The Notebook: Olympia Feels Pain of Greece

Olympia Feels Greek Pain

It took less than 24 hours for the village of Olympia to return to the normal pace of life after the May 10 lighting ceremony for the London Olympics. Thousands of extra visitors to the town quickly departed once the flame left on the relay around Greece. The calm was a bit eerie after the hubbub.

But it also provided a telling view ofhow this hamlet 350 km from Athens is feeling the effect of the reeling Greek economy. As the Greek economy fades, so are the numbers of tourists, maybe 10 percent this year.

It may be worse in Olympia. On the night after the flame lighting ceremony dozens of shops and restaurants were open, most absent even a single customer. One shopkeeper said his business this year is down 40 percent.

Crash Ends Roadworks to Olympia

Getting to Olympia from Athens has never been an easy jaunt, upwards of five hours or so. But the crash of the Greek economy has led to the cessation of massive roadworks along the northern edge of the Peloponnese, the main way to reach Olympia. The result is a hazardous array of narrow lanes, construction barriers and no passing zones for what must be a 100km of stretch of the main highway to Olympia.

There are half-built bridges, tunnels, new roadbeds ready to be surfaced, but all in a state of abandon.

What with the desperation Greece faces simply trying to form a government, it seems that the road to Olympia will remain a rough one for years to come.

Olympic Face in Greek Government Drama

As Greece tries to figure out how to rule itself, it is interesting to see former Olympics minister Evangelos Venizelos as part of the fray. Venizelos was finance minister in the last government and is now trying to lead the Socialist PASOK party. Venizelos and the party took a blow in the recent hung election, losing seats.

As Culture Minister under the PASOK government which began work on the Olympics, Venizelos helped push forward some of the venues in Athens now considered white elephants.

Another election is considered likely for June, but isn’t expected to be called until later this week.

Niether Venizelos nor any other politicianis calling for a new Greek Olympic bid to revive the economy.

Olympia Green Again

The hills around Olympia are green once more, barely showing the effects of the fires of 2007 that came close to scorching the ancient site. The black stubble of the blazes, which struck across the country that year, was clearly in evidence during the flame lighting for the Beijing Olympics in 2008.

No Protests for London Lighting

All quiet on the dissident front at the ceremony last week. Protestors tried to steal the stage during the Beijing ceremony and shortly into the torch relay in Olympia. No such tensions so far for the London relay.

Greek Relay Hits the Islands

The Greek torch relay is back on the mainland after legs in Crete and the tiny island of Castellorizo, where HOC President Spyros Capralos ran with the flame.

The relay travels through the north of Greece before heading to Athens May 17 for the final legs before the handover ceremony to London 2012.

The eight day Greek relay covers 2900 km with 490 runners.

Written and reported in Athens and Olympia by Ed Hula

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