Country Images Magazine North January 2018 | Page 30

Th e fi rst temple of Hera, c. 500 BCE
is a good plan. Buying the offi cial guide brochure (5 Euros) which I’m still
reading and fi nding how much I actually missed due to our short visit, is a
must. Don’t rely on your mobile or tablet to get you round - you won’t see
the screen in the blazing sun for a start!
Each of the three Greek temples at Paestum has its own story, the oldest
being Hera (9x18 columns) follow ed by Athena (6x13 columns) or Ceres
(whichever book you read), and Poseidon or Hera 2 (6x14 columns) again
depending on who you listen to. Th ey are a mixed bag of sizes with all the
fronts facing the sun and mighty impressive.
Originally founded by the Greeks as Poseidonia and later occupied by the
Romans who named it Paestum, this is a fl at area and easy to get around
with views in each direction for miles. Th e temples aren’t the only points
of interest as the area around Paestum features outstandingly long, sandy
beaches, which were used for the US army 36th Batallion landings in
WW2. It’s a far cry from the swampy, malaria infested area of the 4th/5th
century AD with some of the population moving south to Agropoli to
escape disease. Th e temples and surrounding area became ‘lost’ only to
be ‘rediscovered’ around the time that Pompei and Herculaneum were
excavated. Th ey are still working on excavations on this huge site.
Numerous hotels and camp sites are close by with some of the best only a
2km walk away.
Th is is an area rich in history indeed which was emphasised during our visit
by one family member exclaiming, ‘Th ey fi lmed Jason and Th e Argonauts
here’ and, with mobile in hand, proved it. Education is a wonderful thing!
Returning to our villa in the evening it was time to fi re up the outdoor
pizza oven. Dragging a fallen old branch from the wood opposite (causing
amusement to all) we soon got the temperature up and, while the rest
were busy preparing dough bases, toppings and salad (again!), we enjoyed
keeping the fi re burning, playing table tennis with the children, enjoying a
glass of red wine, listening to the distant dog barking and watching the sun
go slowly down over the hill.
30 | CountryImagesMagazine.co.uk
Paved street; signs of Roman occupation.