Day 2 - The Valley of the Temples & Agrigento This morning we visit what can truly be described as one of the wonders of the ancient world: the amazing Greek remains in the Valley of the Temples. There are nine of them in total, situated largely on a ridge looking out to sea. Visible for miles and standing proud as they do, they must have made a statement of sheer absolute power and confidence to any passing mariner or shepherd, leaving none in doubt as to who were the masters. The best of them, Concordia, similar in design to the Parthenon in Athens, is almost perfectly preserved, with just the roof missing. With its wonderful tapering columns and beautiful light golden colour it is absolutely captivating.
One can only wonder as to what was going through the builders’ minds thousands of years ago, toiling under a hot sun whilst creating a masterpiece. You may also visit the excellent museum, displaying finds from both the temples and surrounding area, including a unique collection of vases. You may also visit Agrigento itself, awash with medieval atmosphere, swimming in tiny stepped streets and quiet shady piazzas overlooking the blue Mediterranean in the distance. We return to our hotel during the afternoon to relax.
Woke up ca.3am and shortly after that I was aware of an intermittent high-pitched buzzing, first near one ear, then near the other. That kept me awake perhaps till perhaps a little before 4am. I was woken up by the alarm clock
ca.6.30am and got out of bed. Janet got up ca.6.45am. We went down
ca.8am and out to the restaurant near the pool for a buffet breakfast, a bit hurried because we needed to return to the room before boarding the coach at 8.30am. We were taken the short journey to the so-called Valley of the Temples
(i.e. “so-called” because the temples are on a ridge, not in the valley), where we met our guide Claudio, a man whose deep voice and almost musical delivery reminded me of actor/singer Chaim Topol. He led us first to the Temple of Juno, a hundred yards or so to the south of where we’d stopped.
Thursday 4 June 2015 08:49:18
On our way to the Temple of Juno
Thursday 4 June 2015 09:02:36
On our way to the Temple of Juno
Thursday 4 June 2015 09:06:20
Temple of Juno
Thursday 4 June 2015 09:07:38
Temple of Juno: east façade
He sat us down and told us one or two things about the temple cult. Animal (not human) sacrifices were conducted in the area where we were seated, not in the temple itself.
Thursday 4 June 2015 09:08:42
Learning about the Temple of Juno
He pointed out the end of a stone of the temple frieze, that it had a “U” shaped recess carved in it. This was for one of the ropes used to haul it up into position, powered by slaves in a treadmill.
Thursday 4 June 2015 09:12:24
Temple of Juno
Thursday 4 June 2015 09:12:24 (detail)
“U”-shaped recess in the end of the stone of the frieze
Thursday 4 June 2015 09:14:18
Temple of Juno
Thursday 4 June 2015 09:16:16
The valley east of the Temple of Juno
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Behind the sacrificial area associated with the Temple of Juno
Thursday 4 June 2015 09:19:14
Proceeding westwards along the “valley” — in the distance: the Temple of Concordia
Thursday 4 June 2015 09:20:36
Proceeding along the “valley” — almond
Thursday 4 June 2015 09:21:04
Proceeding along the “valley” — almond fruit
On the way to the other temples, we stopped, and Claudio pointed out the necropolis in the bounding wall at the edge of the cliff.
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Tombs in the southern boundary wall
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Part of the southern boundary wall
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Tombs in the southern boundary wall
Thursday 4 June 2015 09:27:38
Tombs in the southern boundary wall
Thursday 4 June 2015 09:30:44
View south towards San Leone, and what would in ancient times have been a natural harbour
Thursday 4 June 2015 09:33:30
Interesting flora by and on the boundary cliff and wall
We proceeded to the Temple of Concordia, and were given time to look around before meeting up beneath one of the centuries-old olive trees nearby.
Janet found it too hot to wander around in the sun, so I walked alone around the temple before returning to the tree.
Thursday 4 June 2015 09:41:42
Huge stem and inflorescence of an agave. The plants are perennial, but each rosette flowers once and then dies.
Thursday 4 June 2015 09:42:58
Pomegranate tree in flower
Thursday 4 June 2015 09:46:44
Temple of Concordia
Thursday 4 June 2015 09:47:50
Temple of Concordia
Thursday 4 June 2015 09:48:56
Temple of Concordia
Thursday 4 June 2015 09:50:48
Temple of Concordia
Thursday 4 June 2015 09:52:02
Temple of Concordia
Thursday 4 June 2015 09:53:46
Temple of Concordia
Thursday 4 June 2015 09:55:26
Temple of Concordia
Thursday 4 June 2015 09:57:32
Bronze statue of fallen Icarus near the meeting-tree
Thursday 4 June 2015 09:58:02
Bronze statue of fallen Icarus near the meeting-tree
Thursday 4 June 2015 09:58:02 (detail)
“Medusa’s statue on the back of Icarus’s wing,” according to Wikipedia
Thursday 4 June 2015 09:58:46
Bronze statue of fallen Icarus
Farther along the path, Claudio pointed out some rare and endangered Agrigento goats, with distinctive spiral horns.
