Hello all!  This post will be focused on our beginnings in Olympia and what we've been up to since departing from Delphi!  Hear from Alaina Kittrell ('17) and Thomas Klinkhammer ('19) as they share their experiences at the Sanctuary of Zeus and the birthplace of the Olympic Games.

Greetings! After our short stay in Delphi, the group headed toward the quaint town of Olympia to explore more archaeological sites and the birthplace of the Olympic Games we know today.  Our day was filled with exploring the ruins of the Olympic stadiums and gymnasiums.  In comparison to the modern games we know today, the goal of these games were to win, not to receive a gold medal!  The winners of the ancient games received a laurel of leaves and a large pot of olive oil instead of sponsorships and a picture on a Wheaties box. :-) 

We learned about the temples for Zeus and Hera located here and got to walk around in the workshop of the famous Greek sculpter, Phideas.  We later found the ancient track field where we conducted our own Olympic foot race.  Hailey ('17) was crowned the victor to thunderous applause!  When we returned to the hotel for dinner, the group was surprised with a lesson in traditional Greek dancing by some local experts.  Most of us were apprehensive at first, but now we all feel like pros!

We're very excited to continue our trip as our days are now dwindling down to the final few!

Until next time,

Alaina and Thomas