We moved on today and were tempted both by the Amalfi coast and a Roman villa at Minori. We dismissed the former due to the infamous, tortuously windy road (and the fact that it was hazy and the views would not be great) and the latter because we had seen enough Roman villas for the moment. So we headed straight for Paestum and the site with three magnificent Roman temples.
We arrived at our chosen site, Camping Sparticus (recommended by the Pompeii campsite and Lonely Planet Italy), in time for lunch and decided to have a relaxing afternoon and tackle the site in the morning. The weather was very good with a temperature of 23°C and, although there had been quite a strong wind on the way, the campsite was sheltered from it. We sat in the sun for lunch and were ambushed by a an East German man who was very keen to practice his English. It was actually very good and he was even able to tell jokes in English, including an unrepeatable one about the late lamented Queen Mother and involving a bath after a meal of beans and onions. Whilst we were chatting, another German couple passed with the man carrying a meter and a length of wire. When he returned some time later (we were still being talked at by our East German friend) he announced in German what the temperature of the water was at different depths. We thought that this was a little excessive and very Germanic. We thought that they were trying to decide if it was warm enough to swim but we later saw him going back to the beach with a fishing rod. Perhaps the temperature of the sea is critical for fishing – I have no knowledge in that area!
Given that the beach just the other side of the hedge in front of Henrietta and the sun was warm, Jane decided to have a paddle. She decided, without the aid of a thermocouple, that it wasn't warm enough to swim but enjoyed the brief and limited contact with the ocean.
Photos: The beach at the campsite at Paestum; Jane paddling.
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