Ancient Olympia // Photo Diary

My hometown, Pyrgos, is cited 20 km close to Ancient (and contemporary) Olympia, the place where the Olympic Games began more than 2.700 years ago and where the Olympic Flame ignites from the sun's rays and travels the world.

About a year ago, during summertime, we were there for a week, the weather was very windy and cloudy and we didn't feel like going to the beach, so we decided to visit the Museum and Archaeological site of Olympia since it had been more than a decade from the last time we did...

At the site, you will be able to see from very close, almost touch, the ruins where the Olympic Games were once held, the Temple of Zeus, the Temple of Hera, the Stadium, the Gymnasium, the Palaestra, Phidias' Workshop, Philippieion and many more.

*side note: Apart from your camera/smartphone you should definitely take with you a hat or an umbrella and a bottle of cold water! Covering your head from the sun and keeping yourself hydrated is the most important thing. And don't forget to wear sunscreen!

At the new Museum, you will be able to see unique specimens of the ancient Greek sculpture, like Hermes of Praxiteles, the Nike of Paionios, the Pediments from the temple of Zeus and more. I am always looking forward to seeing Hermes, he's breathtaking for his beauty and perfection, you really think that he is going to move any minute now! This time, however, I was pleasantly surprised by a new installation; they have placed the Nike in a cubicle bright blue space which makes her look meta-modern although so ancient. Her shattered classic figure looks like it is actually floating on air! You should definitely check that out!

Last but not least, at the old Museum, Syggreion, you will be able to learn more about the History of the Olympic Games. I highly recommend you visit, since you don't pay anything extra, you can see all three with the same ticket.

xoxo
|barefoot duchess|

Photos by the Duke and myself