Day 5: Ancient Agrigento
Pietro Griffo Archaelogical MuseumWe did the museum before heading to the Valley of the Temples, but I do wish we would have had more time there. The three of us are museum people, so we generally take more time then others. Our local guide did a great job taking us through the museum and highlighting the more important and unusual pieces. He was great about answering any questions any of us had, and really added to our enjoyment of the museum. My favorite piece he pointed out was the Greek urn that was still white. I also really enjoyed the Telamon and seeing the model of what the temple it was part of would have looked like complete. I also found the long stone bench that would have been part of Zeus' temple to be quite fascinating.
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Valley of the Temples Archaeological ParkThe Valley of the Temples was something I think all three of us were looking forward to. These are some of the best preserved Greek temples in Italy. Thirty thousand Carthaginian slaves built these temples during the 5th century BC. There were 15 temples and even with many lost you still get a sense of 'Magna Graecia' or Greater Greece, as the colonies throughout the Mediterranean world were known, including Agrigento. The view from the city was amazing, and as we walked down the main street with more temples in the distance it was easy to imagine what that would have been like as an ancient Greek.
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Trattoria dei TempliVirginia took us to a group dinner just down the street at Trattoria dei Templi. It was delicious, and we noticed it was definitely a place for seafood. If you decide to visit Sicily and come to Agrigento on your own, this place looks like a must for seafood lovers! Our menu was pre-arranged. We had a pasta for the first course with what I think was small chunks of fish, and fish with potatoes for the second course. We also had a white wine that went so well with the food. Our dessert was orange flavored, and since I'm not a fan of orange I asked if I could have a scoop of gelato or something instead. Virginia and the staff were great and I got a delicious lemon sorbet.
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