From Ostia to Bernini

Ostia is fantastic! Treading in the footsteps (and the cartwheel ruts) of the ancient Romans, we had to investigate every quarter of the great ruined city and take photographs of ourselves enacting the things that would have happened in each place. Some us acted out The Assassins' Creed, leaping from wall to wall, across streets and over buildings, while others sketched and photographed. Mostly we just wandered about and explored the baths, apartment blocks, temples, schools, shops,  theatres, and other buildings that made up this busy port, which was ten times the size of London in its heyday two thousand years ago.   The train journey took about an hour each way, and we all needed a bit of R & R when we got back to base before setting out on the next expedition. That took us back to the Borghese Gardens again, but this time to see the Borghese Gallery, which has to be one of the best little art galleries in the world. Even the most culture-resistant members of the group had to admit that the paintings by Raphael and Caravaggio were pretty impressive, while the scuptures by Bernini and Canova were just breathtaking. Pauline Bonaparte, the Rape of Proserpina, David, and Apollo and Daphne had us gaping in awe. By the time we got out, nobody minded that it had started to rain. Another great action and culture-packed day!