[QUthoseOTE=europeannovice;16783069]https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...82bb2407b8.jpg

Look at the size of these lemons[/QUOTE] those are not lemons but cedro, you might know them as buddha’s hand.

Thanks Vinoroma for the clarification on the super sized citrus being a cedro or citron! The lemon zest are used to make the lemoncello in the area. Are the cedro used for a specific purpose or mainly just for show?

Leely2--Yes absolutely the Amalfi Coast is picturesque everywhere.

Vibrant, Noisy, Living Naples

Naples often gets very mixed reviews--some love it others hate it. We have to fall into the category of loving it. The picturesque scenic beauty of the Amalfi Coast with its fairy tale colorful houses it is not. But it is pretty (aside from the graffiti) in other ways. On the first day we saw Naples when we arrived by train the driver we had took us up to Posilipo and we had a great view of the Bay of Naples. Naples itself is a vibrant, living city with all its noises a big city usually includes. It practically has a gorgeous church on every corner. It has a fantastic market street with people doing their shopping. Architecture is very interesting. The Pizza is sublime. It has two great museums--we only had time for one--the Naples Archeology Museum which housed not only Pompeii artifacts but the Farnese collection and the new curator also displayed an Egyptian collection which was quite interesting.

Details:
Today it is raining actually pouring enroute to Naples. However, by the time we got there the rain had subsided but we still needed to wear our rain jackets on and off throughout the day. We went to the Jesus Church and a Gothic Church. There are many churches in Naples. The Gothic Church looks like a fortress rather than a church from the outside. We passed by monuments and elaborate palace style buildings. The insides of the churches rival some of the ones in Rome.

We ventured into the street called Spaccanapoli. We toured the shopping district and saw the fruit and vegetable stand with zucchini flowers! In the US they take the flower off the zucchini so I had never seen one with the flowers on it. We saw tripe shops and fish shops and meat shops and we went into a place that was decorating Christmas ornaments. We also toured a place that makes lemoncello and they showed us the process of how the cut the lemon zest and how the liquor is made. Then we got to taste it and purchase it!

We then stopped for lunch at a traditional pizza place and had a real Napoli Pizza. We also ordered zucchini flowers which are deep fried with cheese. It was all delicious.

We then spent the afternoon at the Naples Archeological Museum which houses many of the artifacts found in Pompeii. In addition to seeing the secret room with the frescoes of the menu of services the brothels provided, we also saw the Farnese bulls and their Egyptian Collection. We covered the entire museum. It is a gem of a museum. I wish we had time for the Carpodimonte Art Museum but that will have to wait for another visit.

Back to the hotel to rest and change for dinner. We had reservations for Il Bucco a fixed price tasting menu. The ambiance was serene and lovely. I had a shrimp and artichoke appetizer, fish cake, pasta with fish, red snapper and a chocolate dessert. DH had cheese puff, lamb with cheese, pasta, pulled pork and a ricotta cheese and ice cream dessert.

Next--Last Full Day in Italy--Back to Rome and the Vatican

(Is there a way not to have all the original text copied into an answer when you hit reply?)
Cedro salad is delicious, but you can also use it just like you use lemon, for jams, custards, syrups, liquors...

Thanks so much Vinoroma for how cedro is used. We didn't get to taste it in Italy but we certainly did have some lemoncello and lemoncello cake too. Lemons abounded everywhere with its fragrance--just added to the whole ambiance.

Back to Rome and the Vatican Day

We had breakfast served to us in a bag as we were leaving for a 6AM Marozzi bus back to Rome from Sorrento. The bus was on time and very comfortable. It was raining again today as we towed our luggage to the bus stop. We were concerned where the bus would pick us up and we asked our hotel staff for explicit directions. We scoped out the area the night before so we would know where to go the next morning. Rome cabs came to meet us at the Tiburtino bus terminal and take us back to Hotel Artemide for our final night before we headed back home. We were able to check in early so we dropped our bags, grabbed some coffee and off to the Vatican area we went for the day.

We took the metro from the Republica station to Ottavania and walked over to St Peter’s Basilica. We saw the lines for entry to the Basilica were at least a few hours long. However, I had purchased through the Vatican a timed Scavi tour months ago which allowed us quick access to the underground of the Basilica. We just had to find the Swiss guard special entranceway. Once finally found they told us we were too early. We ventured across the street to the main Vatican book shop and mailed some postcards that would have the Vatican stamp on them. They also had restrooms we could use. I was nervous about the Scavi tour tickets because when I applied it took a long time before I received a reply back but I did eventually get one and for the time we had requested.

