Italy/Greece 2023 – Day 7: Olympia (Katakolon), Greece (September 8, 2023)

Trip: Rome and Cruise through Italy and Greece (Norwegian Breakaway)
Dates: September 1 – 15, 2023
Who: Me (Jess), Emily (one of my best friends), Beverly (my mom), Jeff (my stepdad), Jen (my aunt), and Megan (my sister).

Our last port in Greece was one that I wasn’t really excited about, but ended up LOVING! We originally were supposed to go to Corfu (one of my dream destinations), but our itinerary was changed to Olympia. This was a bummer to me, but I decided to make the best of it. As I mentioned in my Port Planning post, we switched our excursion somewhat last minute to one from Shore Excursions Group (Spirit of Olympia and Magna Grecia Farm).

It was another early morning, with a 6:30am wake-up call. I generally got ready for the day and met everyone but Em (she was still getting ready) at O’Sheehans for breakfast. The pancakes were of the frozen variety, but were decent. My accompanying bacon was also decent….. honestly, the fruit bowl was the best. We went back to our cabins to grab our last minute things for the day.

We were off the ship by 8:15am and immediately spotted the Shore Excursions Group person, checked in, and walked along pier to bus. It was a really cute little area, but nothing too elaborate. It’s an easy port to navigate.

We waited a few minutes and then headed off! The port (Katakolon) is about a 35 minute drive to Olympia. Our guide was super informative along the way. We arrived in Olympia and drove through the modern Olympia Main Street, which was super adorable. I would have loved to have time to walk around!

We parked at the Ancient Olympia Archeological Site. We were given a restroom break. Let me warn you….. These restrooms feel only slightly more modern than the archeological site. It’s a LONG line, down a staircase, and in the minuscule restrooms. Tip – If you can wait a couple hours, there are nicer restrooms in the museum.

Once everyone had a chance, the tour started. Our guide walked us through to the two training facilities, the Temple of Zeus, the Olympic flame area, the Hall of Fame, and the Hall of Shame, to name a few. We stopped at each point and she gave us really great information about each. For example, competitors were completely naked during their games and their training at the facilities was rigorous. Also, any sort of cheating or bad behavior post-win was looked down upon. Their statues/medals won would be put in the Hall of Shame and their names posted. This area was outside the entrance to the stadium, so everyone attending would walk past the disgraced.

We also got to enter the ancient stadium. It’s sort of amusing, but it’s essentially a field with sloped grass surrounding it for spectators. It was very cool to walk through the arch, leading to this historical spot, though!

From there, we had about an hour of free time and our tour guide let us know our options. We could continue walking through the archeological site or visit one of the two museums. Em, Megan, and I opted to visit the Archeological Museum. This museum has so many artifacts, I could have spent HOURS reading every placard. As it was, it was fascinating to see all of the tools that were used, the medals, the statues, and more. We went through at a brisker pace than I would have preferred, but I still got a pretty good idea.

Our hour was coming to an end, so we headed back to the bus. A couple of “housekeeping” notes before I move on to our next stop. I would 100% recommend visiting the Ancient Olympia Archeological Site. No doubt! I, myself, would love to go back and soak even more in. That said, it’s A LOT of walking and not always on the most even of surfaces. You park in a bus lot and it’s quite the distance to just the ticket booth and entrance of the site. Then, there’s a lot of walking throughout the site.

Jen wasn’t feeling the best and decided to stay back once she saw how long the walk would be. There were horse drawn carriage tours available for purchase and she decided to pay for that after sitting for some time. She said that the carriage took her around the perimeter of the site. She was able to see the stadium and a lot of the remaining ruins. It wasn’t as comprehensive as the full tour we did, but she felt like she got enough of a taste that she didn’t feel left out.

Back on the bus….. We drove to Magna Grecia Farm. The drive was really pretty. When we arrived, we were welcomed with ice cold white wine and delicious warm olive oil bread!

We were given a tour of their olive oil processing plant. We were also told the history of the family who started and still run the farm.

We then were shown the olive trees and an explanation of the different stages of growth. This included an olive oil tasting, which was so interesting and delicious.

Lunch was included in this tour. It was a smattering of small Greek dishes and we were able to add the infused olive oil of our choosing. The lunch included traditional Greek dancing, which was super fun!

We had about a half hour for shopping in their shops before it was time to get back on the bus. Their gift shop was one of the best of the trip! They had so many of their own products, as well as locally made items. I did bring home olive oil and also have ordered some online to ship to the US.

It was time to go back to the port. We were dropped off right next to the security entrance to the pier. Megan and I decided to take some of the time we had left to shop along the street next to the port. It was only a few blocks, but it was enough for us to make some good souvenir purchases. I’ll say, again, this port was really easy to navigate!

Em, Jen, Megan, and I decided to go up to the Lido deck for a quick snack and then down to Deck 8 for a drink. I got a drink at Shakers and met couple from New York. We chatted for a while about how the cruise was going and compared the pros/cons of NCL vs Carnival. I went outside on the deck where the four of us recapped the day. We broke to get showers and get ready for dinner.

Mom and Jeff were napping and Em decided she wasn’t in the mood for the dining room, so it was Jen, Megan, and I in Savor for dinner. It ended up being one of the best dinners on the cruise, oddly enough.

Pictured above was my dinner…. Coconut Shrimp (Good but not coconut); Baked Brie (Phenomenal…. I really wanted another one); Chimichurri Beef (Also Phenomenal); Snickers Poundcake (Really Good); and Banana Soufflés (Really Good).

After dinner, Megan, Em, and I went to see the Magic Show in theater. I will be so honest…… I cannot handle magic shows, lol. I have such a hard time taking the theatrics seriously. This one was ok and had a couple of impressive tricks. Overall, though, I’m just not the audience for it.

In the atrium, they were having a Battle of the Sexes game and that was hysterical. We had so much fun watching it. From there, Jeff went with us to the end of the ABBA Sing-a-long on the deck. We hung out at the 70s Dance Party for about 15 minutes, as well. I was ready to call it a night, so it was (you guessed it) time for Nightly H2O and ready for bed!

Italy/Greece 2023 Trip Report (September 1 – 15, 2023)
– The Beginning (Vivi Alla Giornata!)
– The Planning Process (Rome)
– The Planning Process (Greece Ports)
– The Planning Process (Italy Ports)
– Flight Confusion
– Day 0: Leave for Rome (September 1, 2023)
– Day 1: Rome Arrival and City Tour (September 2, 2023)
– Day 2: Board the Breakaway (September 3, 2023)
– Day 3: Sea Day (September 4, 2023)
– Day 4: Santorini, Greece (September 5, 2023)
– Day 5: Athens (Piraeus), Greece (September 6, 2023)
– Day 6: Mykonos, Greece (September 7, 2023)
– Day 7: Olympia (Katakolon), Greece (September 8, 2023)
– Day 8: Valletta, Malta (September 9, 2023)
– Day 9: Messina (Sicily), Italy (September 10, 2023)
– Day 10: Naples, Italy (September 11, 2023)
– Day 11: Florence/Pisa (Livorno), Italy (September 12, 2023)
– Day 12: Disembark and Vatican City (September 13, 2023)
– Day 13: Rome (September 14, 2023)
– Day 14: Leaving Rome (September 15, 2023) and Some Final Thoughts

Italy/Greece 2023 – Day 7: Olympia (Katakolon), Greece (September 8, 2023)

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