Greek Salad - A little bit of everything

Our time in Greece is coming to an end, but that just means our time in Italy will soon begin. Here’s what we’ve been up to over the last couple days.



We headed to the Peloponnese and the coastal town of Nafplio. On a nearby hillside we saw this fort, and as we traveled around the region, we noticed other forts on top of other hilltops. Just don’t see that anymore.



Sunset on Jessica’s birthday. A great end to the beginning of an exciting year…fingers crossed.



But if you thought the fun was over, guess again. Nafplio has a little, neglected carnival with a ferris wheel. How neglected, well, since our parents read this we won’t say, but when was the last time you were the only people on the ride?



The ancient site of Mycenae was built a long time ago, but these two lions have always been there, so its location has never been in question. Now, the location of their heads -- that is a mystery. The Lion Gate is actually Europe’s oldest monumental sculpture.



Archeologists found several grave sites at Mycenae, which yielded a great deal of treasure. The gold leaf breastplate from the previous post was found here. As was a graffiti message, “Diane was here.”



This is Agamemnon’s grave. Yes, that Agamemnon’s grave. Still not sure which one, then maybe someone should have paid a little more attention in high school English. Go read the Iliad!



This is the statue of Hermes of Praxiteles. The statue’s calves and its left foot were actually reconstructed out of plaster. Yet other parts were left incomplete. Strange.



We also visited Olympia, the site of the ancient Olympic games. While many artifacts were found throughout the site, perhaps the most remarkable part about visiting Olympia is the amount of ruins that were discovered and still remain today, despite being plundered, destroyed, and built over for thousands of years.



Here Justin races a young boy down and back on the original Olympic track. You’ll notice Justin has a sizable lead. He was offered a head start…and took it.



The champion celebrates in front of the archway leading to the track field. In ancient times, champions were celebrated and praised with songs and statues. In modern times, sports like walking were added to the Olympic lineup. Difficult sport, just not that sexy. You can see why not all Olympic champions are celebrated the same way today as they were in antiquity.



Beyond the majesty of the ruins, we were moved by the beauty of the place. Rocks covered in ivy, beautiful wildflowers, and fragrant flowering trees covered the grounds.



The Temple of Zeus was one of the most imposing buildings in the ancient Olympic complex. Today, not much of the original structure remains intact, as you can see by these toppled columns.



Here, you can imagine the grandeur and scale of the temple from a column that has been reconstructed.



This structure housed the workshop of a famous Greek artist who sculpted many famous statues, including one of Zeus that was one of the seven wonders of the ancient world and was housed in the Temple of Zeus until it was stolen by Turkish invaders and was later destroyed in a fire.



Next, we’re off to Italy, the land of gelato and pizza and wine, oh my!