Ostia Antica

Last night was the Ben Harper concert for earth day. There were some support acts and then Ben Harper....although it was good music, it was a bit of a disaster from an organization point of view - there was no real crowd control and it didnt really feel so safe the whole time! But it was free, so cant complain. After the concert I went with my friend to a place called Giolitti - a 19th century cafe that is famous for its Gelati (ice cream). I had limoncello flavour....it was excellent!

Today Tara, my Australian friend and myself tried to go to the Galleria Borghese, but unfortunately its entrance with reservation only, I guess because its not only very popular but also small. So we decided to head off to Ostia Antica on the outskirts of Roma. It is the ancient port city of Rome, where goods that came in via ships were transported up the river on barges to supply central Rome with supplies. However over the last 2000 years the sea has retreated several kilometers and the river has changed direction! Apparently it died completely as an inhabited area some 1000 years ago. For me the highlight was that there were no real restriction as to where one could walk, and so we could meander as we pleased. I particularly enjoyed taking in some sun on the theatre.

If you look carefully you may see me in the picture! The kids have gone off to Sicily to spend some time with their grandparents, so I have some time off for the next week or so...