The morning’s winding mountain drive took us to Olympia, site of the world’s first Olympics over 2,700 years ago, and instantly Scott’s favorite stop of the entire trip.

A special nod to our incredible driver, George, who masterfully navigated narrow, winding roads for the entire 990 miles of our journey. He was nothing short of amazing, even backing up 4 blocks of steep, car-lined road to park at one of our venues!

Ο Θεός να σε ευλογεί, Γιώργο! (Bless you, George!!)

Archaeological Museum of Olympia

The Archaeological Museum of Olympia sits at the corner of the sprawling grounds known as Ancient Olympia – the birthplace of the original Olympic Games. From the bus, we made our way down a gravel path toward the museum, flanked by silvery olive trees, tall pines, and those wild, sun-warmed shrubs that smell like the Mediterranean itself.

We clicked through the museum turnstile and immediately did our buddy check. That’s when we realized we were down one traveler. Cue Victor pivoting without hesitation and hustling back toward town to locate our missing teammate.

She eventually reappeared – slightly flushed, slightly sheepish – having lost track of time during an impromptu shopping excursion. It happens. And also… it was oddly reassuring to see how calmly and efficiently Victor handled the whole thing. No drama. No panic. Just leadership in comfortable walking shoes.

We rolled through the museum with (yet another!!) fantastic guide learning about the artists and stories that went with the show stoppers: Zeus and Ganymedes, the statue of Hermes with infant Dionysus (front and back) – with much discussion from the guide and our group about the artistic rendering of Hermes well developed bum – the Nike of Paionios (I loved how they displayed this one so we could see the sculpture as it was) and The Atlas and the Apples of Hesperides.

Ancient Olympia

Then we headed outside where our guide shared an insider story about the Olympic “hall of fame” and its counterpart, the “hall of shame”. This rarely discussed area was a row of bronze statues of Zeus called Zanes, which were funded by fines from cheating athletes and placed at the stadium entrance to publicly shame offenders. Each statue bore inscriptions naming the offender and detailing the crime, a very public (and long lasting!) warning against bribery and foul play. Some lessons, it seems, are timeless.

Sitting on ancient stone blocks in the shade of a tree, we learned about the significance of olive (not laurel) wreaths given to Olympic champions. Unlike modern games with lucrative deals with brands for gear and endorsements, these simple wreaths were the highest prize, and signified virtue and skill over material wealth. While I knew Greeks competed in the nude, I didn’t know why. (Too hot? Nope!) The experts reason that competing in the buff was as a tribute to the gods, showcasing the ideal human physique.

For the ancient Greeks, identity was inseparable from a cultural ideal that prized harmony between physical strength, intellectual rigor, and moral excellence. The latter which we could all stand to idealize a bit more these days….

We were set loose for a couple of hours to explore. It goes without saying, we first walked the entire length of the ancient stadium while reflecting in our complete immersion in history. Exploring the temple ruins, the Gymnasion, and the Palaestra, it was impossible not to envision the lost 41-foot gold-and-ivory statue of Zeus within his temple.

One of my favorite sights was the Altar of Hera, where the official flame-lighting ceremony for the Olympic flame takes place. The ancient tradition relies on the sun’s rays focused by a concave mirror to ignite a torch.

Of course, being from Washington State, I had to ask about their rainy-day contingency plan and was told there is a rehearsal a week before the event. “But”, I asked, “what if it’s raining at the rehearsal too?”

Laughter erupted all around me. I was confused until someone clued me in. “It’s GREECE. It just doesn’t rain like that here.” As for the contingency plan…if it IS rainy the day of the event, they pull out a pre-lit backup flame that was kindled during any one of several rehearsals that took place under sunny skies.

I could easily have lingered much longer, wandering the grounds, but we had a date with an olive mill! After tracking down pitas and gyros for lunch, we rejoined our group and got back onto the bus for the short 11km drive to our next destination.

Koufolias Olive Mill

Once we were introduced to the olive pressing process, the proprietors treated us to an assortment of olive oil samples, snacks and a taste of a local spirit. We shopped and shipped home a half dozen bottles of the “Green Gold of Greece.”

They offered so many varietals, the hardest part  was narrowing down our options on what to bring home. We ended up with Rosemary and Lemon specialty oils – extras for gifting – along with a gallon of extra virgin olive oil. Best decision ever!

Our group loaded back up on the bus to continue our journey. The rest of the way we enjoyed sweeping Ionian Sea views to the relaxed seaside village of Kardamyli on the Mani Peninsula.