Travel Review: Luxury Vacation in Italy, Slovenia, and Croatia, Venice, Vis, Hvar, Pakleni Islands, Postojna Caves, Sailing Tours

Our full-day private sailing excursion to Vis and the Pakleni Islands for swimming in the crystal waters and the caves was particularly memorable.  Our sailing guide and his wife had snacks and sparkling wine for us, and took us to one of their favorite, more secluded beaches that had a restaurant where my boyfriend met a distant relative from his family's Croatian side--such a small world!  Second to that would be the lavender and wine-tasting tour in Hvar.  We had the funniest tour guide, tasted remarkable wine from some of the best local winemakers on the island; and ended the afternoon with dinner under the stars in the old village of Malo Grablje with a feast cooked for us by a family who had owned that restaurant for generations.  I can still taste the freshly roasted candied nuts and grappa we had there for dessert...mmm delicious.  Another highlight--this one from Slovenia--are the Postojna caves, because where else in the world are you going to be able to ride a train through some of the biggest caves with the most impressive geologic formations in the world?  And we wouldn't have known about or organized any of this without our agent's help.