Myths, Ruins and Olympia!

          Almost every founding place in Greece has a founding myth or two; we went to Olympia. One of the founding myths of rediscovery of Oylmpia was connected to a competition in the Olympics, the chariot race. There was a king whom was married and had a beautiful daughter; her name was Hippotomeia. She had a fiancé named Pelops and was ready to be married but her father was jealous he did not want give away his daughter and he would lose all his power if she were to marry. He then proclaimed a contest, the chariot race. The deal was if the king won, Pelops has to die but if he wins he can marry the daughter. Sounds simple enough, but the Kings horses were immortal, so no one could win against the king leading to Amia’s fiancé to his death. Pelops had to find a way to win and marry the beautiful Hippotomeia; he loosened the bolts on the king’s chariot so it would fall apart when the race began. In the end Hippotomeias fiancés won, got to marry the princess and became a hero.

            Today we went to Olympia, we learn about all the temples, gymnasiums, and stadiums once stood. As we walked through the site, you could see all the outlines where everything one stood but most had fallen. We walked through learned the time periods when each temple was built, why and what they were used for, while still standing. There was once rectangle building called the Temple Hera with columns surrounding the whole temple, which is called Peristyle. Depending on the design of the columns a person can tell what time period they were built because they remain consistent throughout a time period. There are three types of columns from these times; in Professor Ryan’s words they look like, a squished marshmallow, a basket of flowers and a scroll. This temple was like a modern day bank to the locals of Olympia, it held all their valuables and treasures. Unlike today it did not only hold money, it held objects and artifacts of the people that were of importance to them.

            All states send athletes as an Olympic truce We spent sometime walking along the racetrack, visualizing the race(s) from the start to finish lines. We toured the gymnasium where the athletes changed, bathed and got ready to compete. There were little baths still there from when the Olympian’s bathed. It was pretty amazing there were some remains left after all this time.

            Next we observed the remains of Zeus’s temple where it once stood, you could see all the columns, where they use to stand. Almost all had fallen, but they fell into pieces on the ground in a line like pattern. Its pretty cool to see the columns that were once standing around the ancient temple of Zeus, who is one of the most important Gods to the Greek, along with his wife Hera, both have there own temples. Each Greek God them self has there own festivals such as, Athena, Apollo, Hercules, Hermes, Nike, etc.

            One more interesting founding myth we learned while from Olympia was a different king was told a fortune that his unborn son could not touch the ground, until he could walk on his own. The king had it arranged so his son would never touch the ground, he was order to be carried until he could stand and walk on his own. One day the young son was bitten by a snake and was killed before he ever touch the ground to walk on his own.

            Later that evening we went out to group dinner to try an authentic Greek meal! It was defiantly an experience to remember. We tried Solvaki, medallion veal, seganki, muzaka tazki, stuffed cabbage, fried cheese, stuffed zucchini, an herb entrée and an actual Greek salad. Some of my spelling may be off but some is even difficult to pronounce. I won’t lie some of it was not appealing, and didn’t taste so great, but I tried to keep an open mind! I did not enjoy everything but I am personally a very picky eater and I know some of the group enjoyed every bit of it. It’s such an amazing experience to take in the culture by eating the food and interacting with the people. They eat food that is so different than our normal family dinners, that it’s awesome I got a chance to encounter it all myself, I just don’t think I could eat some of the entrees every week, or the gyro sauce with every meal; I need my ranch! 

            Overall the day was great, our first day in Greece and I’ve already experienced and learn so much about the culture and Olympics. I cannot wait to see what awaits for us in Athens!!

May 26th, 2015

            To start, having seen the site of the first ever Olympic games yesterday was a great way to transition into today.  Walking through the ruins of multiple Ancient Greek structures and ending up at the first Olympic track, which dates back to early 5^th century BC, really gave us a sense of how lucky we were to be standing there. At the start of the track, where the race would begin, there was long and skinny stone slab known as the balbis extending the width of what now looks like a simple rectangular patch of dirt. Within this slab there is a set of grooves in which the athletes would place their toes in order to achieve the best possible jump at the start of the race.

            Today, with what we had seen yesterday fresh in our minds, we paid a visit to the Museum of the Ancient Olympic Games on our way to Athens from Olympia. My favorite part of this museum was seeing the painting of a man leaping over a bull and apparently doing some sort of flip. It was painted around 1400 BC in Crete, Greece and depicts the infamous, ancient practice of bull-leaping. Today, a modernized version of the sport actually still exists and is known as Course Landaise. Southwest France and Northern Spain are where this game is most popular.

