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I have to say washing here in Greece is much more enjoyable! The laundry is situated next to a karaoke bar so we enjoyed a few drinks and sang Shania Twain terribly while we waited for our washing to finish. Who ever it was that thought of putting the two next to each other was a genius! I am now staying in Nafplio, a quaint place that has cobbled streets and small shops. It reminds me a little bit of Belgium. On Friday morning Corinth was our first stop. I surprised at the size of the site, it was quite large with a lot of remains to walk around, although much of it was Roman. The museum was quite interesting, especially the artefacts found there relating to the god Asclepius (the god of healing). Votive offerings were made to him in the shape of the body part that they needed healed. For example there were some life size votive legs. I found these particularly interesting because it gave me a chance to consider individual aspects of human sculpture. Some of them were very detailed with attention paid to the indentation of muscle and ligaments. Really fascinating and a must see if you happen to go to Corinth in the near future. A walk up the Acrocorinth followed which provided a fantastic view over the water to Mt. Parnassus. I then had a short bus ride to Isthmia where l looked at the foundations of the Temple of Isis, which is half in the sea and half out. It was beautiful. I couldn't believe how clear the water was, in summer it must be absolutely amazing. This little temple has an apse that sits in the water making quite a pretty picture. If any of you have read the Golden Ass by Apuleius, this is where his story ends. Due to our very short attention spans a rock skimming competition began and I won! I have to say it's the first time I have been complimented on my rock skimming skills, but I suppose there is a first for everything. Thanks dad for teaching me that valuable life skill. Who knew it would be so useful! This morning dawned much too early. I have been asleep most nights before my head hits the pillow! However I perked up considerably upon remembering that today we were visiting Mycenae. The Lion Gate is even better in person, though it tends to look rather small and unimpressive in photos. The site of Mycenae is breathtaking as it looms over the Argive plain and is a relatively large site considering it is 3000 years old. A museum is located on this site as well and boasts some really impressive finds, especially the collection of gold jewellery, some of which is in fantastic condition. It looks almost as if it new. A visit to the site of Nemea saw the girls and I take more silly photos on ancient sites - we are slowly running out of strange poses to strike! We also sunbaked in the Temple of Zeus in a fleeting moment sun, as you do. The site of Nemea is one location that participated in the Panhellenic games in ancient times and thus possesses a stadion (running track). Lots of students decided to run up and down it and after much convincing my lecturer Peter agreed to run a race. It ended in him pulling his hamstring and falling in a heap. He is now hobbling around wearing the celery crown we made for him, which was the prize awarded to those who won in ancient times. Stay tuned!
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