2023 March 11 Greece - Day 10 of 10 Travel home via JFK

Resting after a long 10 days of walking

We had an early flight, so we were up extra early.  I think we had breakfast though I can’t remember.  We dragged our bags across the road to the main terminal and got checked in.  When we checked the news, it confirmed that all air traffic through or even over France was stopped due to the general strike.  It was a good thing Mike had re-routed our flights, but we were worried about the timing.  From touchdown in New York we had just 90 minutes to get through immigration, get my checked bag, re-check my back, then go back through security, and run to our gate.  That was allot in a very short time.

But for now, we just needed to check my bag and go through Greek security.  There were no issues and we soon found ourselves waiting at the gate.  Mike tried to get us into a Delta affiliate lounge, but since I only remember sitting in a humid waiting room, it was either too far away or we didn't have enough time.

I don’t remember much about the flight.  I know I watched a couple of movies, and I managed to get 3 or 4 hours of sleep.

When we landed in JFK we tried hard to get off the plane as quickly as possible, then power walked past as many people as we could, but several flights had arrived at the same time, and the hall was packed with people.  When we got to immigration, Mike headed off for the Global Entry line.  I didn’t have Global Entry, so I joined the peon line and waited, and waited.  It moved steadily but it wound back and forth about 8 times down a long hallway.

I think it took over an hour for me to get through, and the agent barely looked at my passport before waving me on.  Mike was waiting and already had my bag, so we sprinted to check-in to drop my bag, then to security.  We arrived at our gate before the flight departed, but they’d already closed the doors and they weren't budging.

The only flight left that night that would work for us was a flight to Denver, but it arrived very late.  We switched to that flight then went to grab snacks and drinks before the flight.  The rest of the travel was a blur until we arrived in Denver.

It was very late and Nannette’s vision wouldn't allow her to drive at night, so we checked into the hotel at Denver Airport, the Westin, with its sweeping tent roof that looks like a fleet of sails .

Westin Inn at Denver Airport

Mike’s flight back to Salt Lake was at 6:00am so he got up extra early and we said our goodbyes.  It had been an extraordinary trip and we were both sad to see it end.  He headed back into the airport, and I went back to sleep.

Once I  got home, I spent many hours describing the trip to Nan and showing pictures - my substitute for the blog I hadn't written.  I should have written it right then but I still didn't have the motivation.  I think my mother would have loved this blog.

I think Nan asked me what my favorite thing of the whole trip was.  I don't remember if I gave her an answer, but I doubt it.  We saw so many 10 out of 10 things that it's impossible to really compare them.  Even now I've spent hours looking through photos trying to dredge up the memories and no memory stands above the others.  I even more time talking to Mike about the trip so I could write this, and I still can't pinpoint any one museum or ruin that eclipsed the rest.  When you see something extraordinary multiple times a day for 10 days in a row, you might get blasé about it, but that's not how it felt and not how it feels now.  I just remember the awe I felt and the realization of the importance of those places and things.  

What I do remember and  what was a significant part of every memory was doing a trip like this with a great friend.  Mike is in every memory and it just makes it so much better.  So that's my answer, my favorite thing of the trip was going with a great friend and sharing all these experiences.

Thanks Mike

2023 March 10 Greece - Day 9 of 10 Ancient Olympia

The Athlete's entry to the Olympia Track

We were up by 6:00 and ready to check out by 7:00.  The hotel offered a full breakfast, and to our surprise it was fantastic.  There were some wonderful cheeses and cured meats.  The eggs were fresh since you could hear the chickens outside.  The orange juice was squeezed from the trees outside, and the Greek yogurt must have come from the local cows.  This had to be among the best breakfasts we had on the entire trip.

We checked out of the hotel at 8:30, then drove over to park by the Ancient Olympia Historic site.  We bought tickets and walked down the road to the ruins.  The site looked massive.  We couldn’t actually see much because of the size and so many trees throughout the ruins.  We just walked to the first thing we could see and read the info plaque.

It’s impossible to give a sequential description, so I’ll just tell you my main memories of the day.

Map of Olympia

Olympia - Ancient Gymnasium

Olympia - Ancient Gymnasium

Olympia - Philippeion

There was just so much to see.  The sheer scale of what had once stood there was overwhelming.  There were massive lumps of stone spread across a football-size field and I really struggled trying to picture the lumps forming a grand building.  What I took to be an entire building sometimes turned out to be just the entryway to an even bigger building.  

