Aloha Everyone,
Flavia invited us on a day trip to Ostia Antica. Once ancient Rome's seaport, it used to be located at the mouth of the Tiber River. Due to silting, today the site is about 2 mikes from the sea. According to historians, Ostia may have been Rome's first colony. The town was built, destroyed, rebuilt and was the scene of fighting during periods of civil war.
Ostia Antica is noted for the excellent preservation of its ancient buildings and a amphitheater from the period of the middle Republic. The large amphitheater is still in use today. The ancient buildings excavated are from the 3rd century BC.
All over Italy, there are so many ruins, magnificent frescos and impressive mosaics which visitors can view. One difference at Ostia Antica is its size and unrestricted access to most of areas.
It was an interesting experience to enjoy our picnic lunch on a section of the ruin imagining the city that was once rebuilt by the Roman statesman and orator Marcus Tulles Cicero.
Another new experience for J.J. and me was to take the metro. After reading so many warnings of pickpockets on the metro lines, the train we rode was new and spotless. Perhaps because it was a Sunday afternoon, there were only a total of 5 passengers in our compartment.
Aloha -- Cathi
