Ginny Fox and Vera Sackcloth-Vest go to Venice in search of inspiration for Ginny's new book - but unfortunately they are accompanied by their husbands, neither of whom is particularly enamoured of the place.

Apart from the smell and his fear of water, Lionel is worried about money and is anxious about the cost of the trip while Henry is worried about the cost of replacing a figurine that he inadvertently smashes whilst swatting a mosquito on their first night in the Grotti Palace Hotel.

They meet Dave Lollipop and his pneumatic German wife Frieda on the Rialto and Ginny is whisked off to see his paintings. He too has money problems and is planning to sell them to Art Connoisseur and man-eating American, Peggy Googleheim.

Meanwhile Lionel has dispatched Henry and Vera to see Peggy as well, with the aim of getting her to put money into his avant garde publishing house. Peggy takes a shine to Henry's moustache and attempts to seduce him on the steps of the Campanile. But when Vera gets to hear of their kiss she explodes and tells Peggy what she thinks of her, which swiftly puts an end to Dave or Lionel extracting any cash. The trip is nothing more or nothing less than a disaster.