We left Ancona to travel to Split, Croatia on an overnight ferry. We’d reserved a two bed berth with a bathroom because we were combining travel and lodging. Getting boarding passes in one location, then boarding in another was a bit of an errand. It was another day of morning checkout then spending time until the evening departure.  Ancona felt like a working town with a nice downtown that wasn’t packed with tourists. A historic town that has been ruled by Romans, Venitians, Greeks and more. 

The sun was rising as Split approached. Disembark ing was simple and no o e cared enough to check our passports or bags. We walked off the ship and found some breakfast.  Now we needed to burn some time before checking into our room. We toured the free areas of the Diocletian Palace and the historic parts of town. Settled into our room for the night and found some food.

Travel to Venice was uneventful. We arrived amid another throng of people and got away from the train station and its bustle. Venice was not what I had expected really. Canals, yes but not the tiny and meandering streets and alleys. We worked to follow the phone GPS, but the enclosure made getting precise locations difficult. And the tall buildings made keeping my bearings hard. So we meandered and did end up at our room.

Sunday and Monday were dedicated to seeing what we could see. Originally we’d planned to day trip here from Verona, but really pleased we had the time to spend a couple nights. The pizzas are bigger than expected, and seeing buildings I’ve only seen in books was remarkable. 

We are now on the train to Ancona where we will board tomorrow night’s ferry to Split, Croatia.

On Sunday May 12 we boarded a train heading to Verona. We cruised through the picturesque countryside at speeds exceeding 150 miles per hour.  The smooth and quiet ride made the trip effortless.  We easily found our apartment, and a doner kebab cafe, and began our week in Verona.

Immediately we were impressed. The city is very walkable and welcoming to visitors. While busy, there is not the crush of people we encountered in Rome and we are very comfortable navigating the streets and sites. 

Verona is home to many historic sights, including a Roman arena. It is the third largest and still in use as a concert and theater venue. We visited the purported house of Juliet, and took a picture on the balcony. There seems to be much of that story that is fiction, but it was fun to see the interior of these old buildings.

At this writing, Wednesday, the weather has turned to rain so we are doing some laundry and resting. Thursday we’re off to see Venice. Friday has an amarone wine experience planned.