I don’t think I have ever had a more amazing experience than going to Ostia Antica, the ancient port of Rome. The ancient city now lies miles from the ocean due to the receding water line. The ruins are absolutely phenomenal. I went to the ruins alone that day, and spent hours running around from statues to frescoes, through houses and amphitheaters. I was one of very few people there, so I had pretty much free reign on the place.
I had my iPod with me and listened to music. At one point, as the sun began to set, I literally ran around the ruins with my video camera, going in and out of houses and around columns and attempting to capture some part of the beauty of the ruined city. More than anything, I began to contemplate the weight that an entire ancient city used to stand there–people lived there!!! Crazy.