Sicily: Selinunte

We kicked off 2014 with a trip down to the southern coast of Sicily to an archaeological site called Selinunte, an ancient Greek town.  When we got there, we decided to let the kids have some beach time before we had some culture time.

 The beach was full of seashells

 This way to America!

 The boys climbing on the rocks. Luke was in a pointing phase during this trip.

 Mamma and Susannah checking Facebook

Now onto Selinunte. This Greek town was settled and inhabited from about 600 to 300 B.C. The city had a city and then an outlying temple complex. Only one temple, Temple E, still stands. The city held about 15,000 inhabitants at it's peak in the 400's B.C. It was pretty impressive to walk around the ruins. They were HUGE and the sheer power and engineering it must have taken to build them was impressive.

Three kids as we got ready to tour the temples and the town of Selinunte

 Mommy and kids in Temple E. You can see that we barely make it up the first "rung" of the columns. Later you will see how tall the columns are!

 View of the other ruined temples from Temple E

 Temple E...see how tall it is, it is about 6-7 rungs high, each rung is about 5-6 feet.

 Daddy and kids by ruined temple G, once the largest temple. This is one section from one of the temple columns on its side. Notice the square notch that a square peg from another section would fit into for stability.

 

 In the city of Selinunte, the partially standing theater.

 Luke pointing

Kiddos in the sun

On the way back home, we stopped briefly at another famous Greek settlement Segesta. This temple is more intact, but they were closing as we pulled up...so we just got some pics from afar. This town used to fight with Selinunte when they were both inhabited.