Off to Southern Italy: Paestum and Using our Italian

Saturday was a beautiful day and by 10 am we had turned our key in and loaded the car and headed south down the A1 for Paestum, just south of Salerno where we would spend the night before heading on to Sicily. 

We found a place online, an agriturismo called Azienda Seliano just two miles from the ancient temple complex at Paestum. We arrived in the middle of the afternoon, checked in and drove over to the temples where we strolled for a an hour or so after which we stopped at a nearby bar for a glass of wine and to enjoy not having to do homework for a change (or rather Susan not having to do homework).

It should be noted that these three are the best preserved Greek temples anywhere in the world.

That evening we ate at the Azienda and since they were having a special party of graduating college students and their families in the main dining building – this is a rather large complex which produces its own buffalo mozzarella among other things – we ended up eating with a group of equestrian specialists. The azienda also specializes in equestrian activities and had been sponsoring a horse-jumping show, part of the Italian national apparently, that day and so had invited everyone to dinner. 

We had a grand time and plunged headlong into working on our Italian. In fact the baroness – Ceclia Baratta who is also fairly well known in NYC food circles as well – made a point of having everyone speak Italian to us. They were all very patient with us both and for some time the conversation revolved around not us but in fact which was the best way to get to Sicily, with most saying the autostrade was terrible that we should take the ferry. I pointed out that the ferry was no longer an option – they were overnight affairs and we had to be in western Sicily by late the next afternoon – and moreover one needed advance reservations if they were bringing a car.

Most at our table of some half dozen or so had their share of warnings – such as the road being shut down to two lanes for 30 kms and which proved to be true – all of which were much appreciated and we enjoyed ourselves immensely. Not only because the mozzarella was fresh that morning and some of it grilled – in fact they do not eat any cheese over a day old preferring to use "old" cheese in cooking etc. The food was outstanding and the wine, a red wine out of unlabelled bottles scattered across the tables just went down like nectar. Needless to say we went to bed not only satisfied in food but in spirit and quite pleased with how much Italian we could understand.

Two temples to Hera (foreground) and one to Athena (far distance center)

Temple to Hera

Temple to Hera

Temple to Athena