Olympia - Temple of Hera

Olympia - Temple of Hera

Olympia - Nymphaeum

Olympia - In front of Hera's Temple where the Olympic flame is lit with a parabolic mirror

Olympia - The entry to the stadium

Olympia - The Stadium where races were held - Many blooming wildflowers

A red flower blooming beside the stadium

When we got to the Temple of Zeus, there was a tour going through, so we stopped to listen in.  The building used to contain the Statue of Zeus, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world.  The statue was 43 feet high.   Some of the buildings in the area were craftsman shops devoted to maintaining the statue which needed almost constant upkeep.  The statue was not a single piece of marble, it had an internal frame upon which they hung various pieces that then formed the statue, so each piece could be removed, cleaned, and repaired as needed.

Olympia - The temple of Zeus

Wildflowers blooming around the Temple of Zeus

The tour group was allowed to walk inside the boundaries around the temple.  One by one, they climbed up onto the foundation of the temple and the guide took pictures of them.  But we lowly peons were not allowed to do that.

It was early spring, so the grass was just beginning to green, but better yet, there were wildflowers blooming all throughout the ruins.  There were beautiful flowers coming up in some of the oddest places and in so many colors.  Especially the bright red wildflowers sprouting in the middle of a gray stone floor was striking.  It added a lot of beauty to the area.

One of the buildings still had some walls erected.  I don’t know if they’d survived all this time or had been restored, but we came across an archaeologist restoring part of the building.  She had cleaning materials and ladders with her.  Many areas around the room were tagged with numbers and a few had sizing diagrams.  I assume she was also taking photos.  I think we tried to talk to her, but she needed to get on with her job.  I’m sure she got tired of being pestered by tourists, so we didn’t take offense.

Cap stones and Base stones of pillars in a building

The un-talkative lady restoring some of the ruins

The avenue leading out to the running track was lined with small buildings.  The first was the nymphaeum, which would have held a fountain.  Then there was a series of 11 treasuries where various cities kept valuables and money that could be withdrawn if needed.  The treasuries also acted as small temples to each city's patron god.

The entry way out to the running track was lined with walls and passed through an arch.  It almost had that NFL feel of running through an arch to have your name announced and be cheered by the fans.  Maybe that’s where we got it from.  The track had slopes rising up from each side so fans could sit and watch.  I remember a family coming out and staging a race of the dad and sons while the mom sat on the side cheering.

We spent about 3 hours walking around the ruins.  When we’d run out of things to see, or more likely run out of energy we would find a bench to sit and take in the spring air.  Then we’d get up and find something else to ogle.

Taking a break

Ruins filled with wildflowers

Purple wildflowers

Back to the Gymnasium - filled with wildflowers

Eventually I ran out of energy and my knee was killing me.  We left the ruins and walked a few hundred yards to a snack shop.  I think we just got diet cokes and relaxed a bit in the shade.

Nearby was the Archaeological Museum of Olympia, so we walked over to see what was there.  A school group was just exiting the museum as we arrived.  They filed out to a courtyard with a sculpture surrounded by beanbags, and the kids all flopped down.  Their teacher talked for a few minutes then the kids all started writing in little notebooks they were carrying.  And of course, they were all quiet and obedient - NOT!!!   There was a lot of horseplay and joking.  I only kept a half eye on them as we walked around the museum, and for once, we remembered to take pictures inside.

The Museum and Courtyard (found online) but no beanbags, students or statue

Just like at the Parthenon, the pediments at each end of the Temple of Zeus featured statues and reliefs depicting historic and religious scenes.  These pediments were recreated in the museum, and we got pictures of us in front of them.

Decorations from the end of Zeus Temple

More statues from the other end

Winged Victory

After the museum, we walked into town to find some lunch.  We found the Rodo Café on the same street where we ate last night.  I think I got something silly like pizza because I was a bit tired of heavy meat dishes.   I also got a fruit crepe for dessert.

Rodo Cafe

After lunch we walked to another museum that was all about the history of the Olympic Games.  Keeping with the theme, I took no pictures.  I also don’t remember much about it except for pictures from the first modern Olympics which were interesting.

