Rome & Ostia Antica Trip Report
Dec 1st, 2006, 05:38 PM
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Rome & Ostia Antica Trip Report
Hello again Fodorites. I recently posted my "Venice Trip Report" & this one is about the 2 weeks spent in Rome by my husband Don, our son Tim, & myself (Julie). Don & I are in our 60's & retired; Tim is in his 40's. We all live in Indiana, U.S.A. We went to Italy for the first time in 2005 on a Globus Tour & loved Italy & the tour. However, we wanted to see more of Venice & Rome, so on 10/25/06 we flew to Venice, spent 1 week, took the train to Rome, where we spent 2 weeks, & flew home on 11/16/06.
Before I begin my report, let me once again say thanks to Fodors for this wonderful board & the Fodorites who made our trip so much better than it would have been. I received such great info from this board. Thanks.
Lastly, I will once again apologize for being so verbose. That's just me. Sorry to those who don't like my style & I understand if you choose not to read this. However, on this report, I am going to TRY & cut down some. I hope my info helps someone, as I was helped so often.
We absolutely wore ourselves out in Venice, so our Rome plan was to take it slowly & even have some "down" days. So, we bagan -
ROME – 11/2/20006, Thursday
We arrived by train (train report on my Venice post) at the main train station, Termini, at about 4:05 pm, which was 1 hour late. Our rental apartment secretary had pre-arranged a private car pickup for us. Although the previously agreed upon transportation amount was E30, the driver required E40 because of his extra hour wait. We thought that was acceptable & also gave him a E5 tip.
We stayed at Guest House Navona Suites on Governo Vecchio, which is 1-2 blocks from Piazza Navona. I posted a review of this apartment on tripadvisor.com. It was clean, safe, & no bugs (which is very important to us), but there were other things we were not pleased about; rated it about 3 out of 5 stars.
We did some grocery shopping, walked the area, & made it an early night so we could get an early start tomorrow.
FRIDAY, 11/3/06 - We walked to the gorgeous ST. PETER'S SQUARE & slowly strolled around the area, looked thru the shops, watched the mass of people - ah yes, we are in Rome! Bought some rosaries for folks at home, went to the VATICAN INFO DESK, obtained a Vatican map, & located where to go for our two upcoming scheduled Vatican tours. We then walked back to CAMPO di FIORI & PIAZZA NAVONA & the ROME TOURIST INFO BOOTH, which is just outside the northeast corner of P. Navona. There we got a brochure for the hop-on/hop-off bus #110 (planned for another day). Before we knew it, we had spent the day & early evening just enjoying the area between our apartment & the Vatican. We love to walk & stroll around & what wonderful sights, sounds, smells, & people there were for us.
SATURDAY, 11/4/06 –
At 9:45 am we had a scheduled VATICAN SCAVI NECROPOLIS TOUR. We walked to the Vatican even though we were early. There were no lines into the basilica; just walk right in. As instructed, about 15 minutes before our tour, we approached the Swiss Guards (located on the left side of the basilica), showed our email confirmation, & received access to the Scavi Tour Office. We received tickets at the office & were directed to wait outside for our guide. Soon, others in our tour arrived. We had a nice chat with some folks from England (south of London) & a woman from New Jersey. Our guide, Alex (Alexandra), arrived & led us into a side door to the Vatican which led under the St. Peter’s Basilica. The tour was absolutely fascinating & even more so since so few people get selected (only 12 people per tour) - we felt very special. The tombs discovered under the basilica date back to the 2nd & 3rd centuries. We saw St. Peter’s tomb with some bones that some scholars say are his & some say are not – no way to prove which. The tombs had stairs leading to the top. On a special memorial day in ancient Rome, families would gather at the tombs & have celebrations & food on the top of the tombs, in remembrance of their dearly departed ones. The tombs we saw still contained urns of deceased ashes & some bones. Many had wall murals & other decorations, such as mosaic art on the walls & floors. It was so great to be “behind the scenes” & to see such treasures. The tour ended at about 11am. Our tour guide did an excellent job.
Once again we walked, sat, watched, enjoyed ourselves around the PIAZZA NAVONA area, & the PANTHEON & the TREVI FOUNDTAIN. We had tours of these places on our '05 trip, but it was nice to see them again. We spent a good deal of time inside & outside the Pantheon. Such a beautiful structure (beautiful seems so feeble a word!).
SUNDAY, 11/5/06 –
Walked to, around, & thru CAMPO di FIORI, again (as we did so thruout our visit). We loved the activity & ambience of this campo; all of the colors of the fresh produce, flowers, etc.; locals buying their daily supplies; crowded with stands, carts, cafes, shops, people; & then a car, van, truck, & even the mini-bus #116 would somehow manuever thru all of that - how do they do that - & no one even seems to notice! Talk about local flavor!
A street from the Campo di Fiori leads to the JEWISH GHETTO area, so that is where we headed next - to Via Portico d’ Ottavia. Walked all around that area & came upon “LA DOLCEROMA”, a bakery with luscious items - oh my! They have the best "Florentine" cookies - lots of dark chocolate & slivered almonds - yum. Not cheap - 6 for E10. But we came back another day for seconds! They also have cheesecack & chocolate brownies.
We stopped at a Jewish grocery & bought some of the most lucious looking (& later found to be lucious tasting) bread.
The end of this street, gave us a surprise - Roman ruins. It was amazing! In the middle of a retail & residential area, stood ruins dating almost 2 thousand years old – awesome. We walked thru the ruins (free) & ended up at the CAPITAL MUSEUM. We walked around in awe at the beautiful art, stood for some time above the Roman Forum ruins, & then retraced our tracks back to the apartment. After a short rest, we walked further around our area & found another bakery & grocery, of course.
I'll post some more tomorrow.
Julie
Before I begin my report, let me once again say thanks to Fodors for this wonderful board & the Fodorites who made our trip so much better than it would have been. I received such great info from this board. Thanks.
Lastly, I will once again apologize for being so verbose. That's just me. Sorry to those who don't like my style & I understand if you choose not to read this. However, on this report, I am going to TRY & cut down some. I hope my info helps someone, as I was helped so often.
We absolutely wore ourselves out in Venice, so our Rome plan was to take it slowly & even have some "down" days. So, we bagan -
ROME – 11/2/20006, Thursday
We arrived by train (train report on my Venice post) at the main train station, Termini, at about 4:05 pm, which was 1 hour late. Our rental apartment secretary had pre-arranged a private car pickup for us. Although the previously agreed upon transportation amount was E30, the driver required E40 because of his extra hour wait. We thought that was acceptable & also gave him a E5 tip.
