Life: Idiotropic

Segunto is not new to me.  We discovered this Carthaginian town sprawled across the top of Segunto's hill the day we arrived in Valencia driving by it then wondering what it could be.  Little did I know how incredibly ancient it was or I probably would have swerved off the road in surprise.  Since then we've been there several times taking visitors as part of our tourist route of the area.  It's old, it's beautiful, the views are great, and there's a great little cafe below that serves cold drinks on hot days and hot drinks on cool ones.

Today was another walk up the hill and around the ruin.  The difference was that now I had friends to pose at the old Roman toilet (did I say Carthaginian?  Well... it took turns being both.).

I've always found it odd that admission is absolutely free, yet the little booth at the entrance insists on giving each person a ticket of admittance.  They don't offer maps or information and within the ruin itself, only two small plaques give away any of the tremendous history that's occurred here.  Today I went into the little pottery shop next to the Roman amphitheater and asked if this was Roman or Carthiginian.  "Roman."

But, I explained, I had read online that it was Carthaginian dating from 219BC.  This is when this sweet man did what I wish the information booth would do.  He pulled out a little booklet - in English - that tells the entire history of the ruin!  Why don't they sell these at the entrance?  Sheesh. 

Now I know.  This ruin that I've walked around so casually since living here began as the Carthaginian city of Arse in the fifth century BC.  It was also the initial scene of the Second Punic War between the Carthaginians and the Romans.  In 219 BC it was conquered by Hannibal, then seven years later in 212, it was restored by Scipio as a Roman city and remained in Roman hands until the 6th c. AD when the Visigoth monarchy moved in to the peninsula.  It's all pretty amazing and now, with book in hand, I'll go back again soon and put the knowledge with the visual.