The Road Goes Ever On

Monday, June 4, 2018

Paestum, 2018

We landed at San Giovanni in mid-afternoon and sped north on the autostrada, bridges and tunnels, bridges and tunnels, mountains and valleys, mostly mountains, finally getting to Morano Calibro just before dark. We stayed at the same sosta as in May, but did not climb to the top of the town. Next morning we were off again, toward the Bay of Naples, but with a side-trip to old friend Paestum, another of the great sites of Greater Graecia and its Doric temples. Paestum is perhaps the best, Sicily notwithstanding, with three fairly intact temples, all in a row. Previous visits are at http://roadeveron.blogspot.com/2013/10/paestum-2013.html, and
http://roadeveron.blogspot.com/2011/02/paestrum.html.

A drive of hill- and mountain-top villages and towns

At Paestum, Temple of Athena, 500BC

Town meeting area

Among the extensive town ruins

Second Temple of Hera

First Temple of Hera

They were really into Hera; "if she ain't happy, ain't nobody happy" (ancient
Greek proverb)

The two Hera temples

Spare parts

Maybe not

Thought for the day (in the wonderful Paestum museum
gift shoppe)

Terrain around Paestum

Including some formidable cliffs

Friday, June 1, 2018

Arrivaderci, Sicily

After Syracuse, we felt like our Sicilian adventure was over and that it was time to get back to the mainland, adventures there, and beyond.

Breaking camp at the marina

Driving past Etna

On board and en route...although it took a few extra hours to figure out that our
departure port was Tremestria, not Messina...a long story, the moral of which
we still have not fully understood

Strait of Messina

Passing in the day

Messina...next time...

Escort

Arrivaderci, Sicily

Paolo Orsi Museum, 2018

We visited the Paolo Orsi in 2011 and were impressed, not merely with the collection, but with Orsi himself, the turn-of-the-century native archaeologist who unearthed and interpreted much of Sicily's past, and especially its more remote past. Not many museum's are named for archaeologists. Not many museums are so indebted to one person.

Alas, walking from the marina to the museum we passed
this, the "Basilica" Madonna della Lacrime, which now
dominates Syracuse's skyline

Syracuse has endured 2,700 years as a city, but this
architectural obscenity (neo-teepee?) may be its greatest
challenge

Fortunately you can look the other way at the blossoming jacarandas

We were joined at the museum by several high school classes;
mostly they're on their phones or with each other, barely noticing
what is before them, passing quickly from room to room; same here
as in all the other countries we have visited; except France; oh, in the
foreground are skeletons of (fully-grown) hobbit elephants that once
roamed Sicily