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in morning exercises, followed by breakfast at 8. a.m. Normally the
first lecture was scheduled for 8.30 a.m., followed around 10. o'clock
by a seminar. The morning lecturers were held in a natural amphitheatre
on one of the hillocks of the Olympic Academy's estate overlooking the
ancient stadium and the Alpheus river. The evening lectures, which
normally started at 5.30 p.m. were held at the foot of the Cronion Hill.
The different location for morning and afternoon lectures being a
question of the shade offered by the pine trees.
Between the end of the morning courses and lunch, held at 1 p.m.
the participants were at liberty to visit the museums, that is the archaeological,
that of the German Institute, or the Philatelic Museum, or else
to proceed the few hundred yards to the broad flowing Alpheus for a
bathe. Afternoon lectures started at 5.30 p.m. Dinner was held at 8
p.m., while after dinner the evenings were divided between occasional
lectures with slides or films, films of Olympic subjects, or a camp fire.
One such entertainment was organised by the 14 students of Graz who
had brought with them their costumes, their dirndles and musical instruments.
The Excursions
Sea bathing is invariably an attraction to all, especially in the heat
of summer, and it is all the more so for students who come from countries
which have no coast-line or from cities distant from the sea. One morning
was devoted therefore to a fifty mile excursion to the beach at
Kyllene, named appropritely the "Olympic Beach" with a sandy expanse
and possibilities of volley ball (see p. 215). Lunch was taken here.
On two other occasions excurions of a similar distance were made to
the beaches to the south, at Kaïfa, but arrangements were made to
return in time for lunch at the Academy Camp.
The Closing Ceremony
On the last evening, the 23rd, the notabilities of the Nomarchy
(County) of Elis were invited to attend at the closing ceremony. These
included the Bishop of Elis, the Nomarch, the military Governor of the
district, the Mayor of Ancient Olympia, Mr. Bartels of the German
Archaeological Institute, Mr. Raymond Gratereau of the French High
School of Physical Education, and others, most of whom with their
wives.
After the Bishop had pronounced his blessing the Nomarch, Mr.
S. Kouvopoulos, as representing the Greek Government expressed
the country's thanks to the members of the Academy and bade them
God speed for their return home to their native lands.
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