Ostia Antica/Rome at Night
Sunday, May 22, 2005
Sunday, May 22
This morning we left the hotel after breakfast and took the bus to Ostia Antica, the ancient Roman port on the Mediterranean sea. the entire site is an archeological area — i.e., no new building has been done there, unlike Rome itself — and so we were able to see the original buildings and other structures.
The city itself was the connection between Rome and the sea trade. It began as a military port to help protect Rome from invasion from the sea. lateer, it became a commercial port, receving exotic and expensive materials and sending them on to Rome.
Eventually, it grew into a large city and included a theater, a commercial district, a forum, baths and residential apartment complexes, along with single-family dwellings for the more wealthy citizens.
I especially enjoyed seeing the houses and their layout/design and construction. They were great examples of early Roman architecture. I could see living in a house like that.
The tour of Ostia took about two hours and afterward we came back to Rome for lunch and some free time to wander around, shop and take in the sights for our last day here.
I did all of my last minute souvenir shopping and spent a little time taking a few more pictures, finishing up the 1 Gb card that I had in the camera.
Then back to the hotel for dinner. Tonight's first course was pasta once again, then — incredibly — a main course of pork fritters! Dessert was fruit again.
After dinner, it was back to Rome once more for a tour of Rome at night. We wandered around several streets and piazzas, visiting the Pantheon again, and absorbing the Roman/Italian night life.
Personally, I have a had a great time on this trip. I've enjoyed hanging out with the students and talking to them about many different things. These are a great bunch of kids and they've made me feel welcome among them.
Also, because this is my first trip to Europe, I've been thrilled from the start to have been here. I've seen many things that I that I may never see and done things I thought I may never do and I've loved every minute of it.
To sleep now and off home tomorrow. I'm sad that we are leaving, but I'm also mostly ready to go home... though a few more days world have been okay with me!