This was the end of our touring of Greece.  All that was left was going home and that started with getting back to Athens.  It was a 5-hour drive to get back to Athens Airport.  As we were crossing the narrow neck at Corinth, we thought about trying once again to find an overlook for the canal, but it was pouring rain and neither of us had any enthusiasm for that so we just kept going.

As we were nearing Athens the traffic went from sparse to stop and go.  The pouring rain wasn't helping either.  We struggled for the last 40 minutes getting around the city.  We didn’t have to turn in the car this early, and we talked about driving down to the Temple of Poseidon for one last “tourist adventure”, but to my regret and embarrassment, I said no.   It would have been a perfect ending, and we had more than enough time.

Instead, we turned in the car and checked into the Sofitel Athens Airport hotel.  It was an exceptionally nice hotel.  We ate dinner in the hotel restaurant, and needless to say, it was delicious.  The high of the trip was beginning to fade and neither of us wanted that so we sat reminiscing and looking through photos for a long time.

2023 March 9 Greece - Day 8 of 10 Palamidi, Tiryns, Megalopolis, Lousios Gorge

The Hill Top Fort of Palamidi

We were leaving Nafplio today, so we woke up very early to pack.  The sun was just coming up so we went out to the square to get pictures with the golden light of dawn.   As we stepped out of the hotel, the cold hit us.  I think we stood there for a bit, neither of us wanting to be the first to admit we needed jackets.  I don't know who caved, but finally we went back up to our room to get them. The sun was shining beautifully on the Fortress of Palamidi atop the hill, so we used it as our backdrop.

Dawn with the Fortress of Palamidi behind me

Mike with the Fortress of Palamidi behind him.

It was so cold that we didn’t want to eat outside like yesterday.  We tried a different hotel for breakfast this morning.   I have a picture of me eating breakfast, but I have no memory other than we were warm and it was good.

Good Breakfast

After breakfast we checked out of the hotel and headed for the Fortress of Palamidi.  It took a couple of attempts to find the right road — the first landed us at the bottom of a massive staircase climbing 700 feet to the fortress.  There was no way we were going to climb up those steps, so we tried the map again to find the right road to the top of the hill rather than the bottom.

 

The route went out of town and around the back side of the hill, then climbed up toward the top.  We parked and bought tickets into the fortress.  The Venetians built this fortress in the early 1700s to protect their interests in the region.

Nafplio, the Argolic Gulf, the Bourtzi Fortress, and the rest of the Peloponnese Peninsula

We meandered through the fortress taking pictures and reading the info plaques.  While looking out to sea, we spotted a small boat and wondered what it was.  I was using my brand-new Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra and it has a full optical 10x zoom.  I took a picture of the boat with the 10x, then zoomed in on the photo to see that it was a small fishing boat.  Mike was impressed with the ability.  It’s been over three years as I write this blog, and I still use my S23 rather than upgrading to the new phones that removed the 10x zoom.  They also removed the Bluetooth stylus that I use to trigger the camera when it’s on a tripod.

10X optical zoom to a small fishing boat

We climbed well up into the fortress and found an interesting walkway down and around the side of the outer wall.  I think Mike went allot further than me.  I wasn't very excited about climbing down slick rocky stairs with no hand rails or guards.

Passage through the outer wall

Stairs down to a walkway.  I don't think I went down.

We kept climbing up the stair cases and walkways to the very top of the fortes. We met a young couple from Germany that were on their honeymoon.  They were in a camper van and were touring allot of Europe with very little plans.  They had already toured Italy and were about 1 week into Greece.  Even with camping and cooking all their food, I have no idea how they could afford to do all of the touring the had done and were planning to do.  We walked around for an hour then headed back to the car and our next destination.

Top of the Palomidi Fortress with the Peloponnese Peninsula behind me 

Ancient Tiryns is yet another hilltop fortress just outside of Nafplio.  It is mentioned in the Iliad when Homer praised its massive walls, which were said to have been erected by giant cyclopes.  We walked up ramps to the top of the fort.

Entry path to Ancient Tiryns

Deeper into the fortress of Tyrins

Foundations for the Buildings atop Tiryns

Looking out from Tiryns over orchards and farms

The back passage out of the Fortress of Tiryns

A lot of restoration had already been done to the fort, and more was in process.  We only spent about 20 minutes because we had a long drive ahead of us.

The plan for today was to drive through the Lousios Gorge on our way to Olympia on the far side of the Peloponnese Peninsula.  To get to the start of the gorge we began with some highway driving.

