I found this interesting spiral pattern on a fragmented capital in the ruin of the Olympeium at Selinunte. Is it an original feature? If so, what purpose did it serve? Did some Punic soldier leave his mark on the destroyed temple? Is it chance erosion from millennia of exposure? Is it an addition by later artists?

Do we find similar features/patterns in other ruins, temple or otherwise?

Angus

  
Situated in the lovely mountain town of Monreale, this enclosed garden offered a beautiful mix of nature and artifice. With Byzantine, Islamic, and Norman influences, the eclectic architecture complemented the wide array of wildlife (birds, lizards, even a dragonfly!).

Later, in the village square, David and I espied and desired a wild orange. We picked and are it, and shared around. We later discovered that it was (aptly) named the “inedible” orange.

Sometimes when you roll the dice, you come up short

Angus

  

This old fountain in Palermo was full of gods and goddesses. It was interesting to see the pick-and-choose pantheon represented by the artist. While some very minor characters – nymphs, triton – were depicted, some major gods – Zeus? – were left out. I guess some gods make better statues than others.

Later on we went to a public garden, near the shore. This garden was amazing; beautifully kept hedges in geometric design, tasteful statuary, and no litter. And all for free?

   
 Also check out these paintings of Xenophon and Solon in the doge’s palace! 🌞

Angus

  
After spending a grand total of five minutes on the island, we got our first taste of Sicilian weather: clouds and rain appearing out of nowhere, followed by beautiful sunshine.

The mutability of Mediterranean weather surprised me, but it also helped explain why Zeus was considered the chief deity of ancient times. It would be hard to imagine ancient New Hampshirans worshipping a thunder god when it only storms once a month.

Angus