Collecting Olympic Sites

Who amongst us doesn't, or has never, had a collection?   The gamut runs from childhood whimsies to serious adult obsessions, but most of us thoroughly enjoy collecting things that are meaningful in one way or another.

I, for example, collect antique maps from places that I have visited.  They make an interesting addition to my home, one that people love to peruse.  They are reminders of my travels and the hunt for the maps. 

My Frequent Traveling Companion, however, doesn't collect things, he collects places.  He has always loved the Olympics and has attended several. When we began traveling together I knew that he wanted to see all possible Olympic venues. Since I drag my traveling companions everywhere I want, it's only fair that I should go along with him.  And, I have discovered some fascinating and historic places!

The first we ever visited together was  Sydney.  It was modern,  a lovely complex that has been converted into a multiple-sports and park use space.  Simple to get to,  there are frequent commuter trains from the city taking about a half hour.   Since it was  over 100 degrees, I stayed close to the fountains spraying cool water.  On a more comfortable day I would have loved walking or biking on the dedicated paths and boardwalks through natural areas.  For the more adventurous there are other diverse opportunities including trying to master the flying trapeze!  It's a classic example of what cities can do with their venues if they plan right beforehand. 

The next one we visited was the oldest of them all, at Olympia.  The first competition was believed by historians to have been held nearly 3,000 years ago.  For hundreds of years it was just one race, a 210 yard dash. The first recorded winner is a Greek cook who ran naked (maybe they all did!) in 776 BC. Thereafter two additional races of longer lengths were added and it grew from there. Fast forward a millenium. and the Romans ruling Greece cancelled the competition for lack of interest and perhaps some paganistic overtones.

With the thousand year  tradition of the competition, the complex at Olympia had grown quite large with temples, sanctuaries, dormitories, training areas, monuments (Alexander the Great built one for his father), and of course the Olympic flame.  It's a beautiful place to see.

If visiting in the summer, bring an umbrella as only part of the site is shady.  It can be extremely hot.  The museum is excellent, but the highlight for many is seeing the actual starting and ending points of the race. People love to line up against the marble slab where thousands of years ago Olympians stood, poised to run.

If you are a Greek Mythology geek, you'll love the fact that next to the site is Mt. Kronos, where Zeus battled his father for supremacy and won.   Perhaps they took a break to watch one of the early races!

Fortunately, the event only died out in fact, not in lore and legend, and a French Baron spurred the movement to bring them back, with Athens being the logical choice for the first games in 1896.  That stadium, white marble, still stands near the center of the city on a busy thoroughfare.  Unfortunately I was there before the days of digital cameras so no photo but it is a beautiful stadium in its simplicity. 




Another very early stadium that makes an interesting stop is in Stockholm.  Built for the 1912 Olympics,  it's still in use today.  When we visited, there were junior runners from  as far away as Africa competing.  The stadium is a block or so from  a stop on Stockholm's nifty subway system (see my earlier post).  Well worth a quick visit for the sculptures at the entrance and seeing the beautiful architectural details of the day.

If you are visiting the Scandinavian countrys, go check out Helsinki's stadium which has an interesting history.   Built for the 1940 Olympics, it had to wait another dozen years to host them because WWII broke out.  In 1952 more world records were broken there than at any other Olympics.   I was planning to visit it and snap some fab photos but couldn't, due to a bicycling accident earlier that day.  Please don't ask me about this as although several very large dark areas appeared on various parts of my body, my pride was hurt more than my physique.  They made me stop the tour too which I was loving, but I digress.

I found seeing the Berlin complex fascinating and emotional.  It is  way out of town but of course their transportation system is efficient and fast like everything else the Germans do!  There is still a lot left here but few tourists were there when we visited.  Seeing where Jesse Owens won gold, and where Hitler refused to present the medal to him, made me proud of and angry for him at the same time. 

I found the contrast between Stockholm and Berlin to be most interesting, because they were built only two dozen years apart.  One of brick, one of stone.  Obviously Hitler meant it to be a symbol of the substantial power of Germany.  The complex is impressive and holds the pool and the  Reichssportsfeld  outside of the stadium where other events were  held.  The spaciousness of the site allows you to feel echos of the throngs that attended these games.

The pride in their vision of perfection of their youth shows both in the statuary and in the Bell Tower and Langemarckhalle at the bleacher side of the field (photo below).  The thousands of young volunteers who were ordered to attack near Langemarck in Belgium during  WWI, and who subsequently died in droves,  were glorified by the Nazis as a "selfless sacrifice of youth" instead of senseless death.  Gazing at the monument that explains this glorification, I found myself wiping away tears for the young who die for their country.

 

 Nowadays the venues seem to be spread out, especially where Winter Games are involved,  because you usually don't find world class ski areas with space for the rest of the events, and constructing new buildings that wouldn't have a lot of use afterward is not financially feasible.  Such is the case with the Winter Olympics in Vancouver last year.  It was here that I attended my first Olympic Games and I am hooked!  

The city fathers and mothers did a superlative job in ferrying people between the city and the gorgeous Whistler ski area.  Everything worked beautifully.  The city events were housed mostly in already existing facilities...Vancouver is a good Canadian city that loves it's winter sports!   The flame was placed along the downtown waterfront area and walking around during the beautiful city's evening time was such fun, hearing so many languages being spoken.  There is no complex or spectacular stadium to photograph but the exquisite outdoors and sunny weather are more lovely than anything manmade.

Do you "collect" sites, making it a point to visit something in  a specific category, while you travel?   I, and other readers, would love to hear from you about this...new ideas about travel are always welcome.   Please go to the comments section below and post what your favorite things are to see while traveling.  Or, just post any comments you would like to make about this or any of my posts.   If you wish to contact me regarding travel needs, I am at 888-857-7379.   I have great contacts for travel to all sorts of  legendary sporting events from the Masters to World Cups to my own favorite, the Rose Bowl, and more.