Greece-Following in Aristotle's Footsteps

Quick Tips:

Try all the different Greek food that is availability. My favorite was moussaka and the 'Greek Salads' are wonderful. Most restaurants don’t start serving dinner until 8:00 p.m.

Attend the production of the 'Story of the Acropolis' which is presented at night on the hill opposite from the Acropolis. A very distinguished British voice narrates, while beautiful classical music is played and the different buildings that make up the Acropolis are highlighted in different colored lights.

Best Way To Get Around:

In 146BC, the Roman Army destroyed Corinth. Julius Caesar rebuilt the city about 44 BC and afterward became the capital of the Roman Province of Achaea. In 1857, the city was completely destroyed by an earthquake.

We viewed the Corinth Canal (Corinth Isumas) connecting central Greece with the Peloponnese, and the Aegean and Adriatic Seas, built between 1881 and 1893. Parallel to the canal are ruins of the ancient Isthmian Wall, which was restored in the 3rd. century A.D. by Byzantine emperors to defend the Peloponnese. Near the eastern end of the wall are ruins of the sanctuary of Poseidon.

Since 1896, numerous archeological discoveries have been made among the ruins of Corinth, including Greek and Roman sculptures and remnants of some of the principal Greek and Roman buildings, including the Greek Temple of Apollo and a Roman Amphitheater. We walked around the area nearest the Temple of Apollo, which was approximately the size of two football fields. It was absolutely incredible—it looked like a 'graveyard' of huge stones, most of which had carvings or writing on them. Some were parts of statues, columns, and doorways. There was no security, and I marveled that some of these artifacts were still there. What was probably more incredible for me was that all of this was located in an old residential area, where life was going on as if this wondrous piece of history was not even there.

Main source of commerce appeared to be the orange and lemon industry. The town’s demeanor was one of a prosperous community and its people were warm and friendly.

After leaving Leonidion, we drove through very rugged mountains. While twisting and turning upward to the summit, we came across something you usually just read about—not actually encounter-- a monastery tightly snuggled into a mountainside of rock. But this time it wasn’t just an ancient relic, but truly an active one, occupied by nuns. We were allowed to tour the Elonis Monastery. It’s hard to comprehend the devotion these religious individuals possess that keeps them living in such a confined place.

The original stadium and its entrance are still quite visible. We could almost visualize the parade of athletes marching through the small entrance with spectators sitting on the grassy inclines on either side of the arena. While we were there, there was a young family also visiting and the father and his two sons were having a foot race- somewhat symbolic of the atmosphere that once prevailed.

While the stadium remained obvious, many of the other structures that comprised Olympia no longer were recognizable but only mere outlines of their original grandeur. There are ongoing efforts to complete the restoration of this site, but it is a very slow process and there is a substantial lack of funding. There are however, dedicated enthusiasts who are trying to rebuild the ruins, one stone at a time.

The Temple of Zeus at Olympia was considered as the benchmark of temple building, due to its style and the high quality of its workmanship. It was completed by 456 BC. and was the largest temple in the Peloponnese

The castle of Mistras was built by the Franks in 1249 in their attempt to establish supremacy over the Peloponnese. Their defeat in 1259 forced them to hand over Mistras to the Greeks. The Frankish prince Guillaume de Villehardouin erected the castle. He built bastions for his knights, houses, dungeons, storerooms, and Courtyards. As time went by, houses were built on the hillside under the Frankish castle and a town was born.

As we walked around this massive settlement, the different structures told us a story as to what they were used for, and we almost could envision the evolution of the architecture that took place over time.

That evening we walked around, exploring the nightlife of Delphi. The next day, we toured the Theater, the Stadium and the Sanctuary of Athena, all within a very short driving distance of Delphi. After lunch on the hillside of Mount Parnassus, we drove back to where our adventure started- Athens.