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Girgentano kids
Thursday 4 June 2015 10:07:38
Girgentano goat
Thursday 4 June 2015 10:08:18
Girgentano goat
We stopped to look briefly at an early Christian necropolis to the right, the so-called Grotte Fragapane, bisected by a channel which led under the pathway to the other side.
Thursday 4 June 2015 10:10:54
Early Christian and Byzantine necropolis north of the path
Thursday 4 June 2015 10:12:10
Continuation south of the path
Just beyond there, on the left (i.e. south) of the path, was an area with a wall and high fence. It enclosed the former home of army captain and patron of the arts and archaeology Alexander Hardcastle, who built a country villa there and lived in it till he died in 1933. I just managed to take a photo of a bronze bust of him through the metal grating covering the gate, then the villa itself through the narrow gap between the wall and the fence above it.
Thursday 4 June 2015 10:17:40
Bronze bust of Alexander Hardcastle (b. London, 1872; d. Agrigento, 1933)
Thursday 4 June 2015 10:19:14
Villa Aurea, the last home of the late English captain and patron of the arts Alexander Hardcastle
Thursday 4 June 2015 10:19:38
“Alexander Hardcastle and Villa Aurea”
Thursday 4 June 2015 10:21:22
Narrow pathway and drains to the south of the path
We skirted by the Temple of Heracles on its north side, crossed the main road, and continued westwards for another 20 or 30 yards.
Thursday 4 June 2015 10:22:26
East end of the Temple of Heracles, before passing by it on the right side
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“The telamons of the Temple of Zeus Olympios”
Thursday 4 June 2015 10:29:36
Looking back at the Temple of Heracles while approaching the Temple of Olympian Zeus
Thursday 4 June 2015 10:30:46
Looking back at the Temple of Heracles while approaching the Temple of Olympian Zeus
We found ourselves in front of what just looked like a pile of rubble on top of a high platform — twice the height of a man, and more — (the “crepidoma”), on which originally stood the Temple of Olympian Zeus. Between each of the outer columns, on a wall, would have stood a colossal figure (an “atlas”, or to use the term on the descriptive plaque, a “telamon”). Behind us was more rubble, seemingly, which was the area where sacrifice was offered.
Thursday 4 June 2015 10:35:32
Remains of the east end of the Temple of Olympian Zeus
Thursday 4 June 2015 10:35:32 (detail)
Stones with the earlier-mentioned “U”-shaped recesses
Thursday 4 June 2015 10:35:52
Remains of the east end of the Temple of Olympian Zeus
Thursday 4 June 2015 10:36:04
View in the opposite direction to “10:35:52”
Then we went up onto the raised platform.
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On the “crepidoma” of the Temple of Olympian Zeus
Thursday 4 June 2015 10:38:26
On the “crepidoma” of the Temple of Olympian Zeus
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Replica of one of the “atlases”, reassembled
Thursday 4 June 2015 10:39:36
Partly reassembled “atlas”
As we headed to the exit we had a brief look at the so-called Temple of Castor and Pollux (the “Dioscuri”), actually part of the sanctuary of Demeter and Persephone (the “chthonic deities”).
Thursday 4 June 2015 10:50:42
Temple of the Dioscuri
Thursday 4 June 2015 10:50:42 (detail)
Temple of the Dioscuri
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”Sanctuary of the Chthonic Deities and Temple of the Dioskouroi”
Thursday 4 June 2015 10:52:18
A single pillar further to the west
Thursday 4 June 2015 10:54:18
Heading for the exit
We boarded the coach and travelled the short distance the Archaeological Museum of Agrigento. The coach dropped us off in the forecourt of an
Esso petrol station, and we walked down a path to the museum. Denise told us to remember which way we’d come and return the same way,
i.e. to ignore any other exit signs and directions.
