Rome, Ostia, History, Family and Memories
As we were driving into Rome, there were many things that I had envisioned, and many more that I had not. The city is definitely as large as I imagined, and as with all the Italian cities I had seen so far, there were many new buildings surrounding the ancient sites. The large amount of graffiti painted on buildings and walls was something I did not expect. I was told much of it has to do with political statements, but in my mind I couldn’t imagine defacing the ancient buildings; it was a blemish on their beauty.
We were meeting up with another of John’s cousins in Rome, and their reunion was as joyful as the others had been. After a nice mid-day meal at their home, we checked into our Airbnb and then went sightseeing. His cousin’s wife has an archeological degree, so was very knowledgeable about the historical sites. They took us to the Colosseum, Roman Forum, Trevi Fountain, St. John the Baptist Church, Piazza di Spagna and the Spanish Steps, and many more. Although I have seen photos of all of these, it’s quite impressive to stand in front of these amazing treasures.
The second day we traveled with them to Ostia (a suburb of Rome) to see another cousin. On our way we stopped to explore Ostia Antica, a large archeological site that was once the harbor city of ancient Rome. It’s a great gift for them to have discovered these ruins from long ago, and one can only imagine what life must have been like when it was a thriving ancient Roman harbor.
Our visit with the last cousin we would see in Italy was wonderful. I listened as they caught up and told old stories from the past; enjoying the sound of their laughter. We went out for a nice meal, and then walked to the beach in Ostia. It was a beautiful sunny day, and we watched the beach goers and listened to a couple of street performers. The day ended far too soon and I knew he was reluctant to leave; telling them that they have a place to stay if they come to the United States.
On our last day we took the bus tour which allowed us to revisit some of the sites we had seen, and to see others that we had not, like the Pantheon. There is so much history in this ancient city; so much to see that it’s almost impossible to take it all in. Truthfully, after several hours we were exhausted and ready to meet his family for a meal on our last night in Rome. As they dropped us at our Airbnb we thanked them for their hospitality as our Rome tour guides, and said our goodbyes with a touch of sadness.
Arrivederci Roma!
We were meeting up with another of John’s cousins in Rome, and their reunion was as joyful as the others had been. After a nice mid-day meal at their home, we checked into our Airbnb and then went sightseeing. His cousin’s wife has an archeological degree, so was very knowledgeable about the historical sites. They took us to the Colosseum, Roman Forum, Trevi Fountain, St. John the Baptist Church, Piazza di Spagna and the Spanish Steps, and many more. Although I have seen photos of all of these, it’s quite impressive to stand in front of these amazing treasures.
The second day we traveled with them to Ostia (a suburb of Rome) to see another cousin. On our way we stopped to explore Ostia Antica, a large archeological site that was once the harbor city of ancient Rome. It’s a great gift for them to have discovered these ruins from long ago, and one can only imagine what life must have been like when it was a thriving ancient Roman harbor.
Our visit with the last cousin we would see in Italy was wonderful. I listened as they caught up and told old stories from the past; enjoying the sound of their laughter. We went out for a nice meal, and then walked to the beach in Ostia. It was a beautiful sunny day, and we watched the beach goers and listened to a couple of street performers. The day ended far too soon and I knew he was reluctant to leave; telling them that they have a place to stay if they come to the United States.
On our last day we took the bus tour which allowed us to revisit some of the sites we had seen, and to see others that we had not, like the Pantheon. There is so much history in this ancient city; so much to see that it’s almost impossible to take it all in. Truthfully, after several hours we were exhausted and ready to meet his family for a meal on our last night in Rome. As they dropped us at our Airbnb we thanked them for their hospitality as our Rome tour guides, and said our goodbyes with a touch of sadness.
Arrivederci Roma!
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