We ventured back to the Swiss guard entrance and proceeded through airport style security. The rains were pretty heavy again. We had a 3PM English tour that was given to us by a man from Washington D.C. who was studying to become a priest. He spoke perfect English since he is an American and told us the story of how they believe the bones they found is St Peter’s and he told us why the Basilica was built on this very spot. He pointed out a section of a 1st Century Roman road. The tour was fascinating. At the end of the hour and a half tour we are led to the entrance to the Basilica without having to go through security again.

When we finished with the Scavi tour, the Basilica was getting ready for 5PM mass which was wonderful. So we stayed to listen. We took pictures of La Pieta the famous sculpture by Michelangelo. It now sits behind glass but you can still get a good view of it. The Basilica with all its marble and paintings is amazing. The Dome is stunning. We had originally wanted to climb to the top of St Peter’s Dome to get a good view of Rome. However, it was raining that day and we really would not have had enough time because we had a scheduled Livitaly evening tour of the Vatican Museums at 8PM that Friday and we needed to eat dinner first. The museums are open on Friday evenings from May to October but the Basilica is closed after 7PM. I had scheduled the tour of Baslica for earlier so then we can eat something and come back for the museum tour later.

We certainly didn't want to deal with the daytime crowds at the museums when you are wall to wall with other people and can't really see anything to appreciate it since you are shoved along the corridor. The early morning tour was not an option for us on this day anyway since we were on the bus but even that time slot didn't appeal because you would rush into the Sistine Chapel and then backtrack to the museum when crowds are coming in from the other direction. We opted for the evening tour which is certainly crowded but manageable.

I want to thank Bvlenci for her advice while I was doing all this planning months and months before the trip. We were originally scheduled to visit Italy the year before but we had to change things and then health issues almost interferred with this trip but luckily we were able to go.

We walked a few blocks away to find a place called Il Sorpasso. It is a wine bar frequented by a lot of locals. We shared an avocado and tomato salad, eggplant with zucchini parmesan, salmon and spinach. It was very good.

After dinner we rushed to find the group tour from Livitaly. Deborah was giving the tour. She explained to us the history of the Sistine Chapel commission and showed us the panels we would see inside. We toured the Pineapple courtyard. We then toured the maps room with its gold ceilings, the tapestry rooms, saw the Lacoon and she explained that the Lacoon in the Uffizi has the arm upright because that is how the Pope wanted to see it. However, the original that was uncovered for the Vatican had a missing arm that was recovered and when it was placed in the bent position, it was the perfect fit which is probably how the sculptor wanted it.

The amount of gold in the Vatican Museums is striking. The paintings and tapestries and artifacts are absolutely stunning. We toured the museum from 8-11PM. Afterwards, Deborah walked us back to St Peter’s Basilica to see it all lit up at night and to take our photos in front of it with no crowds just the lights and the nighttime scenery. What a difference from the daytime crowds. We took a taxi back to the hotel close to midnight.

Next to our hotel is a gelato place and it was still open so I had to get my last pistachio gelato of the trip before going to bed.

The next day back to the airport and the long immigration lines for the flight home.

Overall--We loved Italy! We loved the food, the people we encountered (except at my initial airport experience) and of course the magnificent history, architecture and artwork all around. We did not appreciate the crowds especially in Florence when those cruise ships were in unleashing massive crowds into one area. The Vatican Museums and the Uffizi should institute timed tickets like they do at the Borghese Gallery in Rome for efficient crowd control. We loved the two tour groups we used for specific sites. Even though we are independent travelers, for certain areas we found it helpful to have guides impart their wisdom to what we were viewing and help us navigate through the massive museums of the Vatican and the Uffizi and the sites of Herculaneum and Pompeii. They both provided excellent top notch knowledgeable guides.

We wished we were able to actually go into the Doumo and Baptistry in Florence. We wished we had time to climb the Dome at St Peter Basilica. We would have liked to visit Doria Pamphilij and some other wonderful art galleries. We would have liked to visit Castel Saint Angelo. However, what looks good and feasible on paper from home doesn't always materialize when you get there. We did manage to see quite a bit though in our limited time so we have no regrets. We thoroughly enjoyed what we accomplished.

Of course we only had time to see a fraction of the country. The Amalfi Coast is absolutely gorgeous from every angle--sea and land. There is much more to see in Italy too. Reasons to return for future trips.