Out and about in Venice

We got off to a slow start this morning after a busy day yesterday.

We were trying to second guess the weather as it had rained during the night and was supposed to be a 'mainly cloudy' day, just for a change. That seems to be the only weather forecast available for this region. Of course as the day progressed the sun came out and the clouds disappeared.

After a walk along our bit of the shoreline and past the Ospedale, we jumped on a ferry and headed to Murano, the island famous for its hand blown glass. I hadn't realised but the imressive bulding and brick fence on a tiny island just off the Ospedale shoreline was the cemetery: not such a great spot so close to the Hospital!

Having seen lots of glassware in Venice we were hoping that we might be able to pick up a nice piece for home in Murano. We wandered in and out of the showrooms and got caught in a very large two storey one with a very persistent salesperson. Anything that we would even consider was thousands of euros so we came away empty-handed. Most of it was too lurid and multicoloured for me , but we could appreciate the artistry required to produce such unique pieces.

The Glass Museum had some interesting displays of some very old glass starting in the1st century AD, and through the centuries.

After a few more shops my head started to spin with all the colour and choices. The vases I would have loved, and had been admiring in Venice, were more than $400 each so I thought I'd survive without any. (And being very practical I tried to work out how many new kitchen cabinet doors that would be! Our kitchen needs renovating badly, but Italy seemed a better option.....).

Sustaining our interest with an almond tart, we caught a ferry to Burano which is a very cute island famous for its lace making. Most of the lace on offer and affordable was definitely not made in Burano. A visit to the Lace Museum didn't really help our understanding of how lace is made, althogh there were beautiful samples of lace from many centuries. Ewan kept asking me about the  lacemaking process, but the closest I have been to lacemaking is to embroider my name on the gym bag I made in Form 3 Needlework! Not much help. Finally in one of the shops we saw a lace maker in action and could see how the intricate patterns are created. So much time and patience required.

It seems as if it's a dying art in Burano as the young girls don't have the patience to spend hours on one tiny item, and prefer to move away from the island.

The island has very beautiful bright coloured houses which makes it very picturesque, but most of the lace on sale came from China or elsehere. So we left empty-handed again!

The boat trip back provided the opportunity to rest and for Ewan to have a siesta. As we headed off to our apartment for a cup of tea I veered off and went to a tiny leather shop that I had been admiring in the laneway near us. Without Ewan there to assist with my purchases (or get in the way depending on whose viewpoint you are coming from!) I bought two leather bags : a coffee coloured one and a red and black suede one. Both very nice and simple, and not too expensive. The problem with italian clothes and accessories is that they tend to be a bