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Published: March 29th 2009
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olympic rings
my foot's in there to prove that I actually took this pic Ever wonder where we got the English word "gymnasium" from? I know I have...n't. (lol)
Perhaps it wasn't a shock that we borrowed the word from the Ancient Greeks, but what surprised the hell out of me was that it meant "place to be naked."
As in bare-bottomed, with all your bits and pieces on display for public inspection.
Er? I think we have another English equivalent to that though...it's more commonly referred to as "porn," in my native tongue, lol.
Athletes would also slather their naked bodies with healthy amounts of olive oil to imbue their skin with a healthy glow, so as to appeal to the spectators of the Games...which were all men. Women weren't allowed even to watch the events.
...
So what exactly does that say about the Greeks in the realm of closeted homosexuality in Ancient Greece? I'll just leave it at that... 😊
Since the Ancient Greeks (well, the men at least :P) participated in the athletic games in the buff (though they did have this nifty thong-like thing to tie around their private parts to "restrain" them during contest, lol), that's where we got the word from...
my hotel room!
I seriously spent TEN full minutes trying to lock the door. I had to ask the manager to *show* me how to do it properly...-___-;;; The quiet little town of Olympia is one of my favorite spots thus far, since it had perfect weather, scenery, an impressive historical legacy, and most importantly, it was virtually impossible to get lost in this town. There's only one Main Street, for Chrissakes.
As a self-proclaimed aficionado of the Olympic Games (both winter and summer :D), I was up at the crack of dawn, ready to see all there was to see of the place where it all started: here in Olympia, Greece. At least, where the Olympic Games were concerned. For obsessive idiots like myself, I like to consider this a pilgrimage of sorts for any true fan of the Olympics, lol!
The archaeological site of Olympia, which houses the remains of the ancient haven of Olympia (including the Temple of Zeus and the stadium), was awesome...it's amazing really, to be standing on the very soil of the origin of the Olympic Games. I even got a shot of the Altar of Hera, where they lit the Olympic torch at the beginning of each Games! Ahhh! I must have looked like a total fruit, grinning insanely wide and circling feverishly around the site, since all
it is now is a small rectangular patch of dirt fenced off by rope (not exaggerating here...it really was a small square of dirt).
The rest of the morning was spent meandering around several museums (the Archaeological Museum, and the Museum of the Ancient and Modern Olympic Games (the latter which has the torches from the recent Olympic Games!!!!!) and puttering around the quiet town of Olympia.
Then it was 8 hours of raileage. Eight. Loooong. Hours. By rail. I don't know how many times I had to switch trains -- I lost count after 5.
Long day? For sure...I don't quite remember falling asleep that night. :P
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Monster and girl
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hi!
Yy likes the naked part :) And why didnt I get a postcard!?!?! jk :)