My next day in Rome was my last full day. I started off with a tour of the Roman Forum. Now, this wasn't just any tour. My Christmas present was a private tour with a guide arranged through the site Tours by Locals. When my family visited Russia last summer, we had a Tours-by-Locals guide in Peterhoff, and it was an incredibly valuable experience. The Roman Forum is an impressive site, but you really need a guide to make sense of the millennia of history scattered about. The guide was a very knowledgeable Italian woman who specializes in archaeology, and she was in her element. The most impressive thing I saw in the Forum was the building that housed the Roman senate. The things that building has seen!
After my tour, I headed to the little port town of Ostia Antica. The guide gave me directions and told me about a good place to eat along the way, so I took the subway a few stops out to where I could catch the suburban train to Ostia Antica. When I got there, I stopped at a food emporium called Eatly, which was somewhat overpowering for my senses, dulled by 16 months in Russia. Talk about a grocery store--this place was three floors of groceries mixed with stations that served all sorts of prepared food. It was also packed, and it was fun watching Italians do their grocery shopping--they get very into it. I then headed to the suburban train station, where I looked for the platform for Ostia Antica, which was supposedly impossible to miss. Well, I couldn't find it. After searching high and low, I broke down and decided to ask someone. I figured the ticket counter would be best, so I approached and asked my question (in English). The man behind the counter was a cultured-looking older gentleman smoking a thin cigar, and he answered in perfect English and told me where to find my train (I was so close!). I was a little shocked: He didn't snap a snarky answer at me or look like I was greatly inconveniencing him. I guess I'm too used to Russia.
After a half-hour train ride, I arrived in Ostia Antica, which was Rome's port town two thousand years ago. It's quite well preserved, and you really get a sense of how the town felt. It's also quite large, and I didn't even get to see the whole place because it started to get dark not long after I arrived. Needless to say, I had already gotten my fill of ruins by this point on the trip, so I wasn't too upset about not seeing the whole place.
On my very last night, I decided to get pizza at the pizzeria I had been frequenting and then walk back to Piazza del Popolo, which is one of my favorite spots in Rome. I wandered along the streets and then just sat on a bench at the piazza and reflected on my trip. It was a great last evening to an excellent trip.
After my tour, I headed to the little port town of Ostia Antica. The guide gave me directions and told me about a good place to eat along the way, so I took the subway a few stops out to where I could catch the suburban train to Ostia Antica. When I got there, I stopped at a food emporium called Eatly, which was somewhat overpowering for my senses, dulled by 16 months in Russia. Talk about a grocery store--this place was three floors of groceries mixed with stations that served all sorts of prepared food. It was also packed, and it was fun watching Italians do their grocery shopping--they get very into it. I then headed to the suburban train station, where I looked for the platform for Ostia Antica, which was supposedly impossible to miss. Well, I couldn't find it. After searching high and low, I broke down and decided to ask someone. I figured the ticket counter would be best, so I approached and asked my question (in English). The man behind the counter was a cultured-looking older gentleman smoking a thin cigar, and he answered in perfect English and told me where to find my train (I was so close!). I was a little shocked: He didn't snap a snarky answer at me or look like I was greatly inconveniencing him. I guess I'm too used to Russia.
After a half-hour train ride, I arrived in Ostia Antica, which was Rome's port town two thousand years ago. It's quite well preserved, and you really get a sense of how the town felt. It's also quite large, and I didn't even get to see the whole place because it started to get dark not long after I arrived. Needless to say, I had already gotten my fill of ruins by this point on the trip, so I wasn't too upset about not seeing the whole place.
On my very last night, I decided to get pizza at the pizzeria I had been frequenting and then walk back to Piazza del Popolo, which is one of my favorite spots in Rome. I wandered along the streets and then just sat on a bench at the piazza and reflected on my trip. It was a great last evening to an excellent trip.
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