New River Cruise in Italy

This morning I was contemplating river cruises. I took my first voyage on the Rhone River in France last summer and now I'm hooked. But Italy is where I'm hoping to travel to next – too bad you can't do a river cruise there.

I got curious about the navigability of the Po River, Italy's longest, so I headed to Google. And to my surprise – and delight – I found a new Uniworld river cruise itinerary for 2013: Venice & the Po River.

Gondolier, Venice

This 7-night itinerary begins and ends in Venice and includes visits to see frescoes by Giotto in Padua; fifth- and sixth-century Byzantine mosaics in Ravenna; the food markets of Bologna;  and Juliet's Balcony in Verona. Uniworld's Epicurean Adventurer Program includes a pasta-making workshop in Bologna; Italian dessert-making demonstration and tasting; olive oil and wine tasting; and a special wine and food pairing dinner.

Pricing for 2013 begins at $2,899 (cruise only) on board the newly remodeled boutique cruise ship River Countess. Six excursions and all meals onboard are included, along with complimentary beer, wine and soft drinks at lunch and dinner.

The Grand Canal, Venice

I first visited Venice in May 2010 and we hit a week of rain while in Italy, so I've wanted to go back and experience la dolce vita under sunny skies. And I think I've just found a new addition to my Bucket List!