We stayed at Guest House Navona Suites on Governo Vecchio, which is 1-2 blocks from Piazza Navona. I posted a review of this apartment on tripadvisor.com. It was clean, safe, & no bugs (which is very important to us), but there were other things we were not pleased about; rated it about 3 out of 5 stars.
We did some grocery shopping, walked the area, & made it an early night so we could get an early start tomorrow.
FRIDAY, 11/3/06 - We walked to the gorgeous ST. PETER'S SQUARE & slowly strolled around the area, looked thru the shops, watched the mass of people - ah yes, we are in Rome! Bought some rosaries for folks at home, went to the VATICAN INFO DESK, obtained a Vatican map, & located where to go for our two upcoming scheduled Vatican tours. We then walked back to CAMPO di FIORI & PIAZZA NAVONA & the ROME TOURIST INFO BOOTH, which is just outside the northeast corner of P. Navona. There we got a brochure for the hop-on/hop-off bus #110 (planned for another day). Before we knew it, we had spent the day & early evening just enjoying the area between our apartment & the Vatican. We love to walk & stroll around & what wonderful sights, sounds, smells, & people there were for us.
SATURDAY, 11/4/06 –
At 9:45 am we had a scheduled VATICAN SCAVI NECROPOLIS TOUR. We walked to the Vatican even though we were early. There were no lines into the basilica; just walk right in. As instructed, about 15 minutes before our tour, we approached the Swiss Guards (located on the left side of the basilica), showed our email confirmation, & received access to the Scavi Tour Office. We received tickets at the office & were directed to wait outside for our guide. Soon, others in our tour arrived. We had a nice chat with some folks from England (south of London) & a woman from New Jersey. Our guide, Alex (Alexandra), arrived & led us into a side door to the Vatican which led under the St. Peter’s Basilica. The tour was absolutely fascinating & even more so since so few people get selected (only 12 people per tour) - we felt very special. The tombs discovered under the basilica date back to the 2nd & 3rd centuries. We saw St. Peter’s tomb with some bones that some scholars say are his & some say are not – no way to prove which. The tombs had stairs leading to the top. On a special memorial day in ancient Rome, families would gather at the tombs & have celebrations & food on the top of the tombs, in remembrance of their dearly departed ones. The tombs we saw still contained urns of deceased ashes & some bones. Many had wall murals & other decorations, such as mosaic art on the walls & floors. It was so great to be “behind the scenes” & to see such treasures. The tour ended at about 11am. Our tour guide did an excellent job.
Once again we walked, sat, watched, enjoyed ourselves around the PIAZZA NAVONA area, & the PANTHEON & the TREVI FOUNDTAIN. We had tours of these places on our '05 trip, but it was nice to see them again. We spent a good deal of time inside & outside the Pantheon. Such a beautiful structure (beautiful seems so feeble a word!).
SUNDAY, 11/5/06 –
Walked to, around, & thru CAMPO di FIORI, again (as we did so thruout our visit). We loved the activity & ambience of this campo; all of the colors of the fresh produce, flowers, etc.; locals buying their daily supplies; crowded with stands, carts, cafes, shops, people; & then a car, van, truck, & even the mini-bus #116 would somehow manuever thru all of that - how do they do that - & no one even seems to notice! Talk about local flavor!
A street from the Campo di Fiori leads to the JEWISH GHETTO area, so that is where we headed next - to Via Portico d’ Ottavia. Walked all around that area & came upon “LA DOLCEROMA”, a bakery with luscious items - oh my! They have the best "Florentine" cookies - lots of dark chocolate & slivered almonds - yum. Not cheap - 6 for E10. But we came back another day for seconds! They also have cheesecack & chocolate brownies.
We stopped at a Jewish grocery & bought some of the most lucious looking (& later found to be lucious tasting) bread.
The end of this street, gave us a surprise - Roman ruins. It was amazing! In the middle of a retail & residential area, stood ruins dating almost 2 thousand years old – awesome. We walked thru the ruins (free) & ended up at the CAPITAL MUSEUM. We walked around in awe at the beautiful art, stood for some time above the Roman Forum ruins, & then retraced our tracks back to the apartment. After a short rest, we walked further around our area & found another bakery & grocery, of course.
I'll post some more tomorrow.
Julie
Dec 2nd, 2006, 09:45 AM
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Thanks folks for your responses. travelgirl2, we loved Ostia Antica. In fact, it was our #1, absolutely favorite site during our Rome visit. For your info, I'll post that part of my report now. Sorry it's long, but there was just so much to experience!
THURSDAY, 11/9/06 – Rome & Ostia Antica - We are excited today – we are going to OSTIA ANTICA! This excavated town, Rome’s ancient seaport, has walls that date back to 330-320 BC. Even though we were very excited, we had not imagined how awesome the site would be. This is a definite DO NOT MISS SITE! It was our favorite site, #1, numero uno! I still long to have another day there; wish we had gone for a 2nd day. Anyway, on this day, we had to figure out how to get there. The guided tours, by bus & boat, only allow about 2 hours at the site. We knew that would not be enough time & we were absolutely correct. But then, no fear, the Rome bus expert is here! Well, my hopes of an accurate bus map & schedule had long been dashed when I discovered reality did not match the map & schedule booklet! I had also discovered that the Tourist Info folks did not always have the best info on which bus to take. So, with high hopes, I developed our bus route. We took the #64 from the Piazza Navona area to Termini bus station. Then we took bus #75 to the Piramide area. At the Piramide area is a train station with trains to Ostia Antica. Armed with my maps & info, we boarded the #64 (pickpocket express!) & had no bad incidents (never did have any problems during our 2 weeks). We safely arrived at the Termini & headed for the outside info booth (which is at the front of one of the bus lanes) – where do we catch #75 to the Piramide? We were directed to the correct bus lane, we waited only a few minutes & then boarded #75 (confirming with the bus driver, of course). Without incident, we arrived at a bus stop that appeared to us (according to our Rome bus map) to be close to the Piramide; the bus driver also pointed to cross the street. Now, as we stood on the sidewalk, where is the train station? From studying the map & according to the bus driver, we crossed the street & headed back in the direction the bus came, but down an angled street. Ah, after crossing the street, a woman came towards us. We stopped & asked her if she knew the location of the train station for going to Ostia Antica. We assumed she probably would not understand us and/or we would not understand her – she spoke perfect English – an American living in Rome! How small the world is. Our map worked well because we were headed in the correct direction & we continued. In half a block we came upon the Pyramid on our right, enclosed with a fence. We were so intent on finding our way, we failed to notice what the Pyramid is & why it is there??? Oh well, across the street from the Piramide is the metro & train station (Stazione Ostiense). We could have taken the metro line B from Termini to this stop, but decided not to tackle too many new things on the same morning! At the train station we saw a waiting train with “Ostia Antica” on it’s marquee. Now, at this point most people would have boarded the train, but not us. We asked a station employee to ensure it was indeed the correct train – it was. We boarded & found seats because it was not very crowded. The train is not aesthetically pleasing like the EuroStar train we took from Venice to Rome, but then the cost was much less – price included in our weekly Rome transportation pass (for bus, train, metro) that we purchased yesterday for E16. Inside the train & on the wall of each train carriage is a graphic directory showing the various stops & the names of the towns/stops. Our beginning stop was Roma (only one), of course, & our destination stop was Ostia Antica (only one). I think Ostia Antica was the 5th stop(?). The name of each stop was printed in big letters on the platform walls of each stop. Ostia Antica is about 16 miles southwest of Rome & the train ride takes about 25 minutes. A train departs from both directions about every ½ hour & costs E1 each way if one does not have a pre-bought weekly pass.
