We set off bright and early, 7:30 am, for a daytrip with Manfred and Gini to the famous ruins of Olympia. Determined to get us there before the cruise ship tourists, Manfred drove the rental car at breakneck speed, while Burger navigated with the iPad and Gini and I bounced around in the back seat. And they call the Greek drivers crazy! We made it in record time (less than two hours) but alas, a row of huge tour buses already filled the parking lot.

Wanting to take advantage of the cooler part of the day--though it was already quite hot--we paid our entrance fees and trooped around the ruins, seeking the shade of the many trees wherever possible. What were they thinking those many centuries ago, scheduling the Olympics during the hottest month of the year?? It must have been brutal, for the athletes as well for the estimated 45,000 spectators!

Originally held in honor of Zeus, the Games were held here every fourth August for over eleven hundred years, when they were discontinued to suppress paganism by the Roman Empire in the 5th century AD. The extensive site was then plundered and damaged by earthquakes and floods. By the time German archeologists began excavating in the 1870's, it was completely covered by 20 feet of silt and sand.

The modern Olympic Games were started again in 1896 and today the Olympic flame is lit at the ancient site and carried by runners to the city where the games are held.

Though the signage was good, so much of the excavation is rubble that it wasn't until we visited the museums (there are three of them, all blessedly air-conditioned) that we could envision and appreciate the original extent and historical importance of the place. It comes as no surprise that Olympia is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

CLICK HERE FOR CAPTIONED PHOTOS OF OLYMPIA

On the drive home we stopped at our favorite supermarket chain, Lidl, and stocked up on German bratwurst, smoked ham and pickles. Then a wonderful sunset dinner at a waterside taverna in a little beachside resort village on the north end of Navarino Bay.