Only a short ferry ride away from the canals of Venice there lies two islands.
The most famous island is called Murano, famous for its glass works that are sold throughout Venice. Products range from glass beads to giant glass sculptures costing thousands of euros. Be cautious though, not everything being sold is "authentic" Murano glass.

Most tourists are drawn to Murano by the offer of a free boat ride to the island followed by a free tour of the glass factory. The tour usually ends with a very hard push to buy expensive glass works from their show room. My best advice for anyone visiting Venice is to SKIP Murano and head over to BURANO!

The Itinerary
In order to see the most on our first visit to Greece, we decided to go by cruise ship on board the Norwegian Jade in early May. Our four ports of call included Corfu, Santorini, Mykonos, and Olympia.

Back in February we had 48 hours to explore London, 
visit the touristy sites, and stuff our faces with any food that wasn't Italian. 

Of course we had to "cave" and visit both of them on our drive back to Italy!

Ljubljana is the capital city of Slovenia 
and 
most of the city center is car-free. 
You will find an array of museums, clothing stores, cafes, and markets.

Without the buzzing of cars, 
there seems to be a more relaxing atmosphere 
of people going about their daily lives.

After breakfast we hopped on the motorway with our vignette stuck in the windshield. 
--- you need a vignette for driving in Slovenia. 

Where We Stayed
Ljubljana offered a central location, had more pet-friendly accommodations, and it was much cheaper than staying in Bled. Our bed and breakfast was located on the northwest side of Ljubljana, which provided easy access to Lake Bled.

Things To Do
There is more to Slovenia than its capital and famous Lake Bled. Those coming from the south will pass right by Postojna Cave, the most visited tourist attraction in Slovenia. For a less touristy cave experience, there is also Skocjan Caves nearby.