In Greece, trains are driven by the sort of men who love to be heard. They enjoy blasting the train bell every five minutes and will travel at a frightening speed, not unlike their brothers in the bus trade who also spend a lot of time beeping their horns and rushing through the streets.
When arriving at the platform of the most famous Olympic town in the world, it might be surprising to find the buildings and surroundings are not particularly grandiose. People have been traveling to this area since 776 BC when competitors first raced in what is now known as the biggest event on the sporting calendar.
The home of one of the seven wonders of the world, (the temple of Zeus), Olympia was once a lavish and exciting place to visit, however, in modern times, all that can be seen is a lot of rocks, ruins and grass. The Temple of Zeus once stood tall, surrounding a Chryselephantine (made of ivory and sheets of gold) statue of the famous god Zeus which was approximately 13m high and constructed by the sculptor Phidias in his workshop which was situated close to the Temple.
In Stark contrast to the ‘Birds nest’ in Beijing, Olympia’s stadium closely resembles a grass field where young children might be found playing football, as opposed to a grandiose area where events took place and sportsmen and women were adored for their agility.
The humble tourist can only dream of an imaginary crowd cheering them on as they enter the stone archway that welcomes them into the “paddock”.
Stumps of rock line the walkway to the arch and although they look rather unappealing at first sight, they are in fact the remains of small statues of Zeus, known as the “bases of Zanes”, each base was inscribed with the name of an athlete who had cheated during a sports event. Each statue was used to shame the offending athletes and would be a permanent reminder of how important it was to play fair.
Although steroids had not been invented yet, visions of spokes attached to chariot wheels and runners tripping each other up on the way to the finishing line only serve as proof that the ancient Greeks, much like their modern counterparts, had a very good sense of humour.
Without the help of the numerous historical accounts on boards around the site and the tour guides who attend to flocks of tourists, it is difficult to tell what each stone and ruin represents, however the old stadium and its surroundings definitely contribute to the powerful atmosphere present as soon as the discerning visitor arrives on this historic site.
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