It’s quite appropriate that today’s port is Katakolon the gateway to Olympia, given that the modern Games of the 33rd Olympiad will open this week in Paris.
Wind your clock back exactly 2800 years, and that’s our destination today.
First though, we start with birthday breakfast on our balcony, and then take a walk around the port marina.
We catch the bus which takes us the 33 km to Olympia the town built adjacent to the site.
We wander around the ruins, imagining all the various building and their uses, from bath-houses to VIP centres, training areas and, of course, temples. We visit the temple of Zeus the thunder god and king of gods.
We walk along what would have been a vomitory to the main track, now open as it has deteriorated over time.
Later we walk to the museum which houses many antiquities relating to the area, from urns and cauldrons to fabulous statuary. The quality and age of the collection is quite incredible.
The bus gets us back in time for a late lunch and afterwards it has to be pool time, until we have a couples massage in the spa.
Back to the pool, there’s a Jersey Boys performance scheduled as sailaway and we enjoy Frankie songs delivered beautifully by the ship’s company and orchestra.
Then it was birthday champagne on our balcony whilst FaceTiming friends in Yorkshire, until the patio grill bar beckoned us for Bellini and Kir Royal on our way to Solis.
Solis is the company-wide replacement for Thomas Keller – excepting Odyssey which has now been sold to the Japanese – and has a Mediterranean themed menu.
Hubby’s paccheri pasta filled with lobster is yummy, and the lobster sauce is delightful. My scallop eschabeche, best thought of as carpaccio, has clementine and caviar and is excellent.
They had run out of porterhouse steak, and instead were offering rib-eye – juicy and flavoursome it was a perfect outcome for us. We add white asparagus and potato gratin, and béarnaise to finish.
For pudding we enjoy apricot and lavender tart, and tiramisu built at the table. Both are excellent. Bonus comes in the form of birthday cake!
The staff are excellent, the ambiance is lovely, and the food just perfect. Our first ever Solis is a resounding success.
