then we saw the finish line and booked it. I won, but she probably let me.

Running a stadion in the Olympic stadium. And no, I didn’t push Lauren out of the way in the 2nd frame, I promise. 

The archaeological museum at the site is also very well curated. Be sure to check out the sweet bronzes, and the main center room is devoted to the marbles from the Temple of Zeus, which depict the labors of Hercules, the battle between the Lapiths & Centaurs, as well as the story of Pelops, who supposedly founded the original Olympic games. 

The Ruins & Museum of Delphi (Mostly in Photos)

17 Tuesday Jul 2012

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Delphi at dusk

Delphi is one of the most famous places for ancient Greece, and was considered the “navel of the earth.” Its importance was derived from the great temple to Apollo, where the female Oracle would spout gibberish induced by inhaling vapors rising from the earth, which was then interpreted by priests for those seeking information. Famous folks like Lysander, Philip II of Macedon, Cicero, and the emperor Nero consulted the Oracle, as well as many others. Her prophecies–proof of her communion with Apollo–were often vague. Think “horoscope” but for bigger questions.

Sculptural rendering of Prometheus


After a very warm night (note to self: ALWAYS make sure Greek hotel rooms have AC before booking in summer), I rose at 6:15 to visit the ruins. The ruins of Delphi open at 7:30 a.m. and it’s worth buying the 9 euro combination ticket to the ruins and the museum, as the museum really does have a lot of spiffy stuff.

 It’s also worth going early, especially if you’re there in the summer. Trust me. I’m from Arizona. Our summer temps often reach 115 F (46 C), and this summer in the Mediterranean it is FRIGGIN’ HOT. No joke. By the time I left the ruins around 8:45, I was really starting to sweat. Do yourself a favor, bring a big bottle of water, and go to the ruins early. If you have no interest in the museum, you can also visit the ruins late–they close at 6:30 or so on weekdays. The museum closes at 3 p.m. daily.

Path to the ruins

 Because I had arrived so early, I was the first one to the site and was shortly followed by a young couple from Belarus. For the first thirty minutes or so, it was just us and the site caretakers. One thing to keep in mind: the site does have markers and explanations, but not for everything. If you’re really interested in the explanations behind the ruins, be sure to grab a guide book or hire a tour guide for the full rundown of Delphi!

Mosaic

Can you tell I’m a bit tired? 😉

On this wall are inscribed prayers and offerings to Apollo

According to myth, Zeus wanted to find out where the center of the world was. His very scientific process was to loose two eagles and see where they met and drop a stone to mark its place. That place was Delphi. The stone, the omphalos, supposedly looked conical but had not been touched by man. The omphalos was important for the Pythia’s process of prophesying. It would be covered with a net and had decorations on it. This one is a replica, and many replicas had been made throughout the centuries. 

Nice wall.

The treasury of Athens, which was dedicated by the people of Athens.

This polygonal wall was pretty impressively situated, seeing as the stones fit together very well! A remarkable example of ancient building.

View of the site from halfway up

Behind me is the Temple of Apollo!

The Temple of Apollo!

artsy shot through the ruins

Stadium where the Pythian Games were held.

 Other than being home to the oracle, Delphi was also home to the running of the Pythian Games, also known as the Delphic Games. These games were one of the four panhellenic games of Ancient Greece, and were held every four years. (Sound familiar? Well, the Panhellenic Games were the predecessors to the Olympic Games!) Events that took place at these games included chariot racing, wrestling, running,  javelin throwing, and more. The Delphic Games differed because they included artistic events sacred to Apollo: dance, drama, recitation, singing, and music!

Some shots from the museum:

These twin kouroi are some of the best–and first–examples of large-scale sculpture from the 6th century BCE. Memories of high school AP Art History came rushing back to me as I saw these dudes!

Antinoos, who had been the companion of the Emperor Hadrian and had died tragically in the Nile and was later deified by the emperor. He was worshiped as a cult figure, mostly outside of Rome.

Currently there is an exhibit touring the world called Myrtis: Face to Face With the Past. Basically, in the 1990’s, excavations unearthed remains from those in Athens who died from typhoid fever. One skull was particularly well preserved, so a professor from the University of Athens decided to reconstruct her face. The goal in touring this exhibit is, in part, to remind the world–especially the UN–of its goal to end poverty by 2015. “Myrtis,” as she is called, had died in the 5th century from the illness that killed about a third of Athens, the treatment for which at the time was unknown. Today, though, the World Health Organization estimates that 9 million children die a year from preventable and treatable diseases. 

