Katakolon,
Greece (May 15th, 2014)
Today was
one of my favorite days of our 14 day itinerary for a couple of reasons. The
fantastic history of this port of call and its quaintness.
The small
port town of Katakolon is about 30 km from Olympia where the first Olympic
games were held and where the ceremony of lighting the Olympic flame is still
held for the modern day games. The archeological site of Ancient Olympia is
absolutely magnificent. The digs have revealed the existence of water
fountains, gymnasium, stadium, temples which have not been recreated but the
layouts are clearly defined and it is easy to imagine the grandeur of this city
at the time it was built 2000 years ago. Earthquakes have unfortunately demolished
the buildings but roman colums and foundations of buildings are still clearly
visible.
It is a
fascinating place and a museum has been built next to the site where statues
and parts of the pediments of the temples can be seen. They also have on display
artefacts from the ancient life, pottery, glass bottles and small objects dated
from before the existence of the Olympic city. The main temple was dedicated to
Zeus and a marble statue considered as one of the seven wonders of the ancient
world was housed in this temple. It is unfortunately not here anymore and I
intend on researching where it is being kept if it still exists!
The small
port town Katakolon is charming and there is a small beach 5 minutes away where
we just sat and had a coffee overlooking the ocean. Quite relaxing and quaint
after a long day of visiting and walking.
The perfect
mix of history, culture and relaxation.