            After the museum, we hopped back on the bus (which we are all very accustomed to doing by now) and continued on our journey back to Athens. Although most of us fell asleep and missed out, we drove through beautiful, nonstop views of everlasting mountains and valleys. I can’t say Professor Ryan didn’t tell us in advance that this would happen. Aside from the Swiss Alps, Greece provided some of the best views and sites that most of had ever had a chance to experience. Before arriving in Athens, we made a quick pit stop for some Souvlaki, which alongside the gyro, epitomizes Greek food.

            Upon arrival in Athens, we settled in to our new hotel and finally had a chance to relax and start to explore the surrounding city. It was bittersweet as we reached our last destination on this once in a lifetime trip and began the final stretch of the program.

May 27th Olympic Park, the Race, Marathon and the BEACH!

Hello World!

Today we traveled to yet another city, Athens! The day before we were a little frustrated because of the living arrangement we were assigned that was not what we expected, not even Professor Ryan. Nevertheless we went on and made the best of it and just hoped that tomorrow will be a better and brighter day. We wake up Wednesday morning having to be ready to leave the hotel at 9:30am. We got on a chartered bus that day and took it to the Olympic Stadium Complex. When we got there our official Greece tour guide named Nike (Nikki) introduces us to a man who has been working at the stadium for many years. As he spoke Greek, Nike translated what he was saying to us. Most of the conversation told us about his career and what it was that he had started out doing and what his current job at the stadium was. We then watched a video of the many groups of students that has come to the stadium that the man had assisted.
Next the tour of the stadium happens that was very similar to the Wembley Park in London but not nearly as big. The students then walked around the track and of course the boys get competitive and made the bet that the loser had to buy all the guys lunch. Unfortunately Jeff was the guy that lost the race so was stuck with the bill. We leave the Olympic Stadium and start to head to Marathon. Our colleague Brendan Crowley gave a five minute presentation on Marathon due to him doing his paper on the events that happen during and after Marathon. When we got to Marathon, Nike started to explain in detail the battle fields and the reasons as to why Marathon happened in the first place. During her presentation it starts to thunder and lightning so everyone is praying that it hold off until we leave the beach.
Furthermore, we visit the National Archaeological Museum where the kept sacred statues in order to explain Greek history as well as Marathon. Something I took from the visit was the Greeks having Egyptian statues in order to say thank for all of their help during Marathon which I found the most interesting.
Finally the BEACH! Too bad it was a little cold and rainy and no one wanted to get in the water (besides Professor Ryan, Jeff, and Rob). We did have some snacks and drinks while being at the beach which gave more time for bonding. We went back by the hotel and just chilled with one another and used the Wi-Fi, had dinner with one another and called it a better day than yesterday!

Wednesday, May 27th: Olympic Park & Visit to Marathon

After arriving in Athens the previous afternoon, we again prepared to witness and experience an entirely new city. Quick side-note to explain what I mean. This trip has been phenomenal and more than I ever dreamed it to be, but after a while, the wear and tear of constant travel and activity takes a toll both on you. I found myself sore and lacking energy multiple times while in Olympia and over the course of the day in Athens, not to mention we are still getting over the severe jet-lag. Nevertheless, back to the events of the day. 

We once again boarded a coach bus and ventured out around twenty-six miles away from Athens to the town of Marathon. Our Greek liaison Nike (pronounced Nikki) prefaced the day with facts and stories about the Battle of Marathon, which occurred directly in the center of the town itself. In the middle of her presentation, Brendan Crowley (affectionately known a Pops to us) gave a five minute speech about the same subject on the orders of Professor Ryan. This was purely due to the fact that he chose the Battle of Marathon as the topic of his class paper, but it was educational as well as lighthearted for the group to receive the presentation. 

Now the Battle of Marathon itself has two major components, the actual battle, and the events that took place afterwards. During the bus ride, we focused on the latter. A soldier by the name of Pheidippides was tasked with running back to the city of Athens in all haste to deliver the message that the Athenians had prevailed in the battle and a warning that the Persian fleet could attack. He completed this task, whether or not in full hoplite armor is a matter of debate, and according to legend, collapsed and died after. Nike explained to us that there are two possible route that Pheidippides could have taken, either through the mountains or along the coast. Our journey to the town of Marathon was through the mountains, while we returned by the coast. This gave us a better idea as to how strenuous both routes must have been to the original marathoner. 

In total we visited four sites: the 2004 Greek Olympic Park, the Tumulus of Marathon, the Marathon Museum, and the Trophy of the Battle of Marathon. 