At our stop, Ostia Antica, we asked a station employee for the direction to the ruins – we had the info (from Fodors), but wanted to be sure - that's us! We went across the street from the station, over the raised walkway (with street below) & continued straight, across another road & continued straight (but not very far), which lead us to a T (inside the park grounds, but looks deserted). We followed some people who left the train ahead of us & turned left at the T & that led us to the ticket booth. Admission was E4 plus E2 for a map (the map is a necessity; we only bought one) & E7.50 for a guide book. The E4 admission charge includes entrance to the onsite Museo Ostiense, which is wonderful. The guide book was informative about what we were seeing, when/if we took the time to read it (is not in any sequence compared to how the area is laid out), but it is a good souvenir with great pictures (ticket booth was closed when we left, so if you want it, buy it when you enter). There are also signs at some sites which give great info; worthy to look for those & read them. According to the ticket booth, there are no longer audio guides or people guides & we did not see any during our time there. Prior to our trip, I had tried many days to reach someone at 06.563.52830 to arrange for a guided tour (as given on Fodors); no one ever answered that number; maybe confirming what the ticket booth person said. The site is open Tues-Sun at 8:30 am-5pm & museum closes at 4pm; visitors are asked to leave by 6pm; hours may be different during other parts of the year. The notes I developed prior to leaving the U.S. indicated that the Rome Tourist Info booths have a good map & info for Ostia Antica, but during our visit that was not true.
OK, enough of the how to get there, prices, hours, etc. Now the fun stuff! It is absolutely amazing! If you like Pompeii, you will love Ostia Antica; if you don't like Pompeii, you will probably love Ostia Antica. It is a historical playground for a would be Indiana Jones; a treasure hunt for adults (however, kids would love it too)! Just picture Pompeii without people; with 2 & 3 story buildings; without access restrictions. This place is huge; too big to see all in one day. We climbed stairs of ancient buildings, stood on the top terraces & looked out over the city just like the original inhabitants did 2000 years ago – unreal! Unbelievably - we found holes of unfinished excavations, pulled overgrowth of vines aside, & with me playing Mother & cautioning everyone to watch out for snakes, we climbed down into the holes & found intact graves & coffins - now that is too awesome to describe & just as awesome to experience. We walked on mosaic tile floors from the 1st century – cautiously tiptoed actually! If we wanted, we could touch the ancient wall murals & mosaics (just couldn’t bring ourselves to do so though). Get this - we sat in the mostly intact amphitheatre & tested the acoustics like ancient orators; we rested there soaking up the sun & reviewing our guide book for more info on what we had seen (experienced!). How can one grasp the unbelievable feeling of sitting where others sat, walking where others walked, seeing where others lived & were buried 2000 years ago? And without restrictions! It is almost too much for the brain to comprehend, but it was wonderful trying. There are so many awesome places in Italy – Venice, Rome, Florence, Tuscany, the south, Pompeii, and more. But to us, nothing compared to Ostia Antica.
We toured the museum & saw busts of famous Roman emporers – so interesting to see what they really looked like. We took a break from our treasure hunt & ate lunch at the onsite cafeteria, which has pizza, paninis, hot table with lasagna, quiche, pasta, and much more. There was ice cream for dessert. The prices are about the same as in a Rome cafe; pasta E7-E8 (large portion); pizza same; quiche same (but a big piece). The quiche, lasagna, spaghetti with meat sauce, & ice cream were delicious. There are free toilettes & usual price for bottles of water (not expensive).
Needless to say, we spent the entire day exploring our new find & desparately hated to leave. I’m sure that one day restrictions will be established to prevent everyone from walking all over these ancient treasures & a part of me knows that needs to be done. But then the selfish part of me is so glad for the opportunity we had to actually become a part of another time period. Anyone who goes should be sure to spend a good deal of time at one of the two cemetery sites, sit in the amphitheatre, go all the way to the end of the main road to the “Garden Villas” (& climb up to the roof tops) & the huge “Bath House”.
Yes, Ostia Antica was our favorite site of the trip. If I could only go to one place while in Rome, it would be Ostia Antica!
We returned to Rome by backtracking our previous route. Of course, for the train we caught one going in the opposite direction to Rome & for the #75 bus returning to Termini, we boarded on the opposite side of the street from where we disembarked.
I hope my report will encourage others to partake of this wonderful adventure. If you have children, they will be thrilled - it is full blown treasure hunting. I suggest pre-planning that I did not do, such as online searching of the history & maybe there is an online map or guide. Also for children, include them on the pre-lanning info so they will have a better understanding of what they are seeing. Maybe they can each prepare a presentation to give in the ampitheater & the proud parents can record it on the camcorder! Hope you go & hope we get to go back!
