Friday morning my German sister, Joke, arrive in Rome for the weekend!! :) Dad and I walked to Termini Station, the main transportation station in Rome, and after a little bit of confusion on where to find her we were reunited!! Then the family and I headed to Ostia Antica, again being led by the podcast of Rick Steves', which is fortunate bc there is no audiotour or anything here and it could just look like a bunch of old ruins if you have no guide. And it'd be very easy to wander aimlessly without a guide. Ostia Antica was a harbor port of ancient Rome that was situated at the mouth of the Tiber River. The river has since moved and it is no longer situated near the river and was abandoned, for the most part, in the 9th century or so. You can still see so much of the architecture, mosaics, and get a feel for how this town was. It was a beautiful day and so nice just to walk around this area.
There were many baths in the town, this is just one of the many.
Amazing mosaics all around
You were able to walk to the top of some of the buildings, this is looking down on a store that you could walk into and see how it was set up.
Kitty cat we found in the theater!
After our day there we took Joke over by the Colosseum, Roman Forum, and Trevi Fountain so she could see all of those things. We also walked to the Pantheon and then grabbed some pizza for dinner.
Sisters reunited, at the Colosseum
Uncle Joe, Pop, Me, Joke, Gram, and Nana all at the Colosseum
Joke and I at the Trevi Fountain
Mom and I at the Trevi Fountain
On Saturday I said goodbye to Michael and mom & dad took him to Termini to catch the train to the airport. We then all traveled to the Appian Way to go to the catacombs. I have to say, the San Callisto tour guide this time was much better than the last time so I greatly enjoyed seeing those catacombs a second time. We then had a picnic lunch, enjoying the sun and took the bus back to Piazza Navona. The Christmas Market opened in Piazza Navona on Saturday and we wanted to see it. It is lots of stands selling sweets, items for your nativity scene, and other Christmas decorations. The market is dedicated to Befana. They story is that she is an old woman who rides a broom and delivers gifts to children on the eve of Epiphany (January 5).. pretty much like St. Nick on the eve of St. Nicholas Day. The good children get little gifts or candies from her and the bad children get coal. She rides a broom bc she is a housewife and is always cleaning. There are a few different legends that go along with her origins. Wikipedia article with her legends if you're interested This market goes until January 6 (Epiphany) and on that day Befana arrives in the piazza. After seeing the market the family got their final tartufos and we headed back to the apartment for some relaxation. We then headed out to church and had a delicious dinner following church.
Sunday morning we got up early and I saw my family off. It was a little sad, but I'm so glad they were able to come for a little at least and I know it's not too long until I see them again. Joke was still here so we packed up and came to my apartment for the day. We then just relaxed, caught up, and watched movies all Sunday. Monday morning I had to say another goodbye as Joke left for the airport. Overall it's been a great past week, although I'm realizing how quickly my time here is coming to a close!!
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