Katakolon

Today we docked at Katakolon, Greece. This port is most associated with Olympia - the place where the original Olympics began. The original Olympics began in 776 BC as a festival to honor the god Zeus. The games were halted in 426 AD by emperor Theodosius because he considered them pagan. Most of the temples were destroyed.

Our first stop was at the ruins of Olympia. A few pics of the ruins are attached. Most statues and many other original elements of the building were lost when the area was occupied by the Roman and, later, Christians.

I was only able to complete about 1/4 of the ruins. Lots of up/down and it was very difficult to roll the oxygen concentrator because it was mostly gravel or uneven stones. By the time we got back on the bus, I was completely wasted. Luckily, Jill cancelled and stayed on the ship today.

After a couple hours at the ruins, we headed to Hotel Europa. They had set up tables with snacks that included feta, meat balls, Greek pastry with cheese, octopus, olives and other items. They set out pitchers/bottles of Greek wine, oozo, and a lemonade/orange non-alcoholic drink.

After giving us a few minutes to snack, live Greek music started and Greek "Zorba" dancers began performing. It was quite entertaining. And, when they started pulling ship passengers to the stage, it was clear who had consumed plenty of oozo - or who was just too young for their own good!

I don't have interesting tidbits about this port. Our guide was very interesting - but he heavily focused on the Greek gods and myths. I did learn that this area is filled with white marble - so much that the marble is actually cheaper than wood.

We have a short stay at this port. Scheduled to sail early today at 2:45. So...we relaxed a bit in the afternoon.

I haven't had much appetite this trip. But...tonight they had "Famous Italian Wedding Soup" on the menu. It was delicious. Happily the taste, seasoning and smell did not bother me. I ended up having two bowls.

Tomorrow we anchor at Santorini. The kids are doing a separate excursion that includes a 45 hike to a volcano rim - definitely not something we would attempt. The three of us are doing a simple Panoramic Santorini. I'm hoping it is a simple 4 hour bus ride with stops at scenic sites. That would be good since today was pretty tough for me.
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