I'll post more of my Rome report later, Julie
THURSDAY, 11/9/06 – Rome & Ostia Antica - We are excited today – we are going to OSTIA ANTICA! This excavated town, Rome’s ancient seaport, has walls that date back to 330-320 BC. Even though we were very excited, we had not imagined how awesome the site would be. This is a definite DO NOT MISS SITE! It was our favorite site, #1, numero uno! I still long to have another day there; wish we had gone for a 2nd day. Anyway, on this day, we had to figure out how to get there. The guided tours, by bus & boat, only allow about 2 hours at the site. We knew that would not be enough time & we were absolutely correct. But then, no fear, the Rome bus expert is here! Well, my hopes of an accurate bus map & schedule had long been dashed when I discovered reality did not match the map & schedule booklet! I had also discovered that the Tourist Info folks did not always have the best info on which bus to take. So, with high hopes, I developed our bus route. We took the #64 from the Piazza Navona area to Termini bus station. Then we took bus #75 to the Piramide area. At the Piramide area is a train station with trains to Ostia Antica. Armed with my maps & info, we boarded the #64 (pickpocket express!) & had no bad incidents (never did have any problems during our 2 weeks). We safely arrived at the Termini & headed for the outside info booth (which is at the front of one of the bus lanes) – where do we catch #75 to the Piramide? We were directed to the correct bus lane, we waited only a few minutes & then boarded #75 (confirming with the bus driver, of course). Without incident, we arrived at a bus stop that appeared to us (according to our Rome bus map) to be close to the Piramide; the bus driver also pointed to cross the street. Now, as we stood on the sidewalk, where is the train station? From studying the map & according to the bus driver, we crossed the street & headed back in the direction the bus came, but down an angled street. Ah, after crossing the street, a woman came towards us. We stopped & asked her if she knew the location of the train station for going to Ostia Antica. We assumed she probably would not understand us and/or we would not understand her – she spoke perfect English – an American living in Rome! How small the world is. Our map worked well because we were headed in the correct direction & we continued. In half a block we came upon the Pyramid on our right, enclosed with a fence. We were so intent on finding our way, we failed to notice what the Pyramid is & why it is there??? Oh well, across the street from the Piramide is the metro & train station (Stazione Ostiense). We could have taken the metro line B from Termini to this stop, but decided not to tackle too many new things on the same morning! At the train station we saw a waiting train with “Ostia Antica” on it’s marquee. Now, at this point most people would have boarded the train, but not us. We asked a station employee to ensure it was indeed the correct train – it was. We boarded & found seats because it was not very crowded. The train is not aesthetically pleasing like the EuroStar train we took from Venice to Rome, but then the cost was much less – price included in our weekly Rome transportation pass (for bus, train, metro) that we purchased yesterday for E16. Inside the train & on the wall of each train carriage is a graphic directory showing the various stops & the names of the towns/stops. Our beginning stop was Roma (only one), of course, & our destination stop was Ostia Antica (only one). I think Ostia Antica was the 5th stop(?). The name of each stop was printed in big letters on the platform walls of each stop. Ostia Antica is about 16 miles southwest of Rome & the train ride takes about 25 minutes. A train departs from both directions about every ½ hour & costs E1 each way if one does not have a pre-bought weekly pass.
At our stop, Ostia Antica, we asked a station employee for the direction to the ruins – we had the info (from Fodors), but wanted to be sure - that's us! We went across the street from the station, over the raised walkway (with street below) & continued straight, across another road & continued straight (but not very far), which lead us to a T (inside the park grounds, but looks deserted). We followed some people who left the train ahead of us & turned left at the T & that led us to the ticket booth. Admission was E4 plus E2 for a map (the map is a necessity; we only bought one) & E7.50 for a guide book. The E4 admission charge includes entrance to the onsite Museo Ostiense, which is wonderful. The guide book was informative about what we were seeing, when/if we took the time to read it (is not in any sequence compared to how the area is laid out), but it is a good souvenir with great pictures (ticket booth was closed when we left, so if you want it, buy it when you enter). There are also signs at some sites which give great info; worthy to look for those & read them. According to the ticket booth, there are no longer audio guides or people guides & we did not see any during our time there. Prior to our trip, I had tried many days to reach someone at 06.563.52830 to arrange for a guided tour (as given on Fodors); no one ever answered that number; maybe confirming what the ticket booth person said. The site is open Tues-Sun at 8:30 am-5pm & museum closes at 4pm; visitors are asked to leave by 6pm; hours may be different during other parts of the year. The notes I developed prior to leaving the U.S. indicated that the Rome Tourist Info booths have a good map & info for Ostia Antica, but during our visit that was not true.
OK, enough of the how to get there, prices, hours, etc. Now the fun stuff! It is absolutely amazing! If you like Pompeii, you will love Ostia Antica; if you don't like Pompeii, you will probably love Ostia Antica. It is a historical playground for a would be Indiana Jones; a treasure hunt for adults (however, kids would love it too)! Just picture Pompeii without people; with 2 & 3 story buildings; without access restrictions. This place is huge; too big to see all in one day. We climbed stairs of ancient buildings, stood on the top terraces & looked out over the city just like the original inhabitants did 2000 years ago – unreal! Unbelievably - we found holes of unfinished excavations, pulled overgrowth of vines aside, & with me playing Mother & cautioning everyone to watch out for snakes, we climbed down into the holes & found intact graves & coffins - now that is too awesome to describe & just as awesome to experience. We walked on mosaic tile floors from the 1st century – cautiously tiptoed actually! If we wanted, we could touch the ancient wall murals & mosaics (just couldn’t bring ourselves to do so though). Get this - we sat in the mostly intact amphitheatre & tested the acoustics like ancient orators; we rested there soaking up the sun & reviewing our guide book for more info on what we had seen (experienced!). How can one grasp the unbelievable feeling of sitting where others sat, walking where others walked, seeing where others lived & were buried 2000 years ago? And without restrictions! It is almost too much for the brain to comprehend, but it was wonderful trying. There are so many awesome places in Italy – Venice, Rome, Florence, Tuscany, the south, Pompeii, and more. But to us, nothing compared to Ostia Antica.
We toured the museum & saw busts of famous Roman emporers – so interesting to see what they really looked like. We took a break from our treasure hunt & ate lunch at the onsite cafeteria, which has pizza, paninis, hot table with lasagna, quiche, pasta, and much more. There was ice cream for dessert. The prices are about the same as in a Rome cafe; pasta E7-E8 (large portion); pizza same; quiche same (but a big piece). The quiche, lasagna, spaghetti with meat sauce, & ice cream were delicious. There are free toilettes & usual price for bottles of water (not expensive).
Needless to say, we spent the entire day exploring our new find & desparately hated to leave. I’m sure that one day restrictions will be established to prevent everyone from walking all over these ancient treasures & a part of me knows that needs to be done. But then the selfish part of me is so glad for the opportunity we had to actually become a part of another time period. Anyone who goes should be sure to spend a good deal of time at one of the two cemetery sites, sit in the amphitheatre, go all the way to the end of the main road to the “Garden Villas” (& climb up to the roof tops) & the huge “Bath House”.
Yes, Ostia Antica was our favorite site of the trip. If I could only go to one place while in Rome, it would be Ostia Antica!