This is the closest rendering to what young Myrtis would have looked like at her death. Scientists took into consideration age, historical diet and other factors to correctly estimate the amount of muscle to add to her facial structure. Coloring was based on her assumed heritage.

I enjoyed my early morning trip to the site, and the museum was curated very well. Obviously there were many other artifacts other than the ones posted, but these were what caught my eye the most. I also really did enjoy the Myrtis exhibit, as it explained not only how they recreated her, but also some essentials about archaeology that are accessible to the general public, including kids. Knowledge is power, people!

Ever been to Delphi? Do you have any tips to share? 

Hiking on Mount Olympus

10 Tuesday Jul 2012

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The entry to the park!

When Boris & I started planning our trip in Greece, we had this great idea: why not hike Mt. Olympus!? Yes! I thought, totally sure this would be excellent. After doing minimal research and reading a few Lonely Planet forums, I discovered that Mt. Olympus is a relatively doable hike because it’s not a technical climb. The very top summit, which is where far fewer travelers reach, is a Class 4 scramble, which basically just means you’ll use your hands to help you climb but you don’t really need climbing tools (when there’s not snow, at least).


I continued my research, and found a few personal accounts on blogs and the like. These brave souls had summited and lived to tell the tale, all of whom seemed to endorse the experience as being a strenuous but fun hike up a mountain. What I neglected to realize was the reality of where they started their trip.

You see, there are a number of ways to arrive at the top of Mt. Olympus. Seemingly the most popular is to start at the trailhead in Prionia and hike the 2.5-3 hours to Refuge A, spend the night there in the mountain, and summit the following day. Cool, right? So, we made reservations for a hotel in Litochoro, the town at the foot of Mt. Olympus, for one night, with the intention of hiking to Refuge A from there and summiting the next day.

The catch: Prionia is halfway up the mountain. This was a detail I kind of neglected, forgot about, whatever. I was just so excited that we were hiking Mt. Olympus! As a student (and teacher) of the classics, and a lifelong lover of Greek mythology, the idea of hanging out where Zeus supposedly lived was an exciting one.

Fast forward to Sunday, when we arrived in Litochoro. After a long conversation with our extremely helpful hotel manager, we garnered the following information:
1.       It was going to be about 100 on the day we decided to hike.
2.       Prionia is a four to five hour hike from Litochoro.
3.       From Prionia to Refuge A, it’s about another 2.5-3 hours (Keep in mind that this would have been after very strenuous uphill climbing for five hours).

Truth be told, I was concerned after this discussion. If we were willing to taxi up to Prionia, it would have been no problem, but summiting from half-way up the mountain? We wanted to do the whole shebang.

So, we adapted, as travel tends to require. We discovered that our (incredible) hotel had availability for the following night, and decided we would take the trek from Litochoro—the path started just up the street from our hotel—to wherever we could get; Prionia was a goal, or a monastery right below it. We were warned about the heat, and had to accept the realistic parameters of the climb to be safe.

Since we had less of a concrete goal, we got a late start; breakfast at 8, finally made it to the trail head with enough water and some snacks around 9:45. The first hour was BRUTAL. Honestly, I’m not a huge hiker. I like to hike. I go on hikes once every couple months, probably. I’m in pretty good shape. But never in my life have I strapped a pack on my back and made it up huge mountains or bushwhacked through the wilderness. I leave that to my more daring and outdoorsy friends, of which I have many. But that was why Olympus was appealing to me, in part: I could do it.

 In that first hour, though, where the elevation rises so rapidly, and all you’re seeing is stairs and switchbacks and feeling your heart racing and the mid-morning heat is rising, you can get pretty discouraged. And so we were after the first hour. Our pace was slow, mostly because I was keeping it that way. We had been told that water from the river was potable, so we only brought a couple big liters of water and had already made it through one with no clue as to when the river would cross with the path. Luckily, we ran into some Greek trailrunners, who reassured us that we were only about 20 minutes away from the first river connection.
One of the first big views
Sweet rocks
Another pretty stunning view

The water was completely rejuvenating. Crystal clear and icy, it ran along the trail for a while and we took a little dip. Refreshed, with full bottles of water, we continued on our way.
The waters of Olympus
See how clear it is! Potable, clear mountain spring water.


Obviously I was a little skeptical about the potable part, despite numerous locals all telling us it was the exact water we drank from the tap in the town. I’m looking into the bottle here to make sure I can’t see any germs (as if I’d be able to, anyway!)