The Olympic Park was the only site we visited that pertained directly to the class, and did not fail to impress us. We were greeted by two Greek officials who gave us a tour of the Olympic Stadium, that resembled Wembley Stadium rather closely. We watched a video on the major events that had taken place at the stadium during and after the Olympics. Then we toured the facility and were allowed to walk onto the track and football pitch itself. The sun was rather overbearing, but we ventured into the shade and held a group 100 meter dash between Jeff, Lee, Ethan, Brendan, and Rob. The loser Jeff, who ironically enough was the one who thought of the race, was labored with buying lunch for the group. 

After the stadium we visited the Tumulus of the Battle of Marathon which is the tomb where 196 Athenian soldiers who died during the battle are buried. It is also believed to be the exact spot where the two armies clashed. Now this battle took place in 490 BCE, which highlights just how significant events of antiquity are to the modern Greek people. We followed this up with a visit to the regional museum and then the victory column that was built to honor the Athenian triumph. 

The day concluded with a trip to the beach, which was very beautiful and tranquil, except for the fact that a thunder storm followed us from Athens and ruined our chances of swimming. However we did get to enjoy some relaxation time and the company of a stray puppy that brightened our moods. Altogether it was was another successful day in Greece; another reason I grow fonder of the country every day. 

Monday May 25th (sorry for the delay)

Sara Tumminia

After a much needed rest from over 12 hours of traveling, we were off bright and early in Olympia!

Nicki, our wonderful tour guide, who is an expert on Greek history prepped us in the morning about what we would be seeing in Olympia and told us some more facts. 

It's interesting to think that we study the past and even the ancient Greeks studied history as well. 

In the lobby we started with an informational session from Nicki about Ancient Greece as well as some of the elements of the ancient games. 

With every story from history there is of course a myth associated with that story. An interesting myth that stood out to me from today was the founding myth about a mythical king in Olympia. When his daughter grew up he realized that he did not want her getting married because he did not want to lose his power once she found a husband. Therefore, he created a contest for all the potential husbands in which they had to beat him in a chariot race. If you won the race you could marry his daughter and if you lost the king had to kill you. One of the potential candidates loosened the screws on the Kings chariot, so that he would win and he was seen as one of the heroes of Ancient Greece. There are issues around whether this was ethical or not, however the argument is that it was fair because if he had not done that Ancient Greece as we know it would not have continued. His move was necessary for the evolution of the civilization. 

We then headed over to Olympia where we were able to see many interesting buildings. Some examples include the Temple of Hera, the Temple of Zeus, the Philippeion, as well as many more. When you first walk in to the sacred area of the site, you see the building that Alexander the Great built for people to know that he was the ruler. The Temple of Hera was beautiful. Not much of the columns were still in tact, however you were able to get a good idea of what it looked like because of the foundation that was still standing. Most of the ancient temples had the statue of that particular God towards the back for worshipping, with the entrance on the east side facing the sun. The Temple of Hera is actually about 200 years older than the Temple of Zeus. 

Walking through Olympia was breathtaking. It is unbelievable to think that we saw where all of sports as we know them today began. We saw the first track where they held the foot race for over 30 years when it was the only sport in the Olympics. As a Sport Management major, it is really cool to see where sports started, and it makes you appreciate how far we have come. 

After a long and hot day walking around Olympia, we got some "pool time baby ow!" (-Jeff Slawson) at the hotel. Some group bonding and pool chillin is always a good time. 

Dinner was family-style: large portions of a bunch of appetizers where everyone could share. Trying new food is definitely a must when you go abroad. We were able to eat some Greek dishes were delicious! 

Athens tomorrow! Stay tuned. 

~t-minus 4 days till home~

Tuesday, May 26th- Athens Hotel Drama and More!

Today was the in-between day, during which we would spend a little time in Olympia, travel all the way back to Athens where we had landed two days prior, then spend some time in Athens as well. Our morning began with breakfast at the hotel and an 8:30 meeting time in the lobby. Shortly thereafter, we loaded up our luggage and jumped on the bus, which was to take us only a few minutes to the same place we had visited yesterday. This time we would be visiting a much smaller museum dedicated to the Ancient Olympic Games that was located just before the archaeological site. Despite its small size, we were able to learn a ton of information, between the exhibits themselves and the mini lectures from Nike, our translator and historian.

First, we were able to see how the sanctuary (part of the archaeological site) evolved over time and which buildings were added or demolished. This was really to cool to see considering we had just been there the day before and had seen the ruins of these very buildings and temples. The museum also contained a lot of old vases and other pieces that Nike told us were given to the winners of events at the Ancient Games. The process that was involved to create all of these "awards" was long and tedious, but the results were really beautiful. Finally, there was a statue of Antinos, who Nike explained was a symbol of beauty back in Ancient Greece and killed himself simply because he had a wrinkle on his face. Overall, the museum was a great way to wrap up our stay in Olympia. 

