On the morning of our last day in Greece, we took a brisk walk from our Airbnb to the Panathenaic Stadium. It was a glorious morning with the sun rising into a perfect blue sky. The first Panathenaic Stadium was constructed in the 5th century BC in a rectangular shape, which was popular during that time period. In the 2nd century AD, Emperor Hadrian oversaw an expansion of the stadium into a massive horseshoe-shaped arena that could seat 50,000 spectators. With seats covered in Pentelic marble and marble statues displayed throughout, it was an impressive sight to behold.
In the late 4th century, Theodosius I banned all forms of paganism, including celebrations and entertainment in the stadium. The stadium was largely abandoned and over the coming centuries, the marble from the stadium was stripped and used in other building works and the stadium fell into complete ruin. The only hope for the stadium to rise from its ashes came with the idea of a modern Olympic games in the mid-1800s.
Greece was not in a strong economic position, having declared bankruptcy a few years earlier, but it was the dream of the Greeks to host the first modern Olympics. A private benefactor was called upon to finance the construction of a new stadium. The new stadium was rebuilt with no expenses spared, this time entirely of Pentelic marble. It is the only stadium in the world built entirely out of marble. It was completed in time to host the first modern Olympic Games in March 1896 where the Greek athlete Spyridon Louis won the Marathon race and inspired the nation.
The stadium officially opens at 8 am to tourists but Leo found out that it opens to runners and athletes half an hour earlier, at 7:30. We weren’t sure how strict the definition for “runners and athletes” might be so we just decided to show up and try our luck.
We nearly had the entire stadium to ourselves. We warmed up with a run around the track. It was an exhilarating feeling sprinting down the track imagining the stands full of cheering spectators. We ran a few family relay races and the kids took their spots on the winner pedestals. We ventured into the stands, climbing upsteeper and steeper steps as we got into the nosebleed seats, and paused to admire the stadium from a different angle.
While the kids were playing, Leo and I followed the tourist audio guide around the stadium. It led us to a “secret” tunnel called a diodos, toward the back of the stadium with a fascinating history. It was once used during Roman times as a passageway for gladiators to enter the stadium. In ancient times, during the first incarnation of the stadium, the passageway was used by oracles and mystics to hold rituals that included animal sacrifices. The tunnel was sometimes used by Athenian maidens to perform secret ceremonies. We thought the kids would be interested in this ancient passageway so we called the kids over to take a look. We followed the mysterious tunnel until it lead us to a small museum where posters and memorabilia from previous Olympic Games are kept.
Every two years, the Olympic flame is transferred by torch relay from the ancient Olympia Stadium to the Panathenaic Stadium, before it is passed to the host country of the Summer and Winter Games alternately.
The children entertained themselves with games of tag and Mr. Wolf. By the time we were leaving the stadium, the sun was shining in full force. We felt euphoric from all of the endorphins released into our bodies from the exercises. There was no better way to end our time in Greece.
Close to lunch time, we walked to a nearby McDonalds. We eat at a McDonalds in each country that we visit because of the economics project – The Big Mac index – that Leo and RY are working on. They use price data collected from McDonalds in different countries to compare PPP (purchasing power parity). Apart from the data collection, we enjoy the meals at McDonalds. More or less, the food tastes the same no matter where you are in the world, though the menu can be quite different depending on local tastes and preferences. RY and AY usually order the nuggets and french fries. DY and EY also enjoy the cheeseburgers. Leo and I often try some local specialties. As long as the fries are fresh and hot and they serve ice cream, we always walk away satisfied.
