Sicily was the largest colony established by Greece. What that actually means sinks in about the third time you visit a vast, partially excavated archaeological site and find a temple, or several, that appear to be transplanted straight from the Acropolis in Athens. The temples may the most impressive sights, but there are lots ofContinue reading “Where the Greeks were”
Tag Archives: Archaeological sites
Piazza Armerina–Roman mosaics at their best
We didn’t know much about Piazza Armerina until we looked for archaeological sites to visit within driving distance of us in Sicily. The guidebook indicated interesting mosaics at the Villa Romana de Casale near the town of Piazza Armerina. The mosaic floors of this villa, owner unknown but possibly the Emperor Maximian (250-310 AD), areContinue reading “Piazza Armerina–Roman mosaics at their best”
What I love about Pompeii
As an archaeologist, I was amazed, surprised, and delighted by Pompeii. Other sites may be bigger (Tenochtitlan, Mexico), have larger temples and pyramids (Moche, Peru), or more spectacular settings (Machu Picchu, Peru), but more is known and brings the city to life in Pompeii than anywhere else. There are lots of buildings, walls and streets.Continue reading “What I love about Pompeii”
After Ferragosto
Ferragosto is the annual down time for all of Italy. During the two weeks from mid-August until the first of September almost everyone takes a holiday, and every desirable hostelry in the country is jammed to the doors. That’s why we left for Ireland. We returned to Italy when order was restored on Sept. 1.Continue reading “After Ferragosto”
12 hours of madness, and incidentally, New Grange
(Things got a bit out of order and this should have appeared before the previous) We left Bundoran on Aug. 30 and embarked on 12 hours of madness as we tried to get me in and out of the outpatient unit at University Hospital, Sligo for a shot in my eye to treat my macularContinue reading “12 hours of madness, and incidentally, New Grange”
Archaeology of Ireland–Northwest
The archaeology slide show continues in northwest Ireland. This includes all kinds of historic and ruined structures. If I posted about each one separately, there would be a lot of photos of rocky structures. You may enjoy browsing these. We had a great time finding and visiting all of them. These are the places inContinue reading “Archaeology of Ireland–Northwest”
Archaeology in Ireland–Southwest
We visited many, many archaeological sites and objects, from the stone lying by the sidewalk in Dingle to the ruins of Ardfert Cathedral. Partly as a way to remember what they all were, I’m creating a slideshow that include each site we saw in the Dingle region (Co. Kerry). Some of these I’ve already mentionedContinue reading “Archaeology in Ireland–Southwest”
Off the beaten path at Lough Melvin
We set out on a loop from Bundoran to Manorhamilton, on to Rosinver, then back to Bundoran. We started with the farmers market in Manorhamilton that turned out to be very, very small. After buying a few things, we went in search of a ring fort and we found a site, but it wasn’t theContinue reading “Off the beaten path at Lough Melvin”
An Idyllic month ends
I have learned a few things about Ireland in our first month here. Most people are friendly and everyone seems glad to be here. People often refer to our surroundings as “god’s own country.” There are many signs of prosperity, even a construction crane in Dingle. Restored houses dot the peninsula, usually with well keptContinue reading “An Idyllic month ends”
Summer in Dingle
Ireland is very green and lovely, and when the sun is out the views are spectacular. When I asked my daughter, Lillian, how she dealt with the changeable weather when she was here she said she always wore her rain jacket. That’s a must. We tried scheduling activities according to the weather report this firstContinue reading “Summer in Dingle”
Llywindatravels 2022 