Paestum

Paestum, Paestum, a similar city to Pompeii, but with a different fate. Strangely enough, the only answer archeologists can find for this city was that it was just abandoned around the same time as Pompeii's demise. Some say the deforestation around this city made them go elsewhere for food, but to leave an entire city, it's buildings, it's homes, pottery, jewlery, and everything else discovered here? weird.The treasures of Paestum (aside from the farm that makes the world's best mozzarella cheese which I'm eating as I type) are the three temples that still stand there

. 

Built in 800BC the builders stacked t

he stone in such a way that no mortar was used, and it's been standing there for the last 2800 years, withstanding two major earthquakes that knocked down most of the buildings in Pompeii pre-volcanic incident. Amazing! Like, nothing has been restacked like 

in rome, or placed in a certain way... it's the oldest standing post-and-lintel structure in the world! 

Not only was the fact that they're standing impressive, but the sheer mass of the temples was hard to take in. They were huge! I'm sure the pictures don't do it

 justice... and no one was ever allowed to enter any of then (Temple of Athena, Temple of Hera I, Temple of Hera II) EVER except for the priest. 

We studied some of the construction techniques

 and I wont' go into it, but you should wikipedia it or something, cause it's really interesting. Or i'll tell you when i come home... yay! right??

Also, we stayed the night here in Paestum in a lovely little place called Hotel Calypso, right on the Mediterranean coast! So beautiful. It wasn't really warm enough to swim, but we had a huge bamboo bonfire (with very poor structural integrity) at night, and spent the morning walking the shores. 

What a great time. Luckily, i'm not tired yet! I'm soooo excited for these next two weeks. Laura and I are dancing around our room as week pack! (literally). I don't have time to upload more pictures on Flickr, but as soon as i get back I'll probably have to spend three days doing it, haha.

Ok I love you all, and can't wait to tell you all these stories in person!