Paestum

Another gorgeous Sunday, another day trip. Back in 7 BC the Greeks founded what is now called Paestum. After a colorful history which saw economic growth and battles with the rising Roman Empire, Paestum eventually succumbed to disease and was abandoned in the 7th century. Believe it or not, no one dared enter Paestum for over a thousand years due to concerns over malaria. This well-founded worry allowed Paestum to be very well preserved. Today, Paestum sports massive Greek temples and stone streets.

On the way down to Paestum, we stopped at Tenuta Vannulo, a farm producing the oh-so-delicious mozarella di bufala from their own herd of water buffalo. The kids got a kick out of feeding a curious (and hungry) buffalo while the wives bought some fresh mozarella for lunch.


At Paestum, we set up camp in front of the Temple of Hera and had a great picnic. As soon as the kids were full, they ran off to explore the ruins (or in their view, a giant obstacle course). The weather was near-perfect, sunny and cool. It was another great day in Southern Italy!