As our cruise continues, we’re looking for any signs of good weather, and like what we see out our Viking Star stateroom balcony this evening.  “Red Sky at night a sailor’s delight,” could indicate a welcome change from the past few cold, windy days at sea. Today we finally docked in Split, Croatia on the Dalmatian Coast and got to step foot back on land. We paid homage to Saint Michael, whose Iron Age fortress guards the city and his saintly pal James, whose Catholic basilica sits behind the ancient stone walls. We had to pay to pee before getting back on the tour bus to a Croatian pig farm. Then, over a traditional lunch spread of ham and beans, a trio of musicians played Eagles and Beatles songs, with a Slavic twist. My wife and I both napped on the bus, so I can’t say it was worth the $139 each price of admission.

We had to get up early and tolerate a tour guide that moved at the speed of molasses while providing entirely too many details. It’s the only drawback of these cruises, a little too structured for our tastes. The advantage is not having the hassle of packing and unpacking each night to explore the sights. I’m sure that with more experience we’ll get better at picking our excursions. Today was probably not a good choice, but with the overcast skies, nothing would have compensated for dismal weather. From a distance, we did get to see Diocletian’s Palace where Game of Thrones was filmed. Tomorrow, we’ll explore the walled city of Dubrovnik where The History Channel’s Knightfall was produced. I thought the city of Split was named for the fact that the former country of Yugoslavia was “dissected” into Croatia, Bosnia, Montenegro, Serbia, Macedonia, and Slovenia. Instead, it was apparently named after a weed called the broom plant.

I’m hoping that red skies at sunset mean blue skies tomorrow. Tonight’s magic show on the ship’s main stage was a disappointment, but that did not deter from the magic that we’re about to experience in Dubrovnik, Kotor, Korfu, Santorini, and Athens. We’ve had one extra day at sea at the expense of Slovenia, as well as snow in Amsterdam and Venice, but we remain confident that this will all end on a positive note. Red sky equals delight!