OSTIA, ITALY

Rome’s port at Ostia was covered up by sand as Rome declined in the early Middle Ages. It’s only a short train ride from the city centre but it feels a world away from the noise and bustle — almost a second Pompeii, even if not quite so well preserved. The highlights are the bars and the multi-seater lavatories (much restored, to be honest), but also the offices of the shipping companies that operated from Ostia. Each office had a mosaic on its floor, with a logo of its business, from elephants to grain measures.