Feelings of the Day: Sometimes it is the slow times that make the memories. Jamming as much as one can see into a full day can diminish the parts that were experienced and jumble the details. It is ok to walk slow, speak slow, and eat slow. Savour some moments.
Full Day’s Events: We woke early, prepared breakfast while finishing our packing, had the local cats say goodbye to us, and set off into J&R’s rental car. It was time for our next destination…modern Italy! To get there we drove to Madrid airport, terminal 4, exchanged warm hugs with them, and checked in.
A small second breakfast consumed, we waited at our terminal…and waited…and waited some more. Our plane was delayed, in its arrival, by 30 minutes from whatever destination it was coming from. Fortunately, after we boarded, we were told we would only be five minutes late at the airport of Rome.
Flawless retrieval of baggage was achieved so we went to the taxi stand and showed him on a piece of paper of where we were going. After giving us a price, we got in and went. He spoke on his phone with his friend, hands free calling, for most of the drive and we were pretty sure he was wondering why we were staying in Ostia Antica and not in Rome or the beachfront city of Lido Ostia. From his changing tone, to his friend, it seemed like his friend was giving him reasons why we would choose the area we did.
The landmark appeared as we went around a bend: the fortress of Julius the second and the remaining protective wall, where the Tiber once was. Another bend and the gate was seen so we signalled our driver. Piling out we moved our luggage to the old town square and looked at what was there. Rough cobblestones. Different coloured buildings with purposefully exposed marble bits or rough brick under stucco. A small fountain. An old church of unusual design that still rang its bells to tell the time and call the community to mass. A restaurant slumbering in an alley awaiting the evening. Cats preening under potted plants under the mid-afternoon sun. Older ladies speaking with their neighbours or hanging laundry. This would be what we would hear and walk out into each day.
Getting our door code, via Whatsapp from our host, we put things away and wandered the area. Within a five minute walk from our accommodations were two bars, supermarket, five restaurants, a gelato/cafe, two regular cafes, and a pizzeria. At the supermarket we bought essentials for our breakfasts and wine for tonight. By the time we returned, our host had gotten back from taking care of other properties and we chatted in the Italian way of casual conversation where time does not matter.
Conversation done, and getting hungry, we walked to the pizzeria but it was just closing up at just before 8pm. Walking around we still felt like takeout. At a casual eat in/take out restaurant we bought double of two kinds of stuffed pizza slices. One had chicory, which are like mustard greens, and the other was a tomato and meat pizza. With our wine and local pizza enjoyed in our accommodations we prepared for bed. 4.1km walked and six flights of stairs.
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