Just ignore the modern houses in the background and imagine what this villa rustica looked to the Roman family who lived here in the 3rd century AD. The pastures surrounding the villa, the temple and the stables. The rollling hills of the Odenwald in the distance. When they discovered the foundations here in the 1980s I think they did well to plant the two pine trees to give it a bit of a Mediterranean feel. Maybe the Romans did that also, so that they wouldn’t feel too homesick.
.
.
..
pictures imperfect blog 
Those Romans got themselves about!
LikeLiked by 1 person
About 10km to the south from here is the town of Ladenburg, less than 13,000 inhabitants, lovely medieval town centre, home of the first automobile, and a few Roman left-overs. That I knew. What I didn’t know for the longest time was that this small town was the capital (sic!) of the whole of south western part of Germany. Amazing!
LikeLiked by 2 people
It really is. And the part of Catalonia where I’m staying with daughter’s family is also an important Roman outpost. As was a now small village, then an important garrison and market town near me in North Yorkshire. They really did get about, these Romans.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Their empire stretched to all corners of the then-known world. Which is, I think, while it crumbled in the end. Stretched too thin.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yup. And we were at 9ne if the edges. Hadrian’s Wall and all that.
LikeLiked by 1 person
And just as the celts put an end to their expansion in the north of Great Britain, the German tribes ended their growth about 200km to the north of here. The withdrew and we have the Limes to the north and east of us.
LikeLiked by 1 person
‘one’, not 9ne…
LikeLiked by 1 person