Today we visited the site of the ancient Olympics. We arrived before most of the tour buses and it was calm, shaded, and really quite peaceful, with loads of ruins. Dad raced against Ted from Halifax, Nova Scotia in the stadium. A huge thank you to Ted for being a good sport. In the also-ran category I ran the whole 192 m against myself--trust me I will not be receiving an olive leaf crown😄

Fun Fact: Do you know what happened if the ancient Olympians cheated (which they did--bribery, a form of doping, and blood enhancing)? Their names were engraved on the pedestals of Zeus statues that lined the path to the stadium. As the honest athletes entered they would spit on the cheaters names!

Do you know what I like about the picture I posted from the Temple of Zeus at Olympia? Well, those pillars are lying on the ground pretty well just as they fell when an earthquake struck in 551 AD. There is something so real about that.

You are Always in My Prayers. Love Mom.

Sunday in the home of the Corinthians--almost like church, right?😄 Attempts to construct a waterway here began as early as 7th century B.C., but the dream wasn't realized until 1881. As significant as it was to cruise down the canal, we found it equally fascinating to watch the roads disappear under the water to let the boats go by. There are no locks on the canal. Congrats to Dad for making this happen. It wasn't easy to arrange. We actually ended up phoning a fellow from a shipping company that has a boat that cruises the canal.

We have a car for the next few days so we can get to more remote places. The rest of the afternoon was spent hiking the Acrocorinth. From Greek myths to Franks, Venetians and Ottoman Turks this giant rock has stories to tell. Dad made it much farther up than I did. You know the walking is going to be strenuous when they give you a number you have to turn in at the end of the day!

1 Corinthians 13:7 Love takes everything that comes without giving up. Love believes all things. Love hopes for all things. Love keeps on in all things.

You are Always in My Prayers. Love Mom.

Nexus Note: There are very few MacDonalds in Greece. Instead the favourite fast food/burger place is Goody's Burger House. You can still get burgers and fries, but also food with a local flavour.

Meet the ginger coloured mutt Loukanikos (Greek for sausage). Loukanikos was a much loved riot dog. During the protests of 2010 he became famous as he joined the crowds demonstrating against the Government. Sausage was even on the cover of Time magazine! When he died several artists got together and produced a mural in his honour. This was one of the many interesting works of street art we explored yesterday on our tour with Alternative Athens.

Yesterday was mostly about discovering modern Athens. We finished our evening watching a quirky Woody Allen movie at a roof top cinema under the Acropolis--then strolling the streets of the Plaka enjoying gelato.

Hugs to my puppy Jo-Jo. One more day in Athens. You are Always in my Prayers. Love Mom.



Nexus Note: One of the first advertisements we saw during our move in the outdoor theatre was "Nescafé since 1958". Nescafé instant coffee is huge here. A common drink you see in the squares is Nescafé Frappe. It seems to be cold instant coffee foamed up poured over ice. I tried it--I am NOT a fan. Ray

An evening of traditional dance in an open area theatre followed a midnight stroll on the Acropolis Grand Promenade. Unforgettable!

The literal meaning of Metéora is "suspended in the air". When you see the six monasteries of Metéora this definitely makes sense. The monks (there are very few now) originally chose these locations for solitude and safety. As UNESCO world heritage sites there is no more solitude and security is now provided by bright lights and security cameras.

Scenes from the Bond Movie For Your Eyes only were filmed here. Although I didn't perform any Bond-like stunts, I did feel pretty brave getting close to the edge of some of those giant rocks.

You are Always in My Prayers. Love Mom.

In the 6th to 4th century BC the Oracle of Delphi was the most important shrine in all Greece. Pilgrims came to the centre of the world (the belly button) to get their answered by the priestess. Now we just Google it 😄

We are enjoying a two day bus tour out of Athens. Lots of great information, great local food, and cooler temperatures.

Surprise of the day: Greece is one of the top ten cotton producing countries in the world. We passed field after field of fluffy cotton.

You are Always In My Prayers. Love Mom.