Ostia Antica Sunday was the first morning that we didn't have to leave the hotel early, so we took advantage of the breakfast provided by the hotel at Rotonda Restaurant about a block up the street. We could select from 4 meals and both went with eggs & bacon.
Today we had a private tour which I had booked through "Tours By Locals," and the taxi included for the for the half day picked us up at the hotel at 9 AM, stopping to pick up our guide on the way out of Rome to the nearby port city of Ostia Antica. Ferdinando is a licensed guide with a degree in Preservation of the Cultural Heritage in Sicily and a Master Degree in Classical Archaeology. He said he much prefers giving tours of Ostia Antica to the Colosseum or Roman Forum, and it is a location where he has participated in the archeology. The 2 1/2 hour tour was very detailed and I'm sure would have been longer if we had asked more questions. Ostia Antica is one of the best preserved Roman cities in the world, much less crowded than Pompeii (or any of the attractions in Rome), and many times closer to Rome than Pompeii. It was founded around 620 BC, conquered by Rome about 400 BC and a thriving city into the 5th Century AD. Portions of the community have been excavated to different depth layers and show the remains from different periods.
We were returned to our hotel where we had a late lunch nearby and some down time at the hotel as we prepared to move on to Greece the next day. In the evening we explored a bit more of the nearby area and shared a meat & cheese board at Il Tagliere Toscano Navona for supper. Although their chalk board says all of the boards are designed to serve one person, there was plenty for both of us. We went with the Il Cinta Senese board. The more detailed description in Italian translates to "The most exquisite cutting board, featuring authentic PDO-certified Cinta Senese pork from Siena, offers an intense, traditional flavor. This premium selection includes cured pork, matured Pecorino cheese, bruschetta, and local lard, making it a unique, high quality Tuscan experience."
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Tile floor
of Terme di Nettuno