We returned to Rome by backtracking our previous route. Of course, for the train we caught one going in the opposite direction to Rome & for the #75 bus returning to Termini, we boarded on the opposite side of the street from where we disembarked.
I hope my report will encourage others to partake of this wonderful adventure. If you have children, they will be thrilled - it is full blown treasure hunting. I suggest pre-planning that I did not do, such as online searching of the history & maybe there is an online map or guide. Also for children, include them on the pre-lanning info so they will have a better understanding of what they are seeing. Maybe they can each prepare a presentation to give in the ampitheater & the proud parents can record it on the camcorder! Hope you go & hope we get to go back!
I'll post more of my Rome report later, Julie
Dec 2nd, 2006, 11:16 AM
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Ah Julie, I have never visited Ostia Antica and never really gave it much thought. But after your wonderful description of it and the experiences and feelings you shared..now I want to go. Another fantastic report!
BTW, I am always the one to doublecheck everything thing too. Don't want to get on the wrong train or bus, lol!
BTW, I am always the one to doublecheck everything thing too. Don't want to get on the wrong train or bus, lol!
Dec 2nd, 2006, 12:32 PM
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Wonderful post! We were originally going to stay in Ostia Antica, but then decided to change to a hotel in Rome. We're going to do a similar trip as you. We were originally going to do the train, but your bus trip sounds really interesting. I think we'll do that and just take the train from Piramide to Ostia.
Thanks for the post.
Dave
Thanks for the post.
Dave
Dec 2nd, 2006, 05:00 PM
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Oh, I'm so glad that so many of you also loved Ostia Antica & that I've encouraged some of you to go. I've learned so much from this board, so it's very rewarding to contribute.
We met a lady on the #116 bus & she is an American who has lived in Rome for quite some time (w/hubby's job). She mentioned O.A. before I did & said that in her opinion it is sadly a gem that is too often overlooked by Rome visitors. Definitely a gem!
Well, we found another gem - Palatine Hill in Rome's Ancient City area. Now I'm sure we all know about seeing the Colosseum, Roman Forum, & Palatine Hill. In my trip pre-planning, I did not do any extra research on P.H., just figured to do the 3 places on the same day - wrong! P.H. could take a big part of one day & in my opinion should be done before one is already worn out with the other 2 sites. I had no idea how wonderful it is. I'm sure many of you already know. I'll post my ancient city report next (which includes P.H.) just in case some are not aware. I'll try & get it posted tonight - hopefully.
Thanks for all of your kind comments & glad I helped some folks.
Julie
We met a lady on the #116 bus & she is an American who has lived in Rome for quite some time (w/hubby's job). She mentioned O.A. before I did & said that in her opinion it is sadly a gem that is too often overlooked by Rome visitors. Definitely a gem!
Well, we found another gem - Palatine Hill in Rome's Ancient City area. Now I'm sure we all know about seeing the Colosseum, Roman Forum, & Palatine Hill. In my trip pre-planning, I did not do any extra research on P.H., just figured to do the 3 places on the same day - wrong! P.H. could take a big part of one day & in my opinion should be done before one is already worn out with the other 2 sites. I had no idea how wonderful it is. I'm sure many of you already know. I'll post my ancient city report next (which includes P.H.) just in case some are not aware. I'll try & get it posted tonight - hopefully.
Thanks for all of your kind comments & glad I helped some folks.
Julie
Dec 2nd, 2006, 05:05 PM
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We stopped for a brief time in Ostia Antica after picking up folks at the airport and before the drive to Tuscany. It was very interesting, especially the ampitheatre and the views from the upper platform. We only got as far as the ampitheatre area, so there was lots we didn't get to see...
We had a car for the journey to Tuscany, so it was an easy trip from the nearly adjacent airport. I admire you for having the energy to take public transportation out there and then spending so much time exploring!
We had a car for the journey to Tuscany, so it was an easy trip from the nearly adjacent airport. I admire you for having the energy to take public transportation out there and then spending so much time exploring!
Dec 2nd, 2006, 06:16 PM
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MONDAY, 11/13/06 – Rome
Today is the ANCIENT CITY for us. Last year we had a tour of the COLOSSEUM & the ROMAN FORUM, but we wanted to spend more time there. We arrived at the Colosseum at 8:40 am (took bus #87 from Rinascimento, which runs parallel to the Piazza Navona, went to stop Colloseo – me leading as the Rome bus expert with my trusty bus map in hand!). When we arrived, no one was there – in line anyway – there were ticket folks, of course! We have found that it definitely pays to arrive early at the tourist sites. The cost is E11, which includes the Colosseum & Palatine Hill. The Roman Forum is free.
At the Colosseum we took our time & very slowly did our own tour. There are 2 levels for visitors to explore - the ticket/entrance level & the upper level. We started on the first level, studying it all the way around; at least as far around as allowed; there is a blockade at one point. The Colosseum was fascinating to experience because we have seen it so many times in photos, travel shows, & especially movies. We have heard the horrible stories about the murder of Christians & others. Our guide last year, although she sadly expressed what a brutal history the Colosseum has, she said that no evidence has been found to prove the Colosseum was used to slaughter Christians; maybe that is a Hollywood creation. We looked for the area where the Emporers sat & where the box seats were for the wealthy & powerful. And, of course, how we longed to jump over the railing & climb into the lower level & explore! On this 1st level, we did find an info office with 2 very nice young ladies. They were very friendly & helpful. I asked if anyone ever gets to go to the below ground levels - tours, special groups, rich folks...? They said "No" & then laughingly added, except the Colloseo cats! We did enjoy "talking" to the many cats who live in this upscale location! Well, anyway, don't know if it is true or not about no visitors being allowed in the lower level, but I'm sure there are lots of people who would pay extra for the opportunity - but, maybe it is unsafe.
Next we went to the 2nd (upstairs) level (there is an elevator on an outside wall). We did not get to explore the 2nd level on our tour last year, so we were excited about this new adventure - and it did not disappoint. We really enjoyed looking down to the lower level from our lofty perch and more closely seeing how high the poor people sat at the top. The steps were so steep. The seats did not look very comfortable either. Do you suppose they brought cushions? The outside & inside walls are speckled with holes where people removed the metal to use in other construction projects thruout Rome. We were pleased to notice the many pieces of metal support beams that still hold some of the walls together. Such an architectural wonder! And then, another wonderful find! On the 2nd level there are many displays. My goodness, these displays alone can take over an hour to view & read about – excellent display. There was a great deal on the story of Troy, Achilles, & other important people of that time. Even a bust of Achilles & a hair comb of one of the women - Helen or ?, not sure now. Anyway, in my opinion, these displays are a DON'T MISS site & plenty of time needs to be allowed.
