Rome, Italy, part 3

We were up early again this morning for our final visit to the Eternal City. The morning's standing-room-only commuter train brought us back to Roma Termini station, and we walked in the cool morning air to Catacombe di Cappuccini, an offbeat attraction we'd seen before on television. The catacombs house the Capuchin monks' remains, but they are more than a simple mausoleum, for the surviving monks have used the bones of their deceased brethren to make decorative patterns, rosettes and even chandeliers. It sound creepy, but it's not. Trust us.

From there, we went back to the ancient ruins, stopping first at the Termi di Caracalla (the Baths of Caracalla), an impressive set of remains of the center of ancient Roman life, the baths. No water in them now, of course, but that made it easier to view the surviving mosaics that lined the pools. We then walked by the Circo Massimo on our way to the Colle Palatino, the original high-rent district. We saw a large number of well preserved houses, and enjoyed the peace and quiet away from the other tourist sights. We meandered there until it was time to return to Gaeta.