The theatre at Ostia Antica

One of the places that I enjoyed the most during our journey through the ancient ruins of Ostia Antica was the Roman Theatre. The semi-circular stadium was erected in 12 B.C by Decumanus Maximus. 3000 people pack into the theater to watch performances such as ballets, concerts and classical dramas. Acts are still held there at night and tickets are available at the entrance of the open-air museum.

The brick theater has been restored multiple times and the excavation was completed in the early 20^th century. After Commodus was killed the building was inaugurated by Septimius Severus. Preserved stuccos are shown on the ceilings of the entrance corridor. The most well-known people were seated closet to the stage.

The theatre was open to the public and provided daily performances. While I was sitting on the brick steps of the stadium ballet dancers rehersed their routines below and were probably sceduled to perform in a recital later that night.

Piazza della Rotunda

The first sound I heard as I entered Piazza Della Rotunda today was of metal magnet clinging together as men threw them in the air. In front of the Pantheon stood men who were dressed in red, and gold gladiator costumes hold swords. There were horse and buggies lined up along the front side of the historic landmark. People kept going up to the fountain to take scenic pictures. Some would nap under the marble edges of the fountain where there was about 3 feet of shade to keep them cool from the blistering hot day. There were African men standing at all sides of the fountain. Each one of the salesmen had at least 10 fake purses placed on the dirty, black street of the piazza. Their merchandise consisted of black, white and brown Louis Vuitton, Fendi, and Prada bags in all different shapes and sizes. When they thought that they had seen a police man they quickly gathered the purses from the ground and scattered. The little cafes surrounding the piazza smelled of delicious and expensive food. There were younger men handed out flyers to promote local clubs and bars. No matter what time of the day the square was crowded with tourists and locals hanging out and socializing.

Piazza della Signora

As anyone from Florence can tell you, the political hub of the city is the Piazza della Signoria as well as the central meeting place for all who enter Florence. The piazza is located directly in front of the Palazzo Vecchio in Florence, a gothic fortress like town hall that is one of the most impressive in Tuscany. I was lucky enough to see this square on Sunday night and see everything that the square has to offer before our dinner reservations.

The piazza stood as a gathering place as important officials made grand speeches on the steps of the Palazzo. Surrounding the Piazza are the Loggia della Signoria, the Uffizi Gallery, the Palace of the Tribunale della Mercanzia, the Uguccioni Palace, and the Assicurazioni Generali.

The Loggia della Signoria is a building with wide-open arches that was primarily used for housing assemblies of people and hold public ceremonies. The Uffizi Gallery is one of the most famous and oldest art museums in the world housing such famous works as the Birth of Venus by Botticelli.

The Piazza contains some very remarkable statues. There is a copy of the Statue of David by Michelangelo, the Fountain of Neptune, and Hercules and Cacus by Bandinelli. These notable statues make the Piazza della Signoria a site to visit for any traveler of the capital of Tuscany and I made sure to snap a couple of pictures of them on my way out of the piazza.

“Piazza della Signoria.” Buildings and Structures in Florence. June 2008. Wikipedia Encylcopedia. 6/10/08. <>

Pasta Nutrition

Ever since the rise of celebrity endorsed low carb diets, such as the Atkins diet, pasta has been getting a bad name. Whole grain foods such as pasta, is a recommended by the Food pyramid to be consumed 6-11 times daily. Pasta is a good source of energy, the carbohydrate can give an individual a constant slow release of energy, as opposed to a sharp jump in energy like other foods. This is why athletes and especially runners, whose activites require a long constant source of energy, consume pasta 5 times weekly. Pasta has been appearing as an unhealthy food, yet a half a cup merely contains 100 calories and less than five milligrams of salt. Pasta gets its bad rep as an unhealthy meal when it is doused in fat enriched cream sauces such as alfredo and blanketed by a sheet of cheese.

When pasta is accompanied with a tomato or olive oil based sauce and a lean protein such as chicken or fish it can be a healthy meal that can provide a person with energy for a long day. Furthermore, pasta has a low Glycemic index. The Glycemic index ranks carbohydrates on how quickly they affect someone's blood sugar, the slower the healthier, as in pasta. Another benefit of pasta is its fortification of folic acid, an important B vitamin. A small 2 oz serving of pasta is equal to 25% of the daily-recommended intake for folic acid. Due to its nutritional benefits pasta is healthy and should be consumed about twice a week. There is nothing to fear from the food trusted by the Italians for centuries, just remember to skip the Parmesan.