Following the museum, it was time for the long ride back to Athens. A few hours into the trip, we stopped at a resort town called Loutraki , which was right by a bay and right near the city of Corinth. We had some great seafood for lunch, and afterwards we had a little free time to explore. Most of us took advantage by walking along the waterfront and taking in the breathtaking scenery. Soon enough, however, it was back on the bus for another hour and eventually we made it to Athens and checked into our hotel (which was so poor, we have been trying to get upgraded or switched). A tasty dinner in the downtown area and a little exploration of the streets and alleys, combined with some ice cream, capped off a great day. The weather has been poor since we arrived and the forecast calls for rain, but we all are excited for the last few days nonetheless!

Friday, May 22nd: Olympic Museum & Special Occasion!

Today marked our fourth day in the beautiful country of Switzerland. Coming off of a much needed day set a side for R&R, the group was ready to get back on track. Another light breakfast greeted us in the morning accompanied by an outstanding view of the French Alps across the lake. The day was much more uplifting than the previous three, mainly due to the sunny weather and pleasant temperature. For the few days before we were subjected to dreary fog, periodic showers, and cold that rivaled even Syracuse. However, Friday was the first day in Lausanne that we were able to break out our shorts. 

After assembling around 9:30 am, we ventured down the sidewalks of the scenic lakefront parkway towards the Olympic Museum, which was conveniently located about half a mile from our hotel. We had already experienced the outdoor park on Wednesday from our introduction to the Olympic Research Center that was right next door, but this did not spoil the experience. From the bottom of the hill visitors are encouraged to walk up steps showcasing the names of the individuals who lit the Olympic Flame from each of the Olympics over the past seventy years. Of course there were many, which provided me with flashbacks, not necessarily pleasant ones, of the trek up to my freshman dorm that I endured all year. At the top were numerous sculptures and athletic representations. For example, a rather exquisitely colored pair of human figures playing soccer (futbol) adorned the front lawn, Pierre de Coubertin stood examining the courtyard framed by the Alps in the background, and an exceedingly muscular spinning torso proved that the IOC was intent on providing visitors with an image of athletic prowess in physical form. There was also a sample 100 meter track and a high jump bar to provide a sense of what athletes in the Olympics must overcome to attain glory. 

Once we entered the doors a lovely tour guide named Patricia stood awaiting our arrival. We ventured up the winding ramp to the first exhibit and began our fully guided tour. The museum was divided into three phases: The inception of both the Ancient and Modern Olympics, the evolution of the Modern Olympics, and the Olympic Spirit. To start, we witnessed a representation of what ancient Olympia looked like over 3,000 years ago both in animation and model form. This held special significance as we now have a map in the back of our minds for when we visit the actual site on Monday. From there we saw artifacts and the actual belongings of Pierre de Coubertin, who founded the International Olympic Committee in 1894. The second leg of the museum displayed both artifacts of clothing and equipment used by athletes throughout the course of the Modern Olympics, combined with interactive displays that gave more information on each individual Olympics in terms of location and important facts. From there the Olympic Spirit portion added a personal touch to the Olympic experience as recordings of athletes speaking in their native languages showcased the multicultural blending and education that the Olympics provides. Not only that but healthy eating quizzes, Olympic truce pillars with athlete signatures, and interactive sports simulations decorated the room, and kept our group busy for a good twenty minutes or so.

The Museum to me was the most important Olympic element we had experienced so far. In terms of the class and content we are learning, it provided that all important tie in to real life experience. While it is amazing and essential to visit locations where events took place in the past, it is also important to visualize those events to help cement key lessons, whether it be moral, emotional, or educational. Don't get me wrong, I loved visiting the Court of Arbitration for Sport, the IOC headquarters, and the Olympic Research center, but the Museum helped me most in terms of the class itself. 

Now, I have saved the best for last. Ask any person who has traveled anywhere that the most important part of any trip is the people you share the experiences with. When it comes to this trip, the cornerstone and major personality is without a doubt Professor Ryan. Not only does he dip in to his eight year pool of experience to give us advice on transportation, dining, you name it, but he also makes us laugh with numerous stories and jokes or educates us with important information on sites we visit. It is only fitting that we provide him the same courtesy he gives to us on his birthday, which happened to be today. He provided the restaurant and we treated him to revelry and good times. This seems a strange place to have American food, but it was quite close to American barbecue in fact. Our group all pitched in to buy him a birthday cake and a card signed by all twelve members. We cannot thank P-Ry enough for all that he has done for us. He has made this trip the experience of a lifetime, and I cannot wait for future classes and reunions. 

My next blog will be from Athens, Greece. Until next time.