Then we strolled over to the ROMAN FORUM, taking our time & viewing Constantine's arch along the way - beautiful detail sculptured into it. We had a thorough tour last year, but this time we got to linger. Surprisingly there were quite a few people here. Don't understand why there were so few at the Colosseum & so many at the R.F.? Our guide book said the English tour of the R.F. is at 10:30 daily & lasts about 1 hour - ask at the ticket booth. For me, it is difficult to know what you are seeing when you tour without a guide. I'm not sure if there is an audio guide, but I did not see many info signs giving details.
We had been on our feet for many hours, & it was past lunch time. So, we debated whether we really wanted to go thru Palatine Hill; well, we already had tickets; well, we didn't see it last year; well, what is there to see anyway? So, then in a state of confusion, we looked for how/where to access P.H. Naturally, we asked someone where it was (right next to the R.F.!) & so we went up some stairs, came upon a ticket taker, who placed a mark on the ticket we purchased at the Colosseum, & entered PALATINO / PALATINE HILL.
My, my, my. I don’t understand why this site is not discussed more on message boards, or in tourist books, or where have I been? This is a very special place & worth a full day’s time - a DON'T MISS site! We were so sorry that we had spent much needed energy on the R.F., which we had already seen. In the P.H. MUSEUM, which is a DON'T MISS site, there is a pre-historic humans excavation that can be viewed & pre-historic humans’ artifacts - unbelievable! Not only ancient Rome, but prehistoric! The museum also contains numerous beautiful statues. DON'T MISS the GARDEN area high above Rome & the R.F. with outstanding views & photo ops, plus a peaceful place to rest & take in the surroundings; the rose garden was beautiful. How did I miss such a significant site in my research? Palatine Hill site is huge & needs one to have lots of energy & time. We did not have a map or a guide book or an audio guide - most of the time we did not know what we looking at, but it was still fantastic. Like Pompeii & unlike Ostia Antica, the ruins are roped off, but they are still awesome to see. There are tunnels, stairs, secret holes & rooms; so interesting. Due to time & energy, we could not do it justice & sadly, we did not have time this trip to return & finish our self-guided tour. Maybe another time....!
Back down the stairs to the R.F. & out onto the street. We were at a different bus stop but we were becoming old hats at the Rome bus system so we successfully took bus #81 to Rinascimento, painfully walked to our apartment on our sore feet, & crashed (with shoes off!) - food could wait!
You know, there is just so much to see & just so little time! A month in Rome would help!
Happy travels, Julie
Today is the ANCIENT CITY for us. Last year we had a tour of the COLOSSEUM & the ROMAN FORUM, but we wanted to spend more time there. We arrived at the Colosseum at 8:40 am (took bus #87 from Rinascimento, which runs parallel to the Piazza Navona, went to stop Colloseo – me leading as the Rome bus expert with my trusty bus map in hand!). When we arrived, no one was there – in line anyway – there were ticket folks, of course! We have found that it definitely pays to arrive early at the tourist sites. The cost is E11, which includes the Colosseum & Palatine Hill. The Roman Forum is free.
At the Colosseum we took our time & very slowly did our own tour. There are 2 levels for visitors to explore - the ticket/entrance level & the upper level. We started on the first level, studying it all the way around; at least as far around as allowed; there is a blockade at one point. The Colosseum was fascinating to experience because we have seen it so many times in photos, travel shows, & especially movies. We have heard the horrible stories about the murder of Christians & others. Our guide last year, although she sadly expressed what a brutal history the Colosseum has, she said that no evidence has been found to prove the Colosseum was used to slaughter Christians; maybe that is a Hollywood creation. We looked for the area where the Emporers sat & where the box seats were for the wealthy & powerful. And, of course, how we longed to jump over the railing & climb into the lower level & explore! On this 1st level, we did find an info office with 2 very nice young ladies. They were very friendly & helpful. I asked if anyone ever gets to go to the below ground levels - tours, special groups, rich folks...? They said "No" & then laughingly added, except the Colloseo cats! We did enjoy "talking" to the many cats who live in this upscale location! Well, anyway, don't know if it is true or not about no visitors being allowed in the lower level, but I'm sure there are lots of people who would pay extra for the opportunity - but, maybe it is unsafe.
Next we went to the 2nd (upstairs) level (there is an elevator on an outside wall). We did not get to explore the 2nd level on our tour last year, so we were excited about this new adventure - and it did not disappoint. We really enjoyed looking down to the lower level from our lofty perch and more closely seeing how high the poor people sat at the top. The steps were so steep. The seats did not look very comfortable either. Do you suppose they brought cushions? The outside & inside walls are speckled with holes where people removed the metal to use in other construction projects thruout Rome. We were pleased to notice the many pieces of metal support beams that still hold some of the walls together. Such an architectural wonder! And then, another wonderful find! On the 2nd level there are many displays. My goodness, these displays alone can take over an hour to view & read about – excellent display. There was a great deal on the story of Troy, Achilles, & other important people of that time. Even a bust of Achilles & a hair comb of one of the women - Helen or ?, not sure now. Anyway, in my opinion, these displays are a DON'T MISS site & plenty of time needs to be allowed.
Then we strolled over to the ROMAN FORUM, taking our time & viewing Constantine's arch along the way - beautiful detail sculptured into it. We had a thorough tour last year, but this time we got to linger. Surprisingly there were quite a few people here. Don't understand why there were so few at the Colosseum & so many at the R.F.? Our guide book said the English tour of the R.F. is at 10:30 daily & lasts about 1 hour - ask at the ticket booth. For me, it is difficult to know what you are seeing when you tour without a guide. I'm not sure if there is an audio guide, but I did not see many info signs giving details.
We had been on our feet for many hours, & it was past lunch time. So, we debated whether we really wanted to go thru Palatine Hill; well, we already had tickets; well, we didn't see it last year; well, what is there to see anyway? So, then in a state of confusion, we looked for how/where to access P.H. Naturally, we asked someone where it was (right next to the R.F.!) & so we went up some stairs, came upon a ticket taker, who placed a mark on the ticket we purchased at the Colosseum, & entered PALATINO / PALATINE HILL.
