May Day

My parents' trip lasted one week and during that time the Italians celebrated two separate holidays--April 28, which commemorates liberation from Fascism, and May Day, the Italian version of Labor Day. Throw in a Sunday and a Monday link to a Tuesday holiday and you have five out of seven days which were atypical, meaning we were not sure whether shops and landmarks would be open or closed. By Monday we saw all we wanted to see except Ostia Antica, the ruins of an ancient Roman port town about 30 minutes outside the city. But would it be open on Tuesday--May Day--the last day of their trip? Two guidebooks said no but the hotel concierge thought yes. His attempt to call came too late on Monday, so we planned to phone again Tuesday morning. Meanwhile, we made made a list of other things to do. (While traveling or living abroad, it's more important to be flexible than fit or smart. You need to have a Plan B, and in Italy you need to have Plans B, C and D.) Turned out that Ostia was indeed open on May Day and we spent a wonderful four hours exploring there. Afterwards, we headed to a particular restaurant, conveniently located on the route home. We arrived before six, however, and Italian restaurants open no earlier than seven. The neighborhood was empty and dark, but there was the chef, sitting outside, and despite the early hour, his wife beckoned us to a table. This was perhaps the earliest dinner ever consumed in Rome and proves that sometimes the Italians' maddening, fluid methods work to your benefit.