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The Roman Bath

[Regions of Italy]

If you are expecting information on Trajan's, Diocletian's or your own favorite emperor's baths built to help the ancient Romans cleanse and chat (the baths resembled what we would today call "the club," more than a present day gym), you have been misled. This is about today's Roman bath, in the sense of bathing suits, seaside, swimming, sun and fun.

Rome's most popular beach, meaning both most favored and most populated, is called Ostia. It is only about 20 miles from the city and sometimes the trip there is as interesting as the seaside itself. If you happen to be in the Eternal City between May and September and wake up one morning nauseated by the idea of visiting yet another Monument, it can be a viable alternative.

The easiest and cheapest way is to get there is to take what the Romans call il trenino (the little train). This is actually part of the subway system, albeit with its own station, a charmingly eclectic combination of Liberty, art decò and Fascist styles.

Conveniently, the station is right next door to a subway entrance. To get there, take the "B" subway from Stazione Termini to the Piramide stop, walk out of the subway station, turn left and proceed ten steps more. The trenino station has a much warmer atmosphere than the subway's; inaugurated in 1924, its lovely rust-brown façade and charming portico form a striking contrast to the glaring white subway entrance. The inscription above the doors says Ferrovia Elettrica Roma-Ostia Lido. Before going in, turn around and look at Cestius' Pyramid (built in 12 B.C.), St. Paul's Gate (built between the 3rd and 5th centuries), and one of the loveliest views of the ancient city walls, which are still quite intact in this section. While waiting in line to buy your ticket, admire the lovely graphite type etchings and stucco work on the walls and ceiling, dedicated to mythological seascapes. I particularly admire the stucco crabs.

Ticket in hand, walk out to the tracks and wait for the next departure. Trains leave quite often, usually 2 to 4 an hour, and take about 40 minutes to get to the sea. Years ago, one would encounter entire families (Mom, Pop and all the kids) toting bundles and baskets filled with provisions for a day at the beach. Today one is more likely to find hordes of teenagers, a few solitary adults who will do anything to avoid the long lines of traffic heading for the sea (especially on the weekends) and lots of commuters (Ostia town is an important Roman satellite community).

The trip itself, if not always enthralling, does have a few lovely views along the way, such as St. Paul's Outside the Walls, EUR (Mussolini's monumental nouveau capital with its square Colosseum, at right) and, most important of all, Ostia Antica. This is Rome's own version of Pompeii. (You can never completely get away from Monuments in Italy, no matter how hard you try.) Ostia Antica was the seaport for ancient Rome. It was here that all of the booty from foreign wars first arrived (Cleopatra, for instance), as did the grain from North Africa and Egypt. It was an important center until the Dark Ages when it fell into abandon. In the 6th century, St. Augustine left from here to convert the English, after his mother St. Monica died in Ostia. The area has been excavated and is extremely interesting. If you wish, you can jump off the train, visit the excavations and continue on to the beach with a later train. While you are there, have a look at the medieval borgo built around Pope Julius II's castle.

If you don't get off at Ostia Antica, stay on the train until the last stop (Cristoforo Colombo) or the next to last stop. Do not get confused. There are several stops before these two (such as Ostia Stella Polaris or Ostia Centro) but you don't want these, as they are in the heart of the satellite city. Wait and get off at either of the last two stops, and you will find the sea directly in front of you.

Once off the train, you have several options. A bus which departs from in front of the Cristoforo Colombo station will take you a few miles to a free public beach, Castel Porziano, set in the midst of the most gorgeous rolling dunes. If you take the bus, just get off at the end of the line and follow everyone else through the dunes to the beach. If you prefer something that offers a bit more service than a public beach, try one of the privately run beach establishments that are lined up shoulder-to-shoulder all along Ostia's beach.

I have been going to the Gambrinus for years. It is directly in front of the last train stop and, in my opinion, is one of the nicest. There is an admission charge. Depending on how much you want to spend, you can choose to use the common dressing room or rent a private cabin where you can change and leave your things. Beach lounges, beach umbrellas (for the three seconds of shade you may occasionally desire) and more (but no towels) are also available for rent. Most of the establishments have snack bars, restaurants and pools, and some have other sports facilities as well. Whatever you decide, go change into your suit and come out to watch the fauna.

Immediately note the "Italian female beach syndrome," which consists of the tiniest bikinis (I mean really tiny) and as much gold jewelry (rings, bracelets, necklaces, earrings, ankle chains) as good taste, and sometimes not, allows. If you walk down to the water's edge, you can observe the struscio, all the young guys sauntering along the beach. They generally have that body builder "look at my muscles" gait, even when the bodies in question would win no prizes. I have never quite decided whether they are more interested in looking or being looked at. If you are lucky, you may be exposed to racchettone on the water's edge too. Racchettone is a game similar to ping pong, with no net; one bats a small ball back and forth with two wooden paddles only slightly larger than those used in ping pong. I am convinced that it is forbidden to play the game anywhere inland because I have never, ever seen it played anywhere but on the water's edge (usually uncomfortably close to where I am sitting).

There is a third option once you get off the train. Since April 6th, the first wagon of every train heading to Ostia on weekends only is reserved for cyclists and their bicycles. Buy two tickets, one for you and one for the bike. There is a beautiful pine forest next to Ostia, that runs parallel to the beach and eventually becomes a park called Castel Fusano. It is a nature lover's paradise for a bird's eye view of the famous macchia mediterranea, a heavily perfumed mixture of herbs and shrubs that typifies parts of Italy's coastline. It is great fun to peddle through the park on the bicycle paths, or to wheel through Ostia itself.

Do not expect to find a secluded little Sardinian type beach in Ostia. Still, a day trip to the sea can be both a sociological expedition and a pleasant break. After a refreshing day on the shore, you will once again be ready to return to the Eternal City for another dose of Monuments.

Michael Brouse, Rome

One-way train fare to Ostia is 1 Euro (about $1.) each for the metro and the trenino. The tickets are the same so you can buy two metro tickets.

Gambrinus is at Lungomare Amerigo Vespucci 12; tel. 5647-0200, open daily 9-7 May-September. It has a coffee bar and very nice outdoor restaurant, as well as a newsstand that sells tanning lotions, cigarettes and other sundries. Admission costs about $4. Private cabins cost $15.-30. (for 4-8 people). Umbrellas, lounge chairs and swimming pool access cost about $4. each.

Gambrinus is one of the most respected beach establishments at Ostia Lido, but some others we recommend are:

You'll find the addresses and phone numbers for these and many more, plus restaurants, campsites and other local businesses, at Ostia OnLine (in Italian only, for now).

You can visit the ancient city of Ostia Antica by yourself or, if you prefer, spend half a day there with Michael Brouse.

[Regions of Italy]