My, my, my. I don’t understand why this site is not discussed more on message boards, or in tourist books, or where have I been? This is a very special place & worth a full day’s time - a DON'T MISS site! We were so sorry that we had spent much needed energy on the R.F., which we had already seen. In the P.H. MUSEUM, which is a DON'T MISS site, there is a pre-historic humans excavation that can be viewed & pre-historic humans’ artifacts - unbelievable! Not only ancient Rome, but prehistoric! The museum also contains numerous beautiful statues. DON'T MISS the GARDEN area high above Rome & the R.F. with outstanding views & photo ops, plus a peaceful place to rest & take in the surroundings; the rose garden was beautiful. How did I miss such a significant site in my research? Palatine Hill site is huge & needs one to have lots of energy & time. We did not have a map or a guide book or an audio guide - most of the time we did not know what we looking at, but it was still fantastic. Like Pompeii & unlike Ostia Antica, the ruins are roped off, but they are still awesome to see. There are tunnels, stairs, secret holes & rooms; so interesting. Due to time & energy, we could not do it justice & sadly, we did not have time this trip to return & finish our self-guided tour. Maybe another time....!
Back down the stairs to the R.F. & out onto the street. We were at a different bus stop but we were becoming old hats at the Rome bus system so we successfully took bus #81 to Rinascimento, painfully walked to our apartment on our sore feet, & crashed (with shoes off!) - food could wait!
You know, there is just so much to see & just so little time! A month in Rome would help!
Happy travels, Julie
and am planning to go to Ostia Antica, so that was great information. Is there more?
Dec 3rd, 2006, 08:46 AM
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travelgirl2 - I must have been composing my post when you posted; I missed your post - sorry. I'm so glad you made it to O.A. And, I think you are brave to drive! Don't think I could try that - the liability threat scares me.
SusanP - Lucky you; Rome in 3 weeks! I don't have any more on O.A., but I have 2 or 3 more Rome activities to post here & then some separate posts - (1) how to use the Rome bus system; (2) some pre-planning & things to do & take along tips that helped me a lot; (3) trip report on our Vatican Via Triumphalis Necropolis Tour (that's the new excavation site). Several Fodorites expressed interest on hearing about it & I figured to post it separately in case they do not want to read this looong report.
So, right now I will work on posting some more here & hopefully finish this part & then start on the separate threads.
Julie
SusanP - Lucky you; Rome in 3 weeks! I don't have any more on O.A., but I have 2 or 3 more Rome activities to post here & then some separate posts - (1) how to use the Rome bus system; (2) some pre-planning & things to do & take along tips that helped me a lot; (3) trip report on our Vatican Via Triumphalis Necropolis Tour (that's the new excavation site). Several Fodorites expressed interest on hearing about it & I figured to post it separately in case they do not want to read this looong report.
So, right now I will work on posting some more here & hopefully finish this part & then start on the separate threads.
Julie
Dec 3rd, 2006, 09:36 AM
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You brought back some great memoris. We also loved Ostia Antica and I think it was great to be there "alone" as it were. Of course the more we post, the more the secret will be out, but...
Dec 3rd, 2006, 10:50 AM
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lol, CarolA, you are right. But I think most folks don't go because of the transportation requirement - just easier to stay in Rome. But then, it is much easier to get to Ostia Antica than to Pompeii & a lot of folks day trip to Pompeii from Rome. I think it helps save it for us Fodorites because the big tour companies like Globus, Trafauler, etc. do not include it; that keeps a lot of people away. Hope that continues! I'm so glad we found it & took the time to figure out how to get there - what a jewel!
OK, here's my next post & I think I only have one post after this one.
Monday, 11/6/06 – Rome
Walked to the busy street of Emanuelle, which is about 1 ½ blocks southeast of our apartment. There we boarded the RED DOUBLE DECKER HOP-ON/HOP-OFF BUS #110. We knew where to board because on a previous day we visited the Tourist Info booth & obtained the brochure & map, which shows the bus stops.
During my pre-planning search of Fodors, I found quite a few posts on this bus & most of the posts were negative – buses never showed up, full & couldn’t get on, hour between buses, etc. I don’t know if the time of year causes those problems or ..? But we saw lots of these buses, so I can’t imagine there would be a long wait. Our plan was to take the bus full circle in order to get a good view of the city (& the bus audio guide narration was a bonus) & familiarize ourselves with the areas we wanted to visit. So, we only utilized the hop-on/hop-off feature once. However, on that occasion, we only waited a few minutes for a return bus & it was not even half capacity.
For us, this was a DON’T MISS experience. We really enjoyed it. Since there is an open upper level, I think kids would really like it also, especially if they have been walking a lot! With so much walking to do, this was a nice restful method to sitesee. We paid onboard, E13 per person (have correct amount because sometimes they do not have change), obtained another free route map, picked up headsets for each of us, & found seats upstairs at the very front. On the upper level, there is a glass enclosure, including ceiling, that covers the first 2 or 3 rows; the rest is open, which is very nice on a good weather day. The headset narration during the almost 2 hours, 13 stops, was very good. The headset port for Don’s seat did not work (we could have moved). However, since each headset had 2 earplugs, he just used one of mine – worked fine! We found lots of places to visit – even the Hard Rock Café on Via Veneto. We rode the full route without getting off. Then, we got off on Emanuelle, where we began, & had a brief stop at our apartment for a bathroom break & to shed some clothing layers since the day had warmed. Then back on the bus, which arrived in not much more than 5 minutes.
We left the #110 bus at Via Vittorio Veneto 27 & visited the MONUMENTAL CEMETERY of the CAPUCHIN BROTHERS (Cimitero Monumentale dei Padri Cappuccini), next to the Church of the Immaculate Conception. During my pre-trip research, I found this site listed in a guide book as a great place to take teenagers – I figured that sounded like our kind of place! Visiting this site reinforces that we look for the “not so usual” sites & it was even more bizarre than we imagined! There are thousands of human skulls & bones “decorating” walls. There is a supported standing skeleton dressed in a robe! The bones came from more than 4,000 Capuchin brothers. Supposedly, a French Capuchin monk completed this “art” as an expression of “in the midst of life, we are in the midst of death”. Personally, I think the monk had some serious “problems” & perhaps because of that time in history, he successfully convinced others that this was a religious experience, not perversion! Just my opinion of course. But, I’m still glad that we went, because as I mentioned, we like to see the unusual & this certainly was! We also enjoyed chatting with some of the other “weird” tourists who were there with us. Regarding taking children, it depends on the children of course. It obviously is disrespectful of the dead, according to the standards of some people in today’s society. It is ghoulish, so that may frighten some children & give them nightmares. Admission is a donation.
Next we walked to the end of the block & stood across the street from the AMERICAN EMBASSY. We stood there & stared at it for quite a while as we discussed whether or not we could possibly get a visit or tour. Finally, Tim said that in this day & age, it probably is not a good idea to stand & stare at the American Embassy & that we should duck or run if we see armed guards running towards us! We all laughed & agreed that embassies are not sightseeing places.
