I mentioned the Cumaen ruins that are just down below our house on one of the previous posts. These pictures are a few from our visit there. The ruins are set up on a high hill that overlooks the bay much like where you would normally see a light house. You can imagine why the ancient Greeks built their temple and great entrance to the city there. It must have looked quite spectacular to any ships coming into the bay.
Here is a side view from the temple site. You can see out to the City entrance and beyond the hillside is the ocean. (It's a little overexposed, but that is the ocean.)



















Here is a shot of Peter and his two friends. We went with a really nice family that will be moving to California in just a few months. They've been able to tell us a lot about fun things to do while we are here.














Believe it or not, climbing all over the ruins is perfectly acceptable. No one had a problem with it, and it was just part of the trail. But as our children were running down the path, we were lectured, because they might fall and hurt themselves! This is so typically Italian!













Base of a giant greek columb at the temple site. Just Paul's size!



You can see several different construction techniques. Some look like red bricks, and another is a criss-cross pattern of stones. These would have been completely covered in marble tiles. In some places you could see the marble still attached at the base. It must have been spectacular!



Here is where we got lectured! Cute kids, though! :)






































This one is the city entrance. It has been excavated and is far below the current surface, home to only bats and birds. Obviously there are a series of nets to keep people from falling in. I was explaining to Rachel all about the ancient civilization and their city, and she asked me, "But mom, how did they get down there?" I thought that was a pretty good question and started explaining how the surface used to be way down there at that time. Interupting me, she said, "No mom, not that, how did the birds get down there?" What can I say...a little age, maturity, and understanding can change your perspective a whole lot!

And this one is an ancient calander. A little hard to read! We did have a lot of fun, and it inspired in some of us, the desire to know more about these ancient people and their way of life. To others, they were very cool old rocks. :)