Thursday 4 June 2015 11:37:10
Archaeological Museum of Agrigento
Thursday 4 June 2015 11:37:10 (detail)
Archaeological Museum of Agrigento: bronze sculptures
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Archaeological Museum of Agrigento
Thursday 4 June 2015 11:39:18
Archaeological Museum of Agrigento
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Archaeological Museum of Agrigento: three-legged emblem of Sicily
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Archaeological Museum of Agrigento: Helios in his chariot pulled by winged horses
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Archaeological Museum of Agrigento
Thursday 4 June 2015 11:52:38
Archaeological Museum of Agrigento: one of a number of lion gargoyles
Thursday 4 June 2015 11:54:40
Archaeological Museum of Agrigento: statuettes of Demeter
Thursday 4 June 2015 11:54:40 (detail)
Archaeological Museum of Agrigento
Thursday 4 June 2015 11:56:28
Archaeological Museum of Agrigento: telamon statue from the Temple of Olympian Zeus
Thursday 4 June 2015 11:56:40
Archaeological Museum of Agrigento: telamon statue from the Temple of Olympian Zeus
Thursday 4 June 2015 11:59:28
Archaeological Museum of Agrigento: telamon statue from the Temple of Olympian Zeus
Thursday 4 June 2015 12:00:32
Archaeological Museum of Agrigento: model of the Temple of Olympian Zeus as it might have originally looked
Thursday 4 June 2015 12:00:32 (detail)
Archaeological Museum of Agrigento: model of the Temple of Olympian Zeus as it might have originally looked
It was the sort of place where one could fairly quickly gain an impression or spend a long time in detailed study, and we chose the former. So, leaving, we retraced our way along the path up to the main road. The petrol station was on our left, and more or less ahead of us was a minor road terminating at the main road. Up this, 10 or more yards on the left, was a bar/restaurant; we bought a beer for me and a diet cola for
Janet and went through to the small courtyard, where indeed Denise was sitting in the far left corner, so we joined her. It was an interesting old place, with gutters and drainpipe of terracotta. At the appointed time we went down to the road junction where there was some shade from the hot sun under a tree or trees on the corner till the coach came, and we were taken into the centre of Agrigento for free time and lunch. Denise pointed out a few landmarks in the town, and when we got off the coach she led us as far as the piazza, where we were to meet her again at 2.30pm. We didn’t feel much like wandering around, and it was hot, so we went to the bar at hand in the piazza,
Bar Milano, placed our order inside, then sat outside under a large awning. I had a sizeable slice of pizza and a large beer and
Janet had a Coke Zero. We followed this with a small beer and another
Coke Zero. At 2.15pm Janet left me in search of supplies of diet cola, and returned in time for us to meet Denise and the others at 2.30pm. She led the way back to the coach.
Thursday 4 June 2015 14:40:26
Going back to the coach in Agrigento: the round Fascista-era post office
Thursday 4 June 2015 14:43:12
Going back to the coach in Agrigento: interesting stairway behind the post office
Back at the hotel, I transferred the 71 items, mostly photos, but also a few videos, from the camera to the
WD Elements HDD (15:27–15:30). Copied them to the USB flash drive, and thence to the
MicroSD card on the Asus. Then I gave Janet a slide-and-movie show using the
Asus of yesterday’s (edited) and today’s (unedited) pictures and videos.…
Janet washed her hair and updated her journal, as I was adding to my own record on the computer.
Ca.5.30pm we left and went down to the Controvento bar for drinks and nibbles. We had two rounds (“17:48” and “18:40” on the till receipts), the same items as yesterday —
Nastro Azzuro beer and Coca Cola Zero — but whereas yesterday we were charged €4.50 per round, today it was €5.00! I’d not finished the bowls of nibbles when the second round was served, but the waiter took them away. I knew that he was going to replace them with full bowls, and since what was left in the existing bowls would suffice, I followed him to retrieve them. But I couldn’t make myself understood, and shortly afterwards fresh bowls were brought. Someone set up large loudspeakers outside, and by the time we left they’d started playing music through them. It wasn’t too intrusive, being, as it was, fairly middle-of-the-road 80’s disco music. But it was as well that it was getting on for 7pm, and time to return to our hotel room.… At 7.30pm we went down to the poolside restaurant. I took with me and finished the bottle of Sicilian red wine. Quite a few of our
Riviera party were missing, which doesn’t say anything for the hotel cuisine — or perhaps, tacitly, it does! There’d been eight at our table yesterday evening: Jonathan and Mary, Barry and Rosemary, and two others besides ourselves, but there were only Barry and Rosemary with us this evening. The “antipasto” was the same as yesterday, which I attempted to liven with a little oil and that posing-as-balsamic vinegar.
One of the “primi” was “sedanini pasta with aubergines, shrimps and fish bisque”, so I chose the other: “timbale of pasta Sicilian style”. The choice of “secondi” was “gilthead fillet [gilt-head bream, a Mediterranean sea-fish; and it was a fillet, not a fishcake!] with caper sauce, cherry tomatoes and olives”, which
Janet had and enjoyed; and “braised beef with vegetable sauce and Nero d’Avola wine”, which I chose.
Janet wasn’t keen on the fact that the vegetables were in olive oil, though.
Janet had fruit for “dolce”; I can’t remember what, if anything, I had. We were back in the room by
ca.9.15pm, a bit earlier than yesterday, and both went to bed ca.10.15pm.
