Today was my last full day in Italy and it started with a long drive from southern Tuscany down to the airport near Rome. Thankfully, I did have one last touristy thing to do in Italy. I got to visit the ruins of Ostia, a former port city just west of Rome at the mouth of the Tiber river. It seems appropriate to end the trip with a stop at Roman ruins as I began the trip with Roman ruins. In between Herculaneum and Pompeii in terms of area excavated, Ostia is not as visually impressive as either because it did not end suddenly but died over time. The buildings are mostly exposed brick with the plaster long having fallen off. That said, Ostia still has some impressive mosaics!

It’s been a fun trip and I’ve been to a bunch of brand new places! I also think I had some of the most interesting lodging choices that I’ve ever had. I’m glad to be going home but I’m also excited to start planning the next trip.