Next......?

Thanks for the very helpful contribution joolz too.

Ok try this for size...
Fly into Trieste and rent a car at the aiport. Drive down to Tuscany for a week to fulfill your lovely wifes dreams...
Then drive up into Slovenia, spend a week doing whatever your physically up for in the Soca Valley (rafting, paragliding, kayaking, fishing or hiking), over the mountains to Lake Bled and Ljubljana, then drive down the Dalmation coast of Croatia via Split to Dubrovnic and a day trip into Monte Negro.
Then over the border to Mostar in Bosnia/Hertzogovina and up to Sarajevo, then north to Belgrade, finishing in Zagreb Croatia and back to Trieste.
Have done it myself, it's scenically lovely, the people are nice and it'll give you something to talk about...
PLEASE don't say you've already been there...haaa