We only had a half-day in Split so we expected to have lots of time to document the wonders of Diocletian’s Palace to our many followers. (Well, we know we have one. Thanks, Mom.)

But once again, we ran into some friends on the boat when we stopped for lunch, and we ended up whiling away the afternoon on deck eating, drinking wine and soaking up the scenery. By the time we returned to our cabin we had to pack and dress for dinner.

The short version of the port – Split is a very cool town. It feels more real than the old town area of Dubrovnik, but it’s still incredibly atmospheric and historical. This time, we took a walking tour with another one of our new ‘boat friends,’ and it was well worth it. The Palace dates from the third century, built by the Roman emperor Diocletion to be his retirement home, but it has Medieval, Renaissance and modern stories. When we finally post photos we’ll explain more.

But today we’re in Venice! San Marco is overwhelmed with tourists, as we expected, but there are plenty of other streets and piazzas to explore. I’m afraid I might be over-using this word – but it is magical. It’s hard to put the camera away. And for anyone who hasn’t been here – it’s just as good as the pictures. (Like my dad says – “it’s so beautiful it looks fake” – his highest compliment.

Tonight’s plan is an evening ride down the Grand Canal using the vaporetto, which is the Venetian equivalent of the city bus. Okay, it isn’t as romantic as a gondola, but after a 70 euro water taxi from the dock to our hotel, another 90 euros for a gondolier seemed a bit much. Six euros each for the vaporetto will do just fine, plus a main stop is right by our hotel. Luckily there is a very local-feeling bar just down from our hotel. We need refreshment before the evening portion of our Venice port-of-call. We also don’t want to spend too much time in our room – you don’t get much for 220 euro in Venice.