30 May 2005

Day trip: The star of Gibellina


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Originally uploaded by Katherine H.
I decided on a short driving trip this morning to Segesta, Gibellina, and Santa Ninfa. The majestic Doric temple at Segesta remains surprisingly intact. It was here that I first encountered busloads of tourists. Luckily, I was there in between the buses. I just know that for right now, that kind of touring is not for me. I would feel like I was on a perpetual field trip being herded from tourist point to tourist point.

After the short hike up the hill to see the temple, I drove through Salemi, Gibellina, and Santa Ninfa. Gibellina and Santa Ninfa do not feel like Italian towns! Vacant streets, no visible town centers. They were hastily rebuilt after the earthquake in 1968. No sense of history there, but they do have wide streets.

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