The hillsides are ablaze with the last of the fall colors and the ground is carpeted with birch leaves that glisten like millions of coppery coins. Driving through some truly spectacular scenery is one of the benefits of seeking out of the way World Heritage Sites.
The ruins of the imperial palace of Felix Romuliana were a pleasant change from the Orthodox monasteries. One tends to forget that the vast Roman Empire included all of the Balkan countries. In fact, seventeen of the Roman emperors (out of a total of 93) came from Serbia, including Constantine I and Gaius Valerius Galerius Maximianus, the builder of Felix Romuliana.
Boris, the Archeologist, and us
As a Roman site, Felix Romuliana doesn’t compare with some of the others we have visited in Turkey and Israel. But that didn’t keep Bora, the director, from boasting about its history – and his own, as one of the site’s archeologists. The site was originally believed to be a military stronghold until the intricate mosaics were discovered, identifying it as a palace. He and his assistant really went out of their way to show us around. Bora even extended an invitation to work on the on-going excavations next season.
