Gelato and Ruins by 10AM: Ostia Antica, Roma, Italy

 

Ostia Antica 

Roma
Lazio, Italy

We hoped off the plane in Rome a little bleary at 7:45AM and waited like dopes for our second stroller, only to find out that it was quietly resting by itself around the corner from our baggage carousel.  A half hour later we were en route to Ostia with Google Maps on iPhone in hand (note to Garmin users, this GPS hates Italy!) By 9AM as promised, Sydney had his first of many promised gelatos in hand; chocolate of course.

Ostia was Rome’s main port for over 600 years (according to Time Out Rome).  While I have been to Pompeii, I don’t remember ruins this intact and two hours closer to the city.  Sure, Sydney hit the potty wall half way down the ancient road of the former town, (no small feat, that dash to the nearest bathroom).  Within minutes we were sitting on the steps of the ancient theater, explaining to Sydney how this was kind of like the performance of Rainbow Fish he had seen at the Center for the Arts in Natick.

We made sure before leaving town to hit the 14th century castle of a Pope and made sure to have spaghetti where Fellini sat while reading The Kitten Who Thought He Was a Mouse by Miriam Norton, (the cats haven’t disappeared from Rome since I was here in ‘93).  Who ever told you that kids hate ruins, never saw my boys pick so many daisies they could have made Caesar’s crown look like a bunch of shrubbery.  A three-hour nap and a night out on Rome, with of course more gelato, not a bad first day...