This was a long day of riding, into the worst headwind of the trip. We'd hoped to have time for both optional detours, to the Cave di Cusa from which the Greeks quarried the stone to make Selinunte, and to the archaeological site at Selinunte itself. Joe, Scott, and i instead wound up heading directly to Selinunte, where we met up with Dave and Sarah (who did make it to the cave as well). As compensation for our slow progress, we did get to try arancini (not photographed) at a bar on the way. Our lodging that night was at Casa di Latomie, the first of the agriturismos we would stay in on the trip. There we found a dart board, an extremely silly miniature pool table, and an excellent meal in the dining room.
in Marsala, Bill and i got a vast two-story hotel room with this stairwell between the floors |
stone stairs in our hotel |
Dave in a glass elevator in the hotel |
correction: Dave trapped in a glass elevator in the hotel |
baked pear at breakfast |
COFFEE |
pomegranates growing on a tree in the hotel courtyard |
Castelvetrano olive tree! |
Castelvetrano olives! I tried one. They were... relatively not disgusting, in the context of raw olives. This is not saying very much |
windmill |
the countryside, relatively flat on today's ride |
olive trees in the countryside |
grapevines |
it may have been flat, but it was incredibly windy |
i took several photos of this field, probably as a transparent excuse to take a break from fighting the wind |
more grapevines and fields |
We stop at benches behind this roadside shrine and eat the picnic lunch of pita, meat, and cheese we bought in Marsala |
the front of the roadside shrine |
bricks at the corner of the road |
spiky plants in the wind |
a water feature |
our cue sheet said to turn right by eucalyptus trees after a bridge, so we guessed these must be eucalyptus trees |
the right turn took us across a field through this lane, continuing into the same punishing headwind as before |
we were relieved to finally reach the end of the lane and find ourselves on larger roads |
Joe looks at the stop sign |
building in Campobello di Mazara |
art in the main square in Campobello di Mazara |
we saw a huge number of prickly pears by the side of the road on our way to Selinunte |
landscape on the way to Selinunte |
landscape on the way to Selinunte - see section below for photos taken at the archeological site itself |
plate at the Casa di Latomie agriturismo |
skewers of meat, at dinner |
some manner of tools, on the wall of our room at the agriturismo |
Joe, Scott, Sarah, and i spent a couple of hours walking around the archaeological site at Selinunte, which included the ruins of five temples in various stages of reconstruction, the foundation of an agora (marketplace), and the entire ruined city of Selinunte, which was sacked and abandoned by the Carthaginians around 250 BCE.
entrance to the archaeological park at Selinunte |
the Temple of Hera, the best preserved (reconstructed, i think) of the temples at Selinunte |
a pile of temple parts |
south-side view of Temple of Hera |
north-side view of Temple of Hera |
STOP playing Ingress |
end-view of Temple of Hera |
looking inside the Temple of Hera |
more temple parts |
tab A goes in slot B (N.B. tab A disintegrated two millennia ago, and is not pictured) |
berries growing inside a bush |
big column base |
big column base on top of a pile of temple parts |
Sarah in front of big column base |
the ruined city, from a distance |
winding road in front of the ocean |
looking back at the Temple of Hera as we walk towards the ruined city |
'Why is there a dance venue in the middle of this archeological site?' you ask, but no one can tell you |
landscape and buildings near the archaeological site |
looking down the road towards ancient Selinunte |
the walls of ancient Selinunte |
ancient Selinunte, on its hill overlooking the sea |
raspberries grow everywhere |
One of many slightly scary-looking plants we found in the grass near the agora |
panorama of the agora near ancient Selinunte |
ruins of the agora |
the ocean |
another view of the temple and walls of ancient Selinunte |
exterior wall of the ancient city |
another view along the exterior of the ancient city |
beach near the ancient city |
maybe the big waves have something to do with all the wind, who can say |
outlines of houses inside the city |
a box and some columns |
street to the temple |
walls of buildings |
closeup of wall |
ruined rooms and buildings in front of the temple |
more ruined buildings |
probably a cell tower |
looking down to the west from the ancient city |
Scott, in ancient Selinunte |
a road in the ancient city |
the ants of Selinunte have constructed an amphitheatre |
an exterior wall of the city |
buildings towards the northern part of the city |
the ruin of something round |
half an arch, not obviously better than none |
more straight roads |
a water trough or bathtub or something |
mortar and pestle, for grinding very big spices |
information about the walls at the northern end of Selinunte |
footbridge and large stone structures visible in the northern end of the city |
view from the ancient city back towards the Temple of Hera |
city walls, seem from the northern end of the city |
looking inside a room at the northern end of the city |
a building in the northern end of the city |
a large ruin in the northern end of the city |
Scott, investigating the ruins |
not sure what this is - maybe excavated columns and stones laid out for inspection? |
looking south towards the central square of the city |
looking into the wall separating the northern part of the city |
my point is simply that there is some circumstantial evidence of a prevailing wind direction in this city |
more beach |
we walk back towards the temple and the parking lot where we left our bikes |
plant with enormous spiky needles - exercise caution |