Due to the heat, we tried to take things slow. At first I had been really upset when we decided it would probably be safer and more comfortable not to summit, but my boyfriend was right: it felt a lot different once I was on the mountain. The views were spectacular. Luscious trees filling up the canyon opened onto Litochoro on one side, on the other were the peaks of Olympus, daring us to conquer them.
I’d love to know what species of tree this is. We saw a number of fallen red ones exactly like this. At first we thought it was spray-painted, that was how red it was!
History chronicled in the names of the hikers.
Wildlife! There were SO many butterflies all over the place!

More wildlife! This gecko surprised us with its a) presence and b) vibrant colors!
After about 5 hours of hiking, including breaks, we made it up to a monastery that had been destroyed in World War II, completely bombed by the Germans in 1943. Now it is being rebuilt, slowly but surely. The outer buildings are still ruins, ruined enough that someone who hadn’t read the signage would assume it had just been left to rot for some reason or another. But once you enter the inner courtyard, you will find something else.
A small structure where holy water runs, about a 30 minute walk from the monastery.
We found a number of other tourists who had driven up from Litochoro or down from Prionia (only about another hour on foot), workmen laboring over the renovations, and a quiet, young monk clad all in black who offered us the best Turkish delight I’ve ever tasted. He brought out the bowl of sweets and offered it to everyone sitting there before asking us where we were from. The family sitting by us, what looked to be a grandmother, perhaps two adult daughters, a husband, a grand-daughter, also shared their food with us. Our stash of raisins and walnuts essentially depleted, we accepted their generous offerings of fresh cucumber, apricots and bread without much protest and with many thanks.
The inner part of the monastery of Agios Dyonisios. To the right was where we were welcomed and fed.

Funny shot of the day: the sign requests for people to enter properly dressed, as the area is sacred. Notice the half-naked man on the left entering said sacred space. 
As we rested for those thirty minutes, we considered our strength, and the circumstances of our ascent. Had we needed to continue on to Prionia, rest there, and then hike another few hours to Refuge A, we could have. It would have been difficult, we would have arrived late, but we could have done it, and summited the following day. Knowing that makes me feel a little bit better, I suppose: that we could have. We will someday, maybe after training a bit more and being more organized. We’d need to leave much earlier and pack better. And we probably wouldn’t want to hike it in July—with temperatures reaching 100 degrees, and the tree line disappearing as one reaches the summit, any hiker would face the dangers of heat exhaustion or heat stroke, neither of which is safe. May and September are the recommended months for such a climb.

Our return to Litochoro took about three hours, and ultimately we hiked about 10 miles up and down from Litochoro to the monastery of Agios Dionysios. By the end, we were both beat; steep uphill and downhill walking is tough on a lot of different muscles and joints, and as we reached the entry to the park, we were both glad we had finished. We rewarded our hard efforts with a celebratory dinner and a relaxing evening in.
We ate dinner at like 7 p.m. which is very early for Greeks, so we were two of five people eating.

My Favorite Five:Things to Do in Thessaloniki

08 Sunday Jul 2012

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My travels in Greece last summer opened my eyes to a level of beauty I thought only existed in Photoshopped postcards. Nay, Greece had cried to me as I sat and watched the sun set from the rocks off Hydra, I’m beautiful. For reals. And so far, it really has proven to be true.

Sure, Greece has its issues, perhaps now more than ever. But politics and economy aside, there’s a reason why this country was the birthplace of much philosophy, or Western art, and of all the things that so many other civilizations appropriated or were influenced by. Part of that is its inherent beauty and the vitality of its people.

Thessaloniki, the capital of Greek’s region of Central Macedonia, is, at its heart, a diverse city. Historically speaking, Thessaloniki–aka Salonica–was home to large populations of Jews, Turks, Bulgarians, as well as native Greeks. Today, it’s considered the cultural capital of Greece.

Having never explored northern Greece, the six-and-a-half hour train ride up from Athens was a pleasant journey; the scenery changed from arid to green in less than an hour, and by the time we arrived in the early evening, the city was hot but tempered by the breeze at the port.

We only spent a couple days in Salonica, but they were great days. Here are my favorite five things we saw and did there:

1-3: Thessaloniki On the Go Bus Tour: A bus tour constitutes three out of five? Really? Yes, really. Our hotel (which, by the way, was a FANTASTIC family-run place, I highly recommend you check out Hotel Atlantis if you’re ever traveling in Salonica, very helpful staff and comfortable accommodations for excellent prices) gave us this tip to try out the Thessaloniki On the Go Bus Tour. It’s just a regular hop on/hop off sort of deal, but it only cost 2 euro. The comparable one that met right next to it had the cheapest price of 9 euro. 

