So, Olympia... What comes to mind when you think of this famed
city? … Greek gods? Maybe you envision a
large and mighty Zeus standing atop an even larger and grander mountain, his
mighty presence thundering down to the ancient Greeks below. Perhaps, you ignore the mythology… but your mind’s
eye wanders to the ‘gi-normous’ famed mountain Olympus (which, while nowhere
close to Olympia, does give you an idea of the region’s hilly layout.) Or maybe, having followed this blog, you have
an idea of the steep inclines which can be found throughout this beautiful
country. Either way, hearing or seeing the name Olympia, Greece by now has afforded
you a general idea of the mountainous, steep, and hilly region which we visited
only a few short days ago!
I preface this story with a reference to the driving culture
in Greece. As mentioned before, driving in Greece is pretty much a “You do you”
sort of deal. One driver focuses on his
destination, using whatever lanes, speeds, and roads (even sidewalks) he sees
fit. The other driver, notes his pal’s
path, and steers clear, while still quickly, and efficiently, working towards his
own destination. I’m sure growing up in
this driving culture, you easily become adjusted to the fast paced,
intimidating motorway. However, coming from a much slower, and more strictly
structured roadway system, makes adjusting to this new driving style a bit of a
challenge.
A few days ago we arrived in a small town right outside of
Olympia. We prepared for a visit to the
ruins of Olympia the following day. Having talked to the receptionist of our
hotel, we learned it was a mere thirty minute walk to the site, and, with a bit
of PTSD from our driving experience the day before, we decided a little
exercise could be very beneficial for our health. We started off on a nice,
straight, no hills road, but soon began the descent towards Olympia. Down,
down, down we went, all the while realizing that in a few short hours, we would
be trekking up, up up with tired feet. Still, we enjoyed the beautiful scenery
that we were afforded for the nice, quick, thirty minute walk.
Once we arrived, we took in the incredible history before
us. These ruins were the place of the
original Olympic Games. The site was
filled with gymnasiums, bath houses, and even a space for the 200 yard dash!
What’s more, the famed mountain where it was believed Zeus was born, rests
directly across the road from this important historical location. We took in
the amazing sights, examining ancient Greeks carved in stone, marveling at the
large pillars which adorned
ancient temples, and even running the 200 yard
dash. After a long day of exploring it
was time to head back to our hotel, and maybe even hit the pool before dinner.
We began our walk, noting a sign which seemed to indicate a
short cut to our hotel! We seized this beacon of hope, and proceeded
up the small hill toward our destination. At this junction, note we had already walked
about a mile up-hill. Finley
and Mom (being the most in shape in the family) walked ahead, soon becoming
lost in the serpentine road. Lamar,
Dad and
I continued at a more leisurely pace, knowing the hotel would soon be
upon us as we were taking this God-send of a short cut! Well.
The “small hill” grew larger and larger with each turn. It wouldn’t let
up. Here I ask you take a second to
think back on the mountainous, steep, incline dominated images of the Olympia
region you conceived at the beginning of this post.
Now, imagine a young woman, 6 months post-open heart surgery,
a child with exercise induced asthma, and a caring father who has not hit
the gym too often as of late. With each
turn up the hill, we began to realize what we previously saw as a hill, was
actually a small mountain! Finally,
tired and in desperate need of a break, we found a nice little spot to sit down
and rest for a bit. As we approached, BAM, there came a snake OUT OF NO WHERE, and he quickly took our spot, slithering
beneath our place of rest. We decided it was best to simply move on, and find another
place to catch our breath up the road. Finally, after many more painful steps, we arrived at the top of this “short cut”! After a small break we began the
descent, ever noticing how long this short cut was taking. An hour had
already passed and our hotel was nowhere in sight.
Suddenly, we came across an
outlook, and, as we gazed out, we identified a little, tiny dot that was our
hotel in the distance. Looking back at
the road, however, we saw it curved in the exact opposite direction. “Hmmm…”
we thought, “this can’t be right!” But
we continued anyway, despite the dawning knowledge that our short cut was in fact a long cut. After an hour and a half, we basically arrived where we began, at the bottom
of this mountain. Looking both ways
before we proceeded to take a left, and follow the real signs home, we noticed, with
disbelief, the sign that had led us on the "long cut," a mere few meters
away. Yup! We had just taken the
largest, most cardio filled detour ever!
With much frustration and even bouts of hysterical giggles, we headed up
the road. Mom and Finley were nowhere to
be seen, and the long road ahead began to appear more and more daunting.
After our detour mountain climb, we had enough! While in great shape, my heart is still getting
back to where it should be, and Lamar and Dad were feeling quite tired as
well. Desperate times call for desperate
measures, and so, with brave desperation and a weird glint in dad’s eye, Lamar,
Dad and I stood in the middle of the road, blocking the way of an approaching car. With only the five Euro bill in Dad’s hand separating
us and the “you do you” driving of Greece, we prepared to change this driving
culture, and hitch a ride back to our hotel.
What we hadn’t braced ourselves for was the kindness of these people and this culture. Coming upon us (probably seeing that desperate
look in our eyes) the driver of the car stopped and rolled down his window for
Dad. Daddy waved the five euro in the
air, and asked for a ride for the three of us back to our hotel. The man waved Dad’s bill away, gesturing
towards the back seat for all of us to get in. He kindly drove us to our hotel
with the chorus of “eferisto!” (thank you) coming from the backseat.
We arrived in just a few minutes, and, with our limited Greek vocabulary
and his limited English vocabulary, we were still somehow able to relay our
overwhelming gratitude for this man’s kindness.
With a smile and a few more “you’re welcomes” (in Greek of course) our savior
puttered down the road to his real destination. Turning from the driver towards
our hotel we noticed two familiar figures ahead, already in swimsuits and in
the pool! Mom and Finley had somehow
managed not only to hike the whole way back, but to do so in enough time to change
and make it to the pool before we even showed up! Needless to say, we were all quite exhausted, and after a refreshing dip in the much needed cool water, we headed to bed for
a much needed nap before a very filling and hearty dinner.
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Lamar found the Greek town which shares her nickname, 'LaLa.'
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| The girls have a race in the original Olympic Stadium. |
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| Leaving the stadium after a solid performance on the track! |
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