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La Dolce Vita &
Dalmatian Dreams: Our European Adventure Begins! Travel: Planes,
automobiles and no trains yet, at least not until London: First stop, O'Hare in Chicago, fueled by airport
coffee and questionable sleep. After being magically teleported (by airplane)
to Paris' Charles de Gaulle, we boarded the second leg of our flight, and we
were pleasantly surprised with an in-flight care package—because nothing says
"Bienvenue en Europe" like fruit, cheese, crackers and chocolate –
what a way to start! Thank you, Mark N!!
Soon we were whisked away to Venice, where an Uber driver dropped us just
short of the city’s watery embrace—Piazzale Roma, the official point where
wheels surrender to waves. Our hotel, perched right beside a canal, came with
a balcony perfect for spying on passing gondolas and pondering how many
striped shirts one city can possibly contain.
Venetian Magic (Aug 28-30), Embark on the Crystal
Symphony (31)
Venice Highlights: What a place! EVERYONE is right – this is a
magical place! As first timers, we did all the required sites and experiences
walking a total distance of 42,342 steps.
The Sites: Gondola Ride, Rialto bridge, St Mark’s Square,
Vaporetto Rides (Water bus), Murano Isand, Original Murano Glass Factory with
a glass blowing demonstration, Doge’s Palace, Bridge of Sighs and Prison,
Marco Polo’s Residence, Rialto Market, Uber to Fusina (Port for Venice), Pool
day looking at Venice from the boat on the 31st.      
The Tastes: Osteria Leone Alato, Trattoria Ai Tre Ponti, Da
Mattia, Trattoria Bar Osteria San Luca, Bistrot de Venice, Terrazza Sommariva
The Croatian Coast (Sep 1-2)
Split's Ancient Heart: The Sites: We spent the morning of Labor Day (Sep 1) exploring
Diocletian's Palace, which is one of the most significant and well-preserved
Roman ruins in the world, located in the heart of Split, Croatia. It was built in the early 4th century by the
Roman Emperor Diocletian as his retirement residence, and the entire palace
covers an area of over 320,000 square feet. It is a maze of narrow streets,
alleys, arches, and pillars, with both above-ground and underground sections.
The palace's cellars, in particular, are a fascinating network of corridors
and chambers. In addition to its historical significance, Diocletian's Palace
is also a filming location for Game of Thrones. Several scenes from seasons 4, 5, and 6 were
filmed here (it’s basically Meereen). For instance, we stood in the dungeon where
Daenerys Targaryen kept her dragons and saw where Sir Barristan Selmy was
killed.      
The Tastes: Caffee Bar Dujam
Dubrovnik's Majestic
Walls:
The Sites: On September 2, we arrived in Dubrovnik and toured
the Old Town. The first thing our tour
guide said was “welcome to the most beautiful city in Europe – and he might
be right! Dubrovnik is a well-preserved medieval city located on the
Dalmatian Coast of Croatia, despite it sustaining significant damage during
the Croatian War of Independence in 1991. This UNESCO World Heritage site is
renowned for its breathtaking beauty, ancient walls, and rich history. The city's ancient walls, which date back
to the 10th century, are one of its most iconic features. These impressive
fortifications stretch for over a mile (which we walked) and offer panoramic
views of the Adriatic Sea and the red-tiled rooftops of the Old Town.
Dubrovnik is also a significant filming site for Game of Thrones – it’s
King’s Landing, and it really looks like it!
Some of the filming locations we saw included: The Red Keep, Black
Bay, Cercsi’s Walk of Shame, and Littlefinger’s Brothel. The Tastes: Buza Bar
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