"Another summer day, has come and gone away...in Paris or Rome. I want to go home."
I thought, "Nah, I'm not ready yet!"
I've heard a lot of hate for the Ostia Beach. It is the closest one to Rome, or rather the easiest to get to for tourists. In order to get there, you have to take a short 30 minute train and a 10 minute walk to the shore. It's free entrance to the public beaches but they also have a number of private beach clubs. (The kind that you can pay to enter and be served drinks while laying on lounge chairs of all the same color. I can serve my OWN drinks, thank you!). My expectations were so low that I was surprised- I found the beach to be quite nice! It was a Monday and I hear that it's miserably packed on the weekends so that could have been the difference. There was sand, water, and the sounds of Billy Joel playing from the small DJ booth. That's all I really need at the beach! There was a boardwalk and like every beach (and everywhere in Rome for that matter), things being sold to you while you're soaking up the sun.
Ostia, meaning "Mouth" in Latin, was the harbor city in ancient Rome and its main seaport. Like everything else, this flourishing town fell with the Roman Empire. It now holds an ancient archeological site with a number of buildings and preserved frescos and mosaics. Of course with my luck, it was closed on Mondays. Ostia Antica Fun Fact: The Leaning Tower of Pisa was built entirely of materials coming from here.
During the winter, this is a ghost town but it comes alive in the summer with beach bars that open up and apparently it generates quite the nightlife.There were no "Rum Runners", though. For these precious beverages, go to the outdoor bar Nick's in Montauk at the tip of Long Island. Warning: Watch the amount that you have or you WILL start singing and dancing with the live band that is playing music. A Peroni instead.
Next time, I won't pretend that I do not need sunscreen. I looked like someone painted me red for an art project.
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