Overnight Cruise from Bari Italy to Greece
Crawling out of bed early again and the mad scramble for breakfast and piling on the bus all before the sun rises. Off we went heading through the Apennine Hills with fields of red poppies to the Port of Bari Italy, where our ferry was waiting. Everyone boarded the bus and we were taken down to the hold, we were surprised that it made it there. Now we were ready for our overnight trip.
This post continues on the journey I took with my son in 2010 around the world. If you would like to see the story so far you can start it all here.
LINK: My First World Trip : Where It All Started
The modern ferry had all the comforts of home, a boutique, duty-free shop, two restaurants, three bars, discotheque, casino, and a swimming pool. After we found our cabin with two very small bunk beds and an even smaller bathroom, we joined some of the other passengers up on the deck. Everyone had brought their own drinks and snacks so we spent a few relaxing hours getting to know each other. When the moon came out we all took photos and then wandered off to bed.
The next morning it was a little hazy as we cruised towards the Greek coast. We disembarked at Patras and joined our bus again heading for an overnight stay in Peloponnese. Whenever the bus stopped children would run up to the bus door wanting to sell wreaths of flowers. This put a pang in our hearts as we were still new to children being used in hawking goods.
This had happened due to the recent Greece financial crisis that had happened in 2009 where the government not only ran the country into the ground but since everyone’s retirement funds were in government super that was all gone too. Greece at this time was in a very bad financial position and there were no jobs, even houses were not being finished so when tourist buses stopped it was always a target.
The Birthplace Of The Olympics
We arrived in Peloponnese and found our rooms at the Olympia Palace hotel, then wandered around the town having lunch at this lovely restaurant. Due to the financial crisis the usual tourists were not there but the city had just been revamped from top to bottom. Was strange to see tables set out on the street, apparently the only traffic that’s allowed at meal times are taxis.
After breakfast the next day we joined a walking tour of the Archaeological Site of Olympia which was where the Olympic Games started in 776 BC. My son, like many others, was told to get off the ruins as this was a major contributor to the deterioration of the ruins. We also found out that the original olympics was done naked which would have been a sight to see. The original arch that athletes would run through is still present for you to go through as well.
This is where the lighting of the Olympic Flame has taken place since 1936 and signifies the official beginning of the contemporary Olympic Games. As you can see from the image above there are plenty of things to explore around the area and it is well worth a visit just for the history.
The museum was very interesting with plenty to see that they had rescued from the ruins and restored. This includes a multitude of statues, equipment used for the olympics, items from daily life and ceremonial artefacts.
The Boys Games
The introduction of the boys contests to the Olympic Games in 632 BC at the 37th Olympiad resulted in the addition of a third day to the competition. Initially the young athletes competed in the foot race and wrestling only. During the 38th Olympiad in 628 BC which was the 41st Olympiad, boxing was introduced into the boys games and in 200 BC at the 145th Olympiad the pankration was incorporated.
Pankration was a sporting event introduced into the Greek Olympic Games in 648 BC, which was an empty-hand submission sport with few rules. The athletes used boxing and wrestling techniques, but also others, such as kicking, holds, joint-locks, and chokes on the ground, making it similar to modern mixed martial arts.
According to the programme of the games the boys contests were held on the second day. After the ceremonial entrance the young athletes competed in the preliminary heats of the stadium race. The final followed immediately after the completion of the preliminary races giving the boys not a lot of time to relax and recoup. This was then followed by the boys wrestling. In the afternoon of the same day the young athletes competed in boxing and pankration.
After having a quick lunch, we boarded the bus again and headed into the mountains of Arcadia, Tripolis and over the Corinth Canal to Athens and checked into our hotel.
We took a little train down to the restaurant for dinner, and saw the sun shining on the Acropolis. So beautiful! During dinner a group of Greek dancers in traditional costumes entertained us. They were great, it reminded me of Zorba the Greek movie. Our meal was delicious and when we were finished we wandered around the streets taking in the atmosphere.
NEXT STOP: Athens And The Greek Islands