Olympia, Greece-site of the ancient Olympic Games

Today, our ship stopped in Katakolon, a small port located in southern Greece known for its proximity to the ancient site of Olympia—yes, THE Olympia where the ancient Olympics began in 776BC and lasted more than 1200 years. The games began as a tribute to Zeus and to celebrate character and balance of body and soul, as well as beauty and nobility.

At a time when incessant wars between city states were causing massive destruction and death, the King of Greece decided to call a truce and allow its best soldier athletes to fight on an athletic battlefield. Initially, the contests were divided into those in the nude and horseracing. The first nude races were footraces and gradually grew to include a pentathlon of sports of military skill in 706BC: javelin, discus thrower, jumping, wrestling, and foot racing. Later, boxing and chariot races were added.

Winners, who wore a wreath from the sacred olive tree, were transformed into virtual gods when they returned home, heralded as heroes for a lifetime. Strict rules governed participants requiring them to be Greek citizens, devoid of accusation of murder, and violation of game rules. In addition, judges, athletes’ trainers, and spectators followed a rigid set of requirements.
Women, who had their own competition before or after the games, were not allowed to be spectators.

We visited both the archeological site and the museum that houses artifacts excavated from the site.

The Archeological Site

Here we saw the gymnasiums, temples were prayers and sacrifices were offered, Olympic village, the race track, and more. We even took photos from the original footrace starting blocks.

Today, Olympic flame of the modern-day Olympic Games is lit by a reflection of the sunlight in a parabolic mirror at the restored stadium and then transported by torch to the place where the games are held. The first such torch was carried to Berlin in 1936. In 2012, the flame will be carried from this very spot to London.

The ancient Olympics ended 393AD when the Christian Emperor banned all form of pagan worship including these international games. Later, earthquakes, northern invaders, and flood damaged and eventually covered the site under 12 ft of silt. It is a wonder the site was excavated and rediscovered by a monomaniacal German archeological team beginning in 1875.

The modern Olympics were revived and were held for the 1st time in centuries in Athens in 1896 with 44 contests and 13 countries. Subsequent Olympics were held in Paris, St Louis, London, Stockholm, Antwerp, Amsterdam, LA, Helsinki, Melbourne, Rome, Tokyo, Mexico City, and so on.

The games were only stopped during WWI and WWII.

After we toured the site, we toured the impressive (nearby) archeological museum that houses hundreds of spectacular artifacts including statues, helmets, coins, terra cotta objects, and gold items.

Our visit ended with a stroll among the harbor front cafes and shops. Efharisto, parakalo, kalimera. I still remember a bit of Greek!

We had perfect sunny, cool weather for our tour with a knowledgeable, passionate, humorous guide.

I will certainly have special thoughts about the Olympics from now on………….

Photos are coming later!

Queen Victoria--Here I Come!!

In one week, I will fly to Venice to take a 16-day transatlantic crossing that will bring me back home to South Florida. After spending the night in Venice, onboard the ship, we will make ports of call in Gibraltar, Olympia (Greece), Funchal (Madeira), Bermuda, and Charleston, SC.

The ship is the elegant Queen Mary!

I look forward to spending time with fellow travelers from more than 50 countries.

Here is the itinerary:

Date Port Arrive Depart
Nov 20 Venice---overnight stay
Nov 21 Venice 9PM
Nov 22 At Sea
Nov 23 Olympia 8AM 5PM
Nov 24 At Sea
Nov 25 At Sea
Nov 26 Gibraltar 8AM 1:30PM
Nov 27 Funchal, Madeira 6PM arrive-overnight stay
Nov 28 Funchal, Madeira 6PM depart
Nov 29 At Sea
Nov 30 At Sea
Dec 1 At Sea
Dec 2 At Sea
Dec 3 Hamilton, Bermuda 8AM 4PM
Dec 4 At Sea
Dec 5 Charleston, SC 8AM 3PM
Dec 6 Ft Lauderdale, Fl. 11AM

I really look forward to exploring new ports of call, enjoying the elegant ship, relaxing on my balcony at sea, and meeting new friends over meals and excursions.

Baby born on 11-11-11 at 11:11!

Jacob Anthony Saydeh won't have any trouble remembering precisely when he was born.

Virtua Memorial hospital in Mount Holly, N.J., says Jacob entered the world at 11:11 a.m. on Friday – 11-11-11.

And to make the Veterans Day birth even more remarkable, the boy's mother is an Air Force veteran and his father currently services in the Air Force.

It's the second child for Staff Sgt. Christopher Saydeh and his wife, Danielle. They live at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, where he is a member of Air Force security forces. They are a third-generation military family.

Jacob weighed 8 pounds, 13 ounces.

Day of the Dead is celebrated around the world

Each year in the beginning of November, millions around the world honor and remember their deceased loved ones. From Latin America to the Philippines, people visit family members' and friends' graves, eat customary food or follow particular traditions. Also known in some countries as All Souls' Day, the Day of the Dead originated as a Roman Catholic holiday.

In Mexico and large parts of Latin America, the Day of the Dead is a national holiday and widely celebrated. People build small altars and bring the deceased's favorite food to the cemetery. In the Philippines, entire families spend the night at the graveyard, while in many countries in Europe people visit relatives' graves and gather with family and friends.