During September and October 2004, we made a visit to Italy to catch the last of the summer sun, and of course to visit my sister. Whilst there we were fortunate enough to visit a number of interesting and varied locations, as you can see below. We all had a terrific time, and were very disappointed to leave so soon. Below, you will see the nine of us whom participated in the sightseeing and nights out, my mother and father (Edwin & Anne), my sister (Julie), my brother in law (Giuseppe), my two nephew's  (Vincenzo & Edwin), my niece (Christina), my girlfriend (Korina), and of course last but not least me (Robert). We visited a number of City's, Towns, and Villages during our vacation, including:- Naples, Salerno, Paestum, Amalfi, Positano, Eboli, and Agropoli.

Paestum

The Savoy Beach Hotel in Paestum, where Korina and I were staying

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The pool's and garden of the Savoy

Korina & Robert at the fantastic Savoy Beach Hotel

A walk through the wonderful gardens

I just do not want to leave...

The view from the hotel room

Savoy gardens & beach

The Archaeological site of Poseidonia (modern-day Paestum) was founded by Greek colonists around 600 BC. A local tribe, the Lucanians, took over the site around 400 BC, and it became Roman in 273 BC. By the end of the Roman Empire, malaria had driven out the final inhabitants. The site has three major monuments - the Temple of Ceres, The Temple of Neptune and the Basilica - and numerous other ruins.

In the photographs, you can see Korina and the Basilica (Hera I)
ca. 550 BC

The largest of the buildings on the site, the basilica has nine columns across the front and 18 along the side. An odd number of columns along the front is an unusual situation, perhaps driven by the fact that the cella, or central chamber, was divided into two aisles.

Korina & Robert at the Temple of Neptune (Hera II)
ca. 475 BC

The temple was actually dedicated to Hera, and represents a fine example of the pure Doric order. In the foreground, the remains of two other relics can be seen.

Korina at the 2,500 year old temple of Ceres (Athena)

Robert & Korina at the Temple of Ceres (Athena) the temple was built around 500 BC

The structure of the frieze in this temple is unique. The triglyphs are actually recessed rather than protruding.

The Story So Far...

Approximately fifty-five miles (ninety kilometres) south of Naples, Italy, stands the ancient city of Paestum. Legends tell of the city's founding by Jason and the Argonauts, but archaeologists, uncomfortable with the stuff of legends, attribute Paestum's birth to 7th century BC Greek colonists. Paestum was long known as Poseidonia, indicating that the site was once a ceremonial centre of Poseidon (the Roman Neptune), the god of the sea. The two primary temples, the 550 BC Basilica and the 450 BC temple of Neptune (shown in the photo), were originally dedicated to the fertility goddess Hera. A third temple on the site was dedicated to Athena, the goddess of wisdom, spiritual consciousness, and the arts. Poseidonia was conquered and occupied in 400 BC by the Lucans, an Italian people who ruled until 273 BC when the city became a Roman colony. With the fall of the Roman Empire, the spread of malaria from nearby marshes, and Moslem raids in the ninth century, Paestum fell into decline and was deserted for many centuries. Rediscovered only in 1752 by an Italian road-building crew working in the area, Paestum is the finest preserved Greek temple complex in the Mediterranean world.

The initial temple dedications to feminine deities indicate that the site was originally sacred to prehistoric earth-goddess cults before its usurpation by the patriarchal Poseidon priesthood. Hera was a goddess of fertility and creativity, and Athena a goddess of art and spiritual wisdom. Did Hera and Athena actually exist as discreet physical entities, or should these goddesses be understood as mythological encodings of the particular energetic qualities of the site? According to my theories, the gender of the primary deities at the site is an indication of the gender of the earth energies (what might also be called the yin and yang qualities of the site), and the personality characteristics of the deities are a metaphorical indication of how the site will affect human beings. Psychics and dowsers visiting Paestum note that the area of the ruins is conducive to the awakening and amplification of the capacity of artistic creativity. It is fascinating to note that a popular legend resonates with this idea. Childless couples flock to the temple of Hera to copulate beneath the night sky, in the belief that making love within the shrine of the goddess will call forth her fertilizing influence and thereby insure pregnancy. At Paestum, Hera is not only a goddess of fertility; she is also a goddess of childbirth. Ultimately these myths speak to us of the power of this place to birth newness in the human spirit.