Chainey, Ross. "In Defense of Pasta." Life and Style. 2008. MSN UK. 6/1/08.
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Pasta Nutrition." Health Living. 2007. National Pasta Association. 6/1/08.
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The Gardens at Pincio Hill

Beginning at Piazza dei Cinquecento, located in front of Rome’s central train station, turn left onto L. Einaudi and continue to walk until you reach Piazza della Repubblica. Proceed straight onto Via E. Orlando as it turns into Via L. Bissolati. There are two churches on either side of the road, Santa Susanna on the left, and the church of Santa Maria della Vittorio on the left. These churches indicate the start of Via L. Bissolati. Keep walking straight through Via Vitt. Veneto and turn left once you come to Viale dell’ Muro. The Pincio garden is located below Viale dell’Obelisca.

Pincio Hill can be found above the famous Spanish Steps. The gardens look down to Piazza del Popolo. Tourists normally tour the grounds when the sun is setting. The area is filled with planted palms, pines and evergreen oak trees that surrounding Egyptian-style obelisk. This peaceful place provides a relaxing and social setting for locals and tourists on a daily basis.

View from the Pincio Gardens

Making your way to the Trevi Fountain

From Piazza del Cinquecento, in front of the central train station in Rome, begin traveling to the Trevi Fountain by making a left onto Via L. Einaudi. Once you reach Piazza della Repubblica continue walking through Via E. Orlando. The Santa Maria della Vittorio church is on the corner of the street where you will turn left onto Via XX Settembre. Next, make a right when you see the road sign which reads Via d. Quattro Fontana. There will be another church on the left across the street if you are not able to locate a road sign. After coming to the Fontana del Tritone, make a left onto Via del Tritone. When you reach Palazzo Poli turn left onto Via Poli. If you see the church of Santa Maria in Via on Via del Tritone then you have missed Via Poli by walking to far. Immediately after turnig onto Via Poli you should see the large marble fountain.

Tourist are crowding the area around the fountain, snapping pictures of the elaborate statues which are standing above the clear, flowing water. The statues represent Neptune and two tritons on his sides. Local residents usually sit around the space while trying to relax and read their books. The fountain is surrounded by tiny shops filled with Italia merchandise shops and small cafés. The area is generally noisy during most times of the day. Shinning coins lay at the bottom of the water from those who have thrown the euros over their shoulder as they made a wish.

Touring the Appian Way

Catacombes: Hilary Hannan, Juliana Haviland, Nicole DiMeglio, Brooke Hersh, Mia Briceno.

Starting from Stazione Centrale Roma Termini Station, take the Archeobus. It is a bright green, open air bus, with a “hop on, hop off” system. It picks you up at the station, on the half hour, from 9:30 am to 4:30 pm, and travels along the Appian Way, with 11 stops. The information we found and details about each stop can be found at Archeobus Route.

Tickets cost 13 Euro for adults and kids under 5 years old are free. They can be purchased online, on board, or at the Termini Station. We suggest that you purchase the tickets online, as there seems to be online discounts available.

Stop number 8 is Catacombe di San Callisto. We suggest you get off the bus and explore this catacomb. The hours are Thursday through Tuesday, 9:00 am to 12:00 pm. It opens again at 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm. It is closed on Wednesdays and in February. It takes approximately 30 to 40 minutes to complete the tour. Tickets cost 6 Euro for adults, 3 Euro for children under 15 years old and students and free admission for children under 6 years old. The information we found and more can be found at Home Page of San Callisto. After you finish you can either continue walking down Appian Way to our next suggested stop, the Catacombe di San Sebastiano, or hop back on the Archeobus. It will be the next stop on the bus tour.

Stop number 9 will drop you at Catacombe di San Sebastiano. The hours of operation and ticket costs are the same as mentioned above.

The Catacombs of San Callisto span from four different levels which include the crypt of the popes and the crypt of Santa Cecilia. The rooms which are of great importance in the Catacomb contain stucco and frescoes and can be reached by traveling through small hallways of volcanic remains. Also along the Appian Way is the Catacomb of San Sebastiano which can be identified with dull frescoes and graffiti. Although the catacombs seem to be a major tourist site, there are also basilicas located above the Christian tombs.