Sights and sounds of Italy

I will be headed to Italy, from the 26th of December until the 2nd of January. On the itinerary are Naples, Rome, possibly Florence, and Venice. For those who have been to those cities (or even those who haven't), what should I (well, we -- I shouldn't exclude my travel companions) see and do?

Keep in mind that I am cheap and I have a limited tolerance for art museums.

The buyer's remorse

I booked myself a bus-ticket for a ten hour overnight ride from Amsterdam to Berlin. It's cheaper than the train or plane, but certainly promises to be less comfortable.

We'll see if I come to regret this decision.

Eastern Bloc

I am freshly returned from a visit to two former Eastern bloc cities. As you can see, each city was quite different, with fascinating histories, cultures and architectures.

Berlin



Prague



Being in the Czech Republic was particularly interesting (I finally got my passport stamped), and certainly felt different than the more Western cities I have visited. Case in point: a few things seemed to get lost in translation.