Judy Tyler - Roman Mediterranean

At their meeting at Mansfield House Hotel on 2^nd May, local member Judy Tyler gave a presentation titled 'Roman Mediterranean', when she looked back on a recent cruise around the Mediterranean Sea. At each stopover, she and husband (Rotary Secretary) Andy took opportunities to visit Roman sites. We saw the remains of temples, baths, amphitheatres and we wondered how it was possible two thousand years ago to achieve columns of such great height, the great banks of seating in the amphitheatres, and the underfloor heating in villas and at baths. We also marvelled at the intricate patterns of mosaic floors.

Judy and Andy perhaps most enjoyed their visits to the Temple of Apollo at Didyma in Turkey and to the Temple of Poseidon at Cape Soumion on the Attica Peninsula in Greece, but they also visited locations at Malaga and Cartagena in Spain, in Tunisia, in Croatia and on Sardinia. Judy noted the contrast between the care taken over conserving recently found Roman sites in Cartagena and the neglect of the sites near Cagliari on Sardinia.

Members then asked a range of questions before President Ron Smith gave a well-merited vote of thanks.