 We got to see the major parts of the city, and while in transit enjoy the lovely air-conditioned atmosphere of the bus, which was welcome considering how hot Greece can be. Taking this #50 bus, we hopped off in the neighborhood of Ano Poli, the old town and a part of Thessaloniki that was not destroyed during the city’s great fire in 1917. Vlatodon Monastery (1) was a peaceful place to see the city from afar, and still functions as a Byzantine monastery, so you can go to a service if you’d like. 
Just through the first arch into the old town is the Heptapyrgion (2), which was a fortress built in the Byzantine era. This would probably be a good place to watch the sun set over the city, but a wedding party was there getting photographed so we didn’t stay long. Here’s the view! 
Me at the fortress overlooking the city. Not a bad view, eh?

I like taking pictures of grapes. 

The cemetery at the monastery.

View from the monastery overlooking Salonica

A back street in Ano Poli
Travel secret: To get off the beaten path in practically any city, buy some snacks (fruit is our recommendation), find a residential area and a square or park, and people-watch while devouring your goodies (3). This is what we did in Ano Poli; we explored the neighborhood, which got us away from the generally touristed areas of the city. We found a little grocery store and bought some fruit, which is absolutely perfect in Greece, and watched families finishing their coffees in the plaza by our bus stop. A little slice of what life is really like for Salonicans. 

4. Dining in Ladadika: The area by the city center is broken into a number of districts. Many trendy tavernas and clubs are located in Ladadika, and we found a brand-new restaurant, Basilikos, that we loved enough to eat at twice. Nightlife in Thessaloniki thrives, and Ladadika seems to be where everyone starts their night, with dinner or a few drinks, and then maybe heads out to the clubs.

5. Down by the port: Waterfronts are generally a safe bet for things to see and do in a city, and Thessaloniki is no exception. Sunset by the water is not a sight to be missed, and there is plenty of seating available in public areas. If you want to dine or drink in style, there are also a few nice places right on the water, which affords a choice view of the city or of the Aegean Sea. For historical and cultural information on Thessaloniki, as well as a cool view, check out the White Tower. The audio guide is included in the price, and although it wasn’t necessarily my absolute favorite activity we did, it was the closest we got to a museum, so I learned a bit about the town by going.

From the White Tower

Sunset at the port

Street musicians in Aristotelous Square

Ever been to Thessaloniki? What was your favorite part?

California Dreamin’: Day 1 in Sonoma County

26 Tuesday Jun 2012

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My arrival in Oakland was met with a cool breeze and sweater weather. SWEATER WEATHER. (Remember, dear readers, my native home of Tucson, where the usual “cold” winter consists of maybe needing a scarf and close-toed shoes. Maybe. On the day I left, it was about 115 in Phoenix.) We drove from Oakland into Berkeley, the fabled land of crunchy granola hippie-dom and intellect.
Lunch was at La Note, a French restaurant famous for its authentic Provencal cooking. All the laudatory magazine articles and certificates hanging on one wall were deserved: the service was attentive and personal, despite the long waits at times (it was PACKED); the menu was creative without straying too far from its original French canon; the meal was tasty as heck. Hot chocolate was served—as it should be—in large mugs more like bowls than cups. The reason? To dip in bread, of course!
Chocolat
Slowly but surely we passed through miles of California coast. Farmer stands on the side of the freeway, cows, even a llama seated in some field watched us as we zoomed by. California’s landscape is breathtaking sometimes in its simple beauty: the tawny grass against the blue of the coastal skies alone rendered me speechless.
I love the starkness of the lone tree. This photo isn’t edited yet, this is the natural clear blue of the sky!
At Petaluma, we veered off to go grocery shopping. Earlier in the day, my parents had pined for a farmers’ market or organic, local produce from somewhere other than Whole Foods. Well, kids, ask and ye shall receive. Turns out, Saturdays from 2-5:30, Petaluma has a farmers’ market in the town square! Produce is not the only thing sold there—hats, granola, handwoven baskets, Master Gardener advice, crystals, and the kids can even get a ride on a pony! Plus, the live music was a great touch. Our trunk filled with groceries, we went on our way.
Farmers’ market veg!


By 5ish we got into Jenner, population 107 and elevation 19. At the mouth of the Russian River, Jenner is stunning, if not a wee bit isolated. Many of the homes around us seem to be vacation rentals, but I could see why. With no cellular service (seriously, even with 4G I was SOL) and the nearest grocery store 15 miles away, Jenner is the perfect haven for someone wanting to escape it all.

View from the deck of the house.

 Other than the cell phone thing, our rental is virtually perfect. The deck overlooks the Russian River pouring out into the Pacific, and the closest beach, Goat’s Rock, is home to a seal pup refuge. Plus, this is what it looks like. Not a bad start to a week, I’d say. 

Goat’s Rock Beach