 

Korina at Paestum train station

Wake up it's a beautiful morning!

Showing off my wishbone on the beach

The temples of Neptune and the Basilica after dark

The ancient Greek temple of Neptune

A night out at the Covent Garden pub

The Beach Bum's at Paestum

Edwin spread eagled at Paestum beach

Escape from the med...

The women of the family

Edwin, Vincenzo & Christina

We can sea you...

Some Fun & Games

On the beach...

Disco Dancing...

A few masses to celebrate the end of the Oktoberfest!

The last night is over!

Goodbye Savoy

A fond farewell

A roadside view

Agropoli

Korina & I with Vincenzo, Edwin & Christina in Agropoli

Leaving the restaurant in Agropoli full of pasta & wine

My Nephew's & Niece in Agropoli Town Centre

A few beers on a night out in Agropoli

Salerno

The evening meal in a Bavarian pub... you have to have a small break from all the Pizza & Pasta

A night out with Dario in the Via Roma region of Salerno

4 am... must go now! Bitte!

Korina at Salerno Harbour

Robert & Korina on the Harbour wall

A sea view of Salerno

Salerno Into the evening

A view along the bay of Salerno

Vincenzo, Christina & Edwin

Taking a break and re-energizing with some Vitamin C

Taking the weight off... after another long day!

Eboli

A day out in Eboli

Ehh Boly

Amalfi

The Amalfi coast on the journey from Salerno

The sea view of Amalfi

Inside of the Cathedral of Amalfi, the Tower, and the Cloister

Dedicated to St. Andrew, Amalfi Cathedral rises at the end of steep steps and dominates the square of the same name. In the middle of the square is the eighteenth-century fountain of St.Andrew or of the People. The original plan of the building dating back to the ninth century was redone in 1203 on a Sicilian Arab-Norman shape and then restructured over the centuries. The particularly beautiful façade, has remarkable mosaic decoration in the tympanum, portraying Christ enthroned between the symbols of the Evangelists and the terrestrial podesta, designed by Domenico Morelli
 

Amalfi's origin dates back to the first century B.C. when the roman aristocracy built luxurious villas in this area. Soon Amalfi and its surroundings became a refined and well developed community, mainly because of the wealthy commerce with many other populations around the Mediterranean sea. Amalfi indeed owned a powerful fleet and strong marine traditions and laws (Tabula de Amalpha) and is still very proud of one of its most famous mariners, Flavio Gioia, who invented the compass.

Amalfi's proud people gained their independence in 838 fighting against the Longobardi empire. Unfortunately the Pisan army conquered Amalfi between the XI and the XII century. The watchtowers which are still scattered around the whole coastline stay as a charming and everlasting sign of those conflicts.

 

Amalfi town

The Stella Maris restaurant where we had lunch, and the seafront

Robert & Korina in Amalfi

The beautiful sites of Amalfi

Photograph's of Robert & Korina overlooking the bay

The coastline just south of Naples, known as the Amalfi Coast, is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful in the world. It as an inherent natural beauty characterized by very steep, rocky hillsides falling sheer into the sea, and the local villages, untouched by modern architecture, which used to be dedicated to fishing, have retained all their centuries-old charm. Sightseers, if they really want to absent themselves from this beautiful area, can visit Naples, Pompei and Vesuvius. Ravello, just above Amalfi, has two enchanted villa gardens with views of the coastline. Capri and Ischia are islands nearby, both of extraordinary natural beauty.
 

The Amalfitana coast along the bay of Naples

Positano

Positano Bay

A stop off at the famous Chez Black Restaurant in Positano

The beach at Positano

Robert & Korina at Positano

A view down the coastline on the trip back to Salerno

Salerno

Naples

Korina & Anne at Napoli Airport

All photographs were taken in either Naples / Salerno / Paestum / Amalfi / Positano / Agropoli or Eboli - Italy from the 28th September to 4th October 2004.