Throwback: Rome, 29 June 2006

From my travel journal–my first trip to Ostia and my first espresso (hard to believe it was only ten years ago!)

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29 June 2006  Rome, Ostia Antica

We got up earlier than usual and walked to the Pyramid station to catch the train to Ostia. The train was full of teenagers going to the beach. Ostia was wonderful. We watched lizards run and hide in the ruins. It was like a giant maze with hidden mosaics, sculptures, and frescoes to find, and it was not at all crowded. Often I felt like we had the ruins all to ourselves. One house was full of tangled vines that covered the walls and created a ceiling of leaves. There were many baths–we walked through three or four, some with funny little marble lavatories.

We ate lunch at the cafeteria at Ostia and visited the bookshop before continuing our trip. After lunch we explored some more. Finally we were tired and went back to the train station. When we got back to Rome we saw the Baths of Caracalla, which were even bigger than I expected. Most of the structure was blocked off, but we were able to see many mosaic fragments up close.

We returned to the hotel for naps and showers before going out for our anniversary dinner. We ate at Hostaria Costanza under the arches that supported the seating of the Theatre of Pompey. I had artichoke ravioli, baked cheese, and spinach, with berries and ice cream for dessert. J had pasta, steak, and spinach with coffee gelato for dessert. I also had my first espresso. The food was good–especially the dessert.

We still have six days left in Rome. Yay!