The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1896-02-13
flourlshins clubs each with It's athletic

III field Similar activity is reported from
1, | Smyrna and yolo. Indeed. gymnasi-
| ums are not needed, as the climate per-
, mits of exercise In the open air through
out the winter. A rainy day Is the ex-
ception and snow In quantity enough to
| cover the ground almost unknown in
the plains.
If England, America, Germany and
France are represented at the games
by their best amateur athletes, 1t Is
Indeed not to be expected; that little
| Greece will win many of the henors.
! Still she will certainly be respectfully
| represented in the general athletics and
| certainly In her own proffered national
| sport OF discus-throwing i5 likely to
| lead the field. Football. baseball, criclt-
| ct and lawn tennis are as good as un-
known in Greece except to individuals
who have lived some time out OF the
country. The same may be said OF
rowing. The bicycle, too, has not yet
become fully acclimated, and a large
proportion of those who know the UNI
paralleled delights of the wheel in
these charming Arctic winter days be-
long, I find, to the foreign colony.
THE ENTERTAINMENT OF GUESTS
The provision for the entertainment
of visitors involves some serious diff
culties. 1t Is not possible, in the first
place, to estimate how many are likely
to come. The attendance from Greece
itself and from the Greek communities
In other countries is sure to be large
The population of Greece proper Is only
about two and quarter millions. but
Greeks by blood and speech and ma
tienal sentiment. live along the coasts
OF the eastern Mediterranean. The
number of European and American
travellers visiting the country In lata.
years, since the Improvement ln..rMsG,fYs
OF communication, has greatly increas-
tnS
these last year We're Americans-abotn
i,ooo, as the hotel registers show. If
proper assurances concerning convent
ence>@f travel and comfortable quarters
Can be given, It Is not unlikely that
many who would ordinarily come no
farther in their travels than Rome or
Naples, may this year be lured by the
games over to Athens. The sub-com
mittee on entertainment of strangers
is now considering what Is to be done
with a possible influx Of from 10000 to
$4,000 strangers
The hotels ut Athens are ample to
the ordinary needs. They are on the
whole excellent There are few better
hotels In Europe than the Grande Bre-
taque and the Augleterre. The Grand
the Athenes. the Minerva, the Victoria,
the strangers and the Alexandra lie
Grand are as good as the ordinary
tirst-olass hotels In the smaller cities
OF France and Germany. But these
and the dozen lesser inns are sure to be
crowded by people who have secured
rooms In long advance. In view of this
difficulty and the certainty that Eng
lish and American travellers Will be re-
PEELED from coming, If there be any
uouot as to securing proper lodgings
and food, the committee proposes to
make census of all available lodgings
In and about Athens, 10 fix their price
70 f,tt
request, either on arrival or In advance.
am permitted by the committee to
say that from this time on any inquiry
relative to entertainment addressed to
Mon. t. Philemon. Secretaire General
des Jeux Olympiques, Athens, will be
properly answered. A large humber Of
very desirable lodgings will be found
In the peasant village by the sea side
OF New Phaleron, where there are food
notes and restaurants and ready Iom-
munication with the city, four miles
distant, by train and railway. A pro-
Ject FOR the erection of large number
OF villas In connection with q restaurant
IN another charming seaside suburb of
Athens Is also under consideration and
II this enterprise, as has been proposed.
would be brought into connection with
one or the great travellers agencies n
would offer to the American and Eng
iish visitors a most satisfactory solu-
ZION OF the lodging question. In amy
case II seems now certain that full and
proper provision will be made in some
one of the above mentioned ways and
Mt reasonable prices for the entertain
ment Of all who come.
VARIOUS ROUTES TO ATHENS.
No one need be deferred from coming
10 Athens by any supposed difficulties
OF communication or travel. Travelling
between Italy and Greece Is as safe and
US comfortable now as on any route in
the world where steamship travel is
necessary. The railway trip between
PatraS. on the north coast OF the Pelo-
ponnesus, and Athens Is one of the most
delightful bits of railway travel in the
world 1t skirts the Gulf of Corinth.
into which from the other side look
down Parnassus and Helikan, and after
crossing the 1sthmus OF Corinth leads
along the cliffs that overhang the isle
dotted Saronic Gulf on by Megara and
Siieusis to Athens. The direct and
cheapest route from New York to Ath-
ems Is by steamer to Naples, thence by
rail across Italy to Brindis, thence by
steamer to Patras. and thence by rail
TO Athens. The total flrst-c!ass fare by
this route is from $3.50 to $40. The
trip via Southampton and the channel
and thence by rail overland to Brindisi
10 Athens costs about $3.50, to which
must De added the extra expense OF food
on the railway journey. The most in
teresting route of all Is that by Vienna
and Constantinople thence by steamer
(elther Austrian RnSsinp1 70 A t,,a,,.