The plan today was for only a short journey, so we had time for a gentle start. First a very short walk from the campsite took us to an excellent bakers with a lovely display of many different loaves and rolls. We chose a horseshoe-shaped loaf and a hexagonal loaf that consisted of seven rolls joined together. I couldn't resist buying something for lunch – made like a swiss-roll with a white bread made with olive oil, it had black olives and smoked ham placed on the dough before it was rolled up. It was delicious and certainly something I will make when I get home. Then we visited the fruit and vegetable stall directly opposite the campsite. It is very well stocked with a huge variety of high-quality produce at very reasonable prices.
An hour on the campsite Internet allowed us to catch up on emails and post the blog. This was our first opportunity since we arrived in Sicily, so there was a lot to do.
A short drive took us down small roads off the main SS115 to the coast and Eraclea Minoa. The town was founded in the 6th century BC and was named Minoa after King Minos of Crete who allegedly chased Daedalus from Crete to Sicily and establish a settlement here where he landed. Although there is not a huge amount of extant ruins, the site is worth a visit just for its position. Of all of the cities that we have visited so far, this one was obviously founded by someone who appreciated lovely views. Houses built here would sell for a fortune!
The entrance fee of €2 reflected the fact that the site was small and that the museum under refurbishment (I suspect it had been for many years) was reduced to a single small room with very few exhibits. For most of our visit we were the only people on the site, outnumbered by the staff by a factor of four. They were all chatting at the entrance whilst we rambled over the site, admiring the views. The small Greek theatre was lovely. Made of sandstone and now protected from the elements by a large roof, it was very weathered due to its position and the soft sandstone structure but it was good to see one that had not been over-restored and used for performances. The view from the seats must have been stunning. Below the theatre is a high-status house, part of which has walls over 1.5m high with painted and patterned plaster still visible. There are also mosaics although most of these are covered and we could only see glimpses of the others. We followed the line of the defensive walls up to the acropolis where there are the scant remains of a temple and the presence of a World War II pill box reminded us of the strategic nature of the position.
One interesting aspect of the site was the use of stone blocks that consisted largely or sometimes entirely of crystals. In one case a block of crystals seemed to had been placed in a prominent position in a room of a house in front of the theatre.
This part of Sicily is covered with important archaeological sites, being a very fertile area with other natural resources and therefore attractive to settlers. So we were off to yet another site, this time at Selinute. We tried one campsite on the opposite side of the river to the site but it was closed, so we backtracked to find Camping Athena at Marinella di Selinunte, actually much more convenient for the site. The campsite is basic with small concrete pitches but the welcome was warm.
Photos: A lovely display of bread at the San Leone bakery; A man takes a break from harvesting olives to give me a wave – better than a poke in the eye with a sharp stick!; One of the blocks of crystals at Eraclea Minoa; Jane strides up to the Eraclea Minoa acropolis with the inland view in the background.
No comments:
Post a Comment