So we walked around the VIA VENETO area and ended up in the Villa Borghese park. Oh, the park is so beautiful & peaceful & such a nice place to spend some time & the #116 bus goes there (maybe others). I made an executive decision during our walk – next time, I am staying in this upscale area! Wow, it is so nice & there are metro stops, which would definitely be faster than buses for getting around the city. Do you suppose the Hassler would accept the likes of us, even though we are not in TomKat’s category?! Doesn’t matter, we couldn’t afford it anyway! (Not sure the Hassler is in that area anyway.)
Finally, we boarded a #110 bus again (only waited a few minutes) & went to CAMPO di FIORI. We walked around for a little bit while we waited for the FILET DI BACCALU to open. It is open Mon-Sat 5:30-10:30 & is located at Largo dei Librari 88, off Via dei Giubbonari. This place is known for it’s breaded & fried white fish filets. If you desire carryout, walk past the inside tables to the kitchen door in the back of the restaurant. One of the cooks will take your order & when your fish is done, will wrap it in a paper pocket for you to eat as you stroll (be sure to wait until the inside cools or you will tour Rome with a burnt tongue!). Pay the kitchen person E3 per fish. Cost is E4 at the tables. Each piece is not very big; definitely not a full meal; just a snack. Tim & I thought it was very good. Don did not like it. He said that his piece was almost all breading; just the luck of the draw, I guess.
OK, I’ll work on the next one – Castel Sant’ Angelo, bus #116, & the Hard Rock Cafe
Later, Julie
OK, here's my next post & I think I only have one post after this one.
Monday, 11/6/06 – Rome
Walked to the busy street of Emanuelle, which is about 1 ½ blocks southeast of our apartment. There we boarded the RED DOUBLE DECKER HOP-ON/HOP-OFF BUS #110. We knew where to board because on a previous day we visited the Tourist Info booth & obtained the brochure & map, which shows the bus stops.
During my pre-planning search of Fodors, I found quite a few posts on this bus & most of the posts were negative – buses never showed up, full & couldn’t get on, hour between buses, etc. I don’t know if the time of year causes those problems or ..? But we saw lots of these buses, so I can’t imagine there would be a long wait. Our plan was to take the bus full circle in order to get a good view of the city (& the bus audio guide narration was a bonus) & familiarize ourselves with the areas we wanted to visit. So, we only utilized the hop-on/hop-off feature once. However, on that occasion, we only waited a few minutes for a return bus & it was not even half capacity.
For us, this was a DON’T MISS experience. We really enjoyed it. Since there is an open upper level, I think kids would really like it also, especially if they have been walking a lot! With so much walking to do, this was a nice restful method to sitesee. We paid onboard, E13 per person (have correct amount because sometimes they do not have change), obtained another free route map, picked up headsets for each of us, & found seats upstairs at the very front. On the upper level, there is a glass enclosure, including ceiling, that covers the first 2 or 3 rows; the rest is open, which is very nice on a good weather day. The headset narration during the almost 2 hours, 13 stops, was very good. The headset port for Don’s seat did not work (we could have moved). However, since each headset had 2 earplugs, he just used one of mine – worked fine! We found lots of places to visit – even the Hard Rock Café on Via Veneto. We rode the full route without getting off. Then, we got off on Emanuelle, where we began, & had a brief stop at our apartment for a bathroom break & to shed some clothing layers since the day had warmed. Then back on the bus, which arrived in not much more than 5 minutes.
We left the #110 bus at Via Vittorio Veneto 27 & visited the MONUMENTAL CEMETERY of the CAPUCHIN BROTHERS (Cimitero Monumentale dei Padri Cappuccini), next to the Church of the Immaculate Conception. During my pre-trip research, I found this site listed in a guide book as a great place to take teenagers – I figured that sounded like our kind of place! Visiting this site reinforces that we look for the “not so usual” sites & it was even more bizarre than we imagined! There are thousands of human skulls & bones “decorating” walls. There is a supported standing skeleton dressed in a robe! The bones came from more than 4,000 Capuchin brothers. Supposedly, a French Capuchin monk completed this “art” as an expression of “in the midst of life, we are in the midst of death”. Personally, I think the monk had some serious “problems” & perhaps because of that time in history, he successfully convinced others that this was a religious experience, not perversion! Just my opinion of course. But, I’m still glad that we went, because as I mentioned, we like to see the unusual & this certainly was! We also enjoyed chatting with some of the other “weird” tourists who were there with us. Regarding taking children, it depends on the children of course. It obviously is disrespectful of the dead, according to the standards of some people in today’s society. It is ghoulish, so that may frighten some children & give them nightmares. Admission is a donation.
Next we walked to the end of the block & stood across the street from the AMERICAN EMBASSY. We stood there & stared at it for quite a while as we discussed whether or not we could possibly get a visit or tour. Finally, Tim said that in this day & age, it probably is not a good idea to stand & stare at the American Embassy & that we should duck or run if we see armed guards running towards us! We all laughed & agreed that embassies are not sightseeing places.
So we walked around the VIA VENETO area and ended up in the Villa Borghese park. Oh, the park is so beautiful & peaceful & such a nice place to spend some time & the #116 bus goes there (maybe others). I made an executive decision during our walk – next time, I am staying in this upscale area! Wow, it is so nice & there are metro stops, which would definitely be faster than buses for getting around the city. Do you suppose the Hassler would accept the likes of us, even though we are not in TomKat’s category?! Doesn’t matter, we couldn’t afford it anyway! (Not sure the Hassler is in that area anyway.)
Finally, we boarded a #110 bus again (only waited a few minutes) & went to CAMPO di FIORI. We walked around for a little bit while we waited for the FILET DI BACCALU to open. It is open Mon-Sat 5:30-10:30 & is located at Largo dei Librari 88, off Via dei Giubbonari. This place is known for it’s breaded & fried white fish filets. If you desire carryout, walk past the inside tables to the kitchen door in the back of the restaurant. One of the cooks will take your order & when your fish is done, will wrap it in a paper pocket for you to eat as you stroll (be sure to wait until the inside cools or you will tour Rome with a burnt tongue!). Pay the kitchen person E3 per fish. Cost is E4 at the tables. Each piece is not very big; definitely not a full meal; just a snack. Tim & I thought it was very good. Don did not like it. He said that his piece was almost all breading; just the luck of the draw, I guess.
OK, I’ll work on the next one – Castel Sant’ Angelo, bus #116, & the Hard Rock Cafe
Later, Julie
