A lovely, easy day!

In the park!

 Ciao!

We were up this morning around 7 am and down for breakfast at 8 am.  Our hotel offers a really lovely breakfast – everything from scrambled eggs and potatoes to cheese and ham.  (Note:  This year, the Giro d’Italia, one of the three big three-week cycling stage races, actually started in Israel!  In fact, the stage that we just saw on television was going through the Negev Desert!  How interesting!  It looks like they will be in Israel a few more days before the race moves to Sicilia and then heads north from there!)  I wish I could say that I felt well-rested, but honestly, my head was more than a bit muzzy from jetlag.  Odd, as I usually don’t feel it much at all arriving in Europe.  Robert seems to be fine, considering that he was working on Caltech business when I went to bed last night at 10:30 and was still on the computer when I woke up this morning!  I got back from breakfast and decided to have my morning nap before things opened up – and was instantly out like a light for the next half hour or so.

Pines of Rome!

 We thought we would stay here in the local area for the day, rather than traipse across country.  One of the most amazing things about Rome and its immediate surroundings is that no matter where you go, you are never very far from some interesting archaeological site.  So, out to find one!  Thought we would see about Ostia Anticafirst, the old port city of Rome.  We have been there multiple times, but usually came by train.  This time – Sunday in May –  the traffic was incredible!  We looked for a parking place for a few minutes, but rapidly gave it up and headed back toward Fiumicino.  This time, Robert expertly guided us to the Porti Imperiali di Claudio E Traiano, where we were able to actually find parking and not that many people!  (Both good things!)  We had read about this several years ago in Archaeology magazine, so it was very interesting to see.  Wikipedia (that all-knowledge location) states as follows: (I did correct spelling and grammar…)

Columns and wall of warehouses

And those columns are big!

Good example of thin Roman bricks

Tiny wine grapes on arbor

Row of ancient warehouses

Good example of big hinges on the ancient doorways

Hexagonal lake; old interior harbor

Very idyllic!

Aerial photograph of area; we are in the center

Red poppies!  One of my favorite flowers!

Our excellent restaurant!

"Dough balls" -- were excellent!

R's sea bream lunch

My fabulous fettuccini with spigola, eggplant & cherry tomatoes

 

“In the year 46 started the construction of a new maritime port comissioned by emperor Claudius (about 3 km away from the port of Ostia), formed by a big 150-meter outer basin and by a smaller inner basin (called Darsena) connected with the Tiber river through 2 channels.”

“The works concluded in the year 64 under the empire of Nero, who forged commemorative coins for that occasion. Unfortunately, the construction was affected by a series of hurdles, like the fact that the sea bottom was continuously being buried under sand (erosion washing down the river Tiber) and a violent storm that sunk over 200 cargo vessels and another hundred got burned in a fire.  That was the reason why between 100 and 112 a.d. emperor Trajan decided to start the construction of a new hexagonal basin, located more internally compared to the port of Claudius and therefore better sheltered.”

“The hexagon, engineering work of great value, communicated with the Tiber and with the port of Claudius by an artificial channel, the Fossa Traiana (today's channel of Fiumicino).”

“Inside, it could dock about 200 ships while behind the mooring points were the big warehouses preceded by arcades. A lighthouse was on the right mole of the inflow channel to the harbor basin and to complete the complex, a colossal statue of Trajan and a large building, the Imperial Palace with the appended baths, a private theater and a small temple dedicated to Hercules.”

It was really a fascinating place, especially with the amount of ruins that had been uncovered. The warehouses were huge long buildings and that distinctive Roman brick – very narrow -- was everywhere.  Coolish kind of day, with high’s in the low 70’s and a great breeze blowing.  Lovely walking weather!

We walked the path lined by pine trees, to the belvedere – a look-out spot where we could see the hexagonal Trajan basin, now a completely silted in small lake.  Just lovely!

Decided after we got back to the car that as it was after 1 pm we should look for lunch. Robert pulled up TripAdvisorrecommendations for Fiumicino and we were soon looking for Ristorante Villa S. Giorgio, a well-received place a block away from the ocean.  To our great surprise, there was actually a real parking lot very close to the restaurant. 

One of the things we have noted over the years is that Sunday in both France and Italy seem to be family-dinner days; large family groups having a leisurely lunch/dinner lasting for several hours in the afternoon.  In our case, having no reservations, we were fortunate that the nice waiter was able to find a place for us – outside near the front door, a very nice table for two.

We ordered a large bottle of sparkling water and a dry white wine from the area.  Excellent wine – a chardonnay from Lazio (our current region) although not up to the really excellent bottle we had last night.  As we were so close to the ocean, I was a bit leery that they would have nothing but fish, but in fact while fish and shellfish dominated the menu, they also had a filet of beef steak.  As it turned out, I found the Roman equivalent of the Sicilian pasta alla Norma– fettucini with spigola(sea bass) and melanzine(eggplant).  Robert, ever the fish person, had orata(sea bream) with very thin slices of potato and zucchini. We were first presented with a mystery appetizer – white balls of what looked to be some sort of dough, rolled in spices – they were excellent, and then our entrees followed.  My fettucini was fabulous, with a perfect combination of very small pieces of spigolaand lots of eggplant and halved cherry tomatoes.  R’s fish – all of it [not quite all.  I left the head and tail. – R] … quickly disappeared.  Not even any room left for dessert – of which their hot chocolate cake received raves! (Maybe next time!)  The most interesting thing was the final bill – including the ubiquitous “cover charge” a whopping total of 39€– something like $46.64.  Amazing!

As it was now after 3 pm, and Robert was showing the first symptoms of jet lag, we decided to head back to the hotel for a nap … which lasted something like two hours! Up now (more or less) and blogging away steadily!  Our plan is to have a light dinner tonight here at the hotel (if we get hungry at all, which at the moment, I am rather doubting.)  Then, I will repack for the trip tomorrow to Malta!  Oh wow!  More Fiumicino Airport!  Can’t wait! Can only hope that as we are heading to Malta, another EU country, that we will be able to avoid the immigration/customs issues from yesterday!  Here’s hoping!

Lots of love,

m

xxx