Our second day in Greece began with a leisurely morning sail down the west coast of the Peloponnese. We docked at Katakolon shortly after lunch then disembarked for the short journey to the archaeological site of Olympia. Of religious significance since the 10th-century B.C., Olympia hosted the most prestigious of the Panhellenic games beginning in 776 B.C.; it is from these games that the modern Olympics are derived. At the site, our superb guides, Sophia and Eleni, made the ancient games come alive with fascinating detail on the lives of the athletes and the sports in which they excelled, such as the discus throw, the chariot race, and the no-holds-barred pankration, a fighting sport combining wrestling and boxing. In the site’s restored stadium, which hosted the 2004 Olympic shot put competition, some of the guests stumbled upon an intricately-patterned snake, possibly a young leopard snake, who hastily retreated into the nearby grass.
Olympia’s massive Doric temple, dedicated to Zeus, once housed a gold and ivory cult statue of the god; although unfortunately no trace of it remains today, this statue was once famed as one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. After touring the archaeological site, we visited the associated museum, which offered an impressive display of the truly spectacular finds from this important site. Of particular interest was the famed Hermes of Praxiteles, a beautifully-preserved, 4th-century B.C. sculpture of Parian marble. Back on the ship, after a gorgeous sunset and dinner on the lido deck, we concluded our evening with a viewing of Around Cape Horn, a 1929 film depicting the thrilling days of square-rig sailing.
