Saving the best till last - Vatican and Sistine Chapel

Booked our tickets online for the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel and walked the short distance across the Ponte Sisto to the bus stop. Interestingly our train, boat and bus tickets have rarely been checked on any public transport we have used on our trip. We suspect there are lots of free riders in Italy.

Caught the 23 bus to St Peters Basilica and joined the long queue. An amazing setting with the imposing dome and enveloping Roman columns. The huge basilica swallows up people and is absolutely magnificent. Pictures cannot capture the enormity of the place or its pure beauty. Almost 2 hours of neck craning flew past. The church service with choral singing added to the reverent aura. Supremo.

Walked a short distance to a side walk cafe for lunch and then shot past the huge queue with our online ticket into the Vatican Museo. It would take years to view all the exhibits in the museum so we concentrated on the Egyptian, Roman, tapestry and of course the Sistine Chapel itself.

Crowds of people within the Chapel jam packed looking in awe at Michaelangelo's works painted over 11 years. So much to absorb and making the most of our audio guides. The Chapel is smaller and darker than we thought it would be but the light shines as you begin to look. Although he regarded himself more as a sculptor he was not too bad with the paint brush. Achieving the exactness in proportion and interrelationships with each figure is quite mind blowing.

Through the beautiful map room on the way out and back on the bus home to Trastevere. Dinner in a nearby piazza of sea bass in potato crust. Lovely waiters, free lemoncello and humming atmosphere.

Next day it was a bit of shopping before flying to London. The end of a fantastic 5 weeks in Italy - a must do travel experience. Mille grazie Kay and Justin -our amazing travel companions. 

Safe in Mother England

Arrived from Roma at 10 pm and spent 3 hours waiting for our bags. In our hotel at 2.30 am.

Sleep in, big English breakfast and now off to explore London.  Will update the blog later today. Tally ho!

Roma by bike in 7 hours

Our bike tour of Roma started at 9 am near the Colloseum, a 40 minute walk from our convent hotel in Trastevere.

We had a whole day cycling planned taking in the city sites and then the catacombs and Appian Way after lunch. You cover a lot of country by bike and we took in the Colloseum, Forum, Capitoli Hill, Pantheon, Vatican City and a number of the fountain filled piazzas. History everywhere and informative commentary from our guide Glen.

A nice lunch and relax from 12.30pm until we started again at 2pm with Victor for stage 2. We rode through the old city wall to the catacombs where we had a tour into a very small part of these underground Christian tombs. Up to 500 thousand were buried in 30 km of tunnels including many popes.

Bouncing along the Queen of Roads, The Appian Way, the oldest paved road in the world was the next objective. 2500 years of wear and tear leaves a few bumps. Passed a few milestones, the markers showing each mile Roma.  Our tour then took us through the Appian Park with its ancient aquaducts. Some spring mineral water and wine and then back to base. A long and enjoyable day that gave us a great oversight of Roma.

On the A1 to Roma

Another scummy breakfast from Pietro, a peek at the massive 12th century panelled bronze doors of the main church and then on the high road out of Ravello to Roma. Caught some great views of Naples and Mt Vesuvius as we headed north.

An easy quick drive on the A1 all the way to Roma and our gps took us efficiently to our drop off near the airport. Stopped at a Servicio for lunch that have these cool solar panel shade areas.

Said goodbye to our comfortable Peugeot and headed to the terminal for a taxi to our hotel in the Traverse area.

Quite a scrum for the taxi but eventually got one that squeezed us all in, a white Mercedes Wagon with a Schumacher driver. Off at 140 km on the highway into town weaving through traffic, this guy was sharp. Arrived in no time at our lovely hotel restored convent.

Today we are cycling around Roma for most of the day.

Off to Positano for a swim

Great bus and ferry service here, quick on time and reliable in our experiences. Down to Amalfi by bus and then a ferry from there to Positano. A must do for the spectacular views of the coast, cliffs and towns.

Positano is very picturesque, a pastle coloured town tumbling into the sea. A lovely swim and then a brief explore of the town. Huge numbers of people piling off ferries, this is a tourist magnet.

Hopped onto the ferry to get back to Amalfi for another swim and lunch. Took a rally driving bus back up the hill to Ravello ,they are fantastic at judging corners, gaps and missing everything.

Had another of our pleasant cups of tea from Peitro the hotel manager followed by a trip to the Rufollo gardens for more bellovistas. We admired the awesome stage they have set up for the music festival here that has been a feature of Ravello for over 50 years. 

Today we are off to Roma

More of Amalfi

So many beautiful pictures and memories.

Amalfi and Ravello are truly outstanding

Awesome day exploring the beautiful Amalfi coast. The place has a relaxed confident feeling - it knows it is good. It is as gorgeous as Cinque Terre without the masses of people. 

Walked from Ravello to Atrani down the path of many steps through lemon groves, bush and narrow alleys. Postcard views. Had a coffee and swim at a small beach followed by a 50 cent warm shower. We then headed off to Amalfi. Bruschetta Caprese for lunch and then Julie and I visited the Duomo di Amalfi while Justin and Kay shopped.

The churches never fail to impress with their beauty. Precious relics, art and architecture in an atmosphere of faith and peace. The mitre with its 20,000 pearls, the courtyard and bello crypt stood out.

Back to the beach for a swim and then an open top bus ride back up the hill to Ravello. Dinner again at the Vittoria of salt crust sea bass and then a concert of Brahms and Schumann for violin and piano in a local church. You could easily get to like this place!

Off to explore Positano by ferry today.

Up close and personal on the Amalfi Highway

We had heard lots of stories about the difficulty of driving the Amalfi coast but in the end it was enjoyable. We think all the practice on the narrower roads in other parts of Italy had prepared us well. Giving way to buses and trucks is important especially on the blind corners. 

Lovely lunch at Maiori with the weather clearing. Steep windy drive up to Ravello but a wider road than parts of Pisciotta and Peschici. Our hotel is right beside the piazza and town Centre. Already booked into a concert for Friday night.

Great dinner again at a local ristorante Vittoria. The food is magnificent.