We woke to a magnificent day, sunshine and everything which is a new thing for us in Italy. Via some lousy local connections we arrived eventually in Paestum, a site housing remains from a pre-Roman village and which is home to 3 of the best preserved Greek temples anywhere in the world. Almost as soon as we disembarked it went, as Ellen notes, all a bit Wicker Man.
As we walked down a country lane we heard folk melodies from flutes and drums in the distance, all very pastoral as it competed with bird song, and much nearer to us there was a chap stood next to his van who was, just to hint at the lewdness of it all, gleefully masturbating. No matter, we were a little lost and there was no one else about so I politely introduced myself and asked the way to the temples. I'm pretty sure he was hoping for a different reaction from us, and certainly he appeared to miss a stroke or 2, but gamely pointed us (no, with his (free) hand, smutty) in the right direction. On discussing the episode with Ellen it turns out she was oblivious to it all, bless her, but she wasn't to miss out entirely as a few minutes later he came jogging past, stopped just ahead, reproduced Exhibit A and started waving it about again. As we passed, studiously ignoring his side of the road and suddenly finding the hedgerow on our side absolutely fascinating, Ellen cursed for not having taken a picture. Photographers!
We finally came to the house where the decidedly pagan music was emanating from and, ignoring the 'private' signs headed on in. By a neat piece of luck it turned out to be a 'festival of classical mythology and culture' set in sumptuous stately grounds with live music and free wine and food (well, I couldn't figure out how to pay, put it that way), and a friendly lively atmosphere although as stated earlier all a bit Wicker Man after our incident with the French Polisher.
The ruins themselves were really well preserved, huge and very evocative set as they were in a field of bright red poppies. The 3 temples were to Hera, Apollo and Athena, and while the Apollo one was the grandest and best preserved my personal favourite was Athena's, especially as we had missed a major temple of hers in Greece that I had been hoping to see.
A train and a bus took us back to Ramona's in the evening for some forward planning, for tomorrow we leave for Florence. I am expecting Tourist Hell but have felt a pull to that city for so many years I can't resist a glimpse. Anyway it is in the right direction (kind of) for France.