We drove about 30 minutes on the highway before we turned off toward Lousios Gorge.  Just 5 minutes down this smaller road, we spotted a sign that said something like “The largest ancient theatre”.  That just sounded like something we had to see, so we turned off the road.

When we parked, we could see construction barriers surrounding parts of the area, and construction workers sitting on picnic tables, eating their lunch.  We asked if it was OK to go look and they said yes, so we walked in.

Theatre of Ancient Megalopolis

The theatre was supposed to hold 20,000 people, which is more than Epidaurus or the Theatre of Dionysus in Athens.  There were only a few rows of stone seats at the bottom, but if the whole curved hillside was filled with seats, it would be massive.  We only stopped for a few minutes, so we missed some other ruins in the area, but it was still cool to see.

Seeing the workers eating lunch reminded us that it was lunch time, so we started looking for somewhere to stop.   We figured there would be a town soon, but there wasn’t.  

10 miles up the road was the turnoff to the gorge.  There was a restaurant there, but it didn’t look open and the gorge road looked tiny.  There was a town just ahead, so we opted to stay on the main road and drive to Karytaina.  The road wound its way up a steep hillside with some beautiful views.  After only a few miles we reached the top and the town.

There were several restaurants in town but there were few people to be seen.  There was also very little parking, so we had to go all the way to the top and park in a small lot then walk back down to the restaurants.

Two restaurants were under construction so they were out, but Vrenthi Cafe had 2 old men sitting in a corner and they waved us inside.  The cafe wasn’t really open, but the lady inside said she’d be happy to whip something up for us.  She didn’t offer any choices - she just told us to go outside and find a table.

Vrenthi Cafe in Karytaina

Lunch at the Vrenthi Cafe

It had gotten pretty warm, so we chose a table in the shade and waited.  She did come out and ask us what we’d like to drink. After 15 minutes she brought out a big plate of chips (fries) with meatballs and a bowl full of a tomato based dipping sauce, not unlike fry sauce at Five Guys.  She also brought out 2 big glasses full of ice and 2 diet cokes.  It was heavenly.

The chips were fantastic.  I think the meatballs were ok, but they had an odd spice to them that neither of us loved.  We still ate most of them, but we devoured the chips.  When we finished, we walked back up to the car and drove down the hill to the gorge turnoff.

A beautiful town in the Lousios Gorge

Another beautiful town in the Lousios Gorge

Taking a break in Lousios Gorge

Yet another beautiful town in the Lousios Gorge

Now we were on an even narrower road that followed the terrain.  The road had constant turns, ups and downs, and many blind corners.  But the views were incredible.  I think the big lunch got to me and Mike says I slept a good part of the drive.  I know we stopped a few times to see town and scenic overlooks, but we don’t seem to have taken many pictures.  The lesson learned here is, don’t eat a massive lunch on a road trip.

We arrived in Olympia in midafternoon.  The Hotel Pelops was on the north end of town, and we quickly got checked in.  On Mike's personal rating scale for hotels, it earned a 2 out of 10.  The room was tiny, the TV didn’t work, and the AC was almost non-existent.  It was a good thing we were here for only 1 night.  We just dumped our bags and headed off to scope out the town.

Hotel Pelops

It wasn’t a very big town, so it didn’t take long.  We did some souvenir shopping and found a museum dedicated to Archimedes.  It felt like a museum of oddities and illusions.  It would have been wonderful for kids.  There were some very impressive wooden models to look at and some practical demonstrations of Archimedes inventions.  We spent more time there than it warranted because there just wasn’t much else to do in town and we didn’t want to go back to the hotel while it was still hot outside.

Archimedes Museum

Ship with weapons designed by Archimedes

After we left, we finished exploring the town, then decided to try to find some dinner.  We found a street that was lined with restaurants.  We chose one at the far end but I don’t remember why or if we liked the food.  We did linger over dinner to let the temperature drop before returning to the hotel.

Πολύγευστον Authentic Greek Street Food

By the time we got back to the hotel it was actually getting cold so we opened the window and let the room cool off.  I think we left it open all night because I remember dogs barking and the rooster crowing the next morning.

We saw many villages and beautiful views on the drive, at least those I was awake for, but Vrenthi Cafe and the ice cold drinks overlooking the valleys really sticks in my mind.