4,000 years of history

We got a good start this morning and drove west out of Athens toward the Peloponnese peninsula, stopping first to see the Corinth Canal. A short drive took us to the archeological site of Ancient Corinth. Maria guided us through centuries of Greek and Roman history at the site, and also showed us where St. Paul walked, worked and areas where he probably preached (the exact locations are not known, but the general area within the city is known.)

We then turned our attention to the Bronze Age, over 3,500 years ago and visited the Treasury of Atreus and the Citadel of Atreus, which was also home to Agamemnon, leader of the Greeks in the Trojan War. The massive blocks of stone that formed the walls and other structures at both sites were impressive, especially since no mortar was used to hold them in place. 

After lunch in the modern town of Mycenae, we continued on to Epidaurus to see the famous theatre there. Renown for its excellent acoustics, it is still in use today, more than 2,400 years after it was first built. We got to test the acoustics for ourselves. Some sang the Badger fight song, while others recited limericks or other funny quips. 

A busy day of sightseeing wasn't over until we made our way through he Kalamata region, famous around the world for the olives produced here. We arrived at our hotel in the evening, ready for dinner and some relaxation. 

We are all in amazement at the amount of history and culture we have experienced in only our first three days in Greece. Tomorrow we see Ancient Olympia before returning to Athens to get ready for the second half of our tour: Mykonos, Ephesus, Patmos, Crete, Rhodes and Santorini.