Italy 2011 'the port of Rome 7

---

Ostia Antica is one of those rare places on the outskirts of a city that no-one knows about. Ostia was the port of ancient Rome on a large and sprawling site. Silting of the river Tiber ended the role and function of the harbour. The ruins are beautifully preserved with a main street of over a mile long. Hours can be spent wandering from ruin to ruin, amongst the houses, the warehouses, the grocery shops and the taverns. On the day we visited the place was quiet with few visitors. A real suprise and although Pompeii is on a grander scale , Ostia Antica has a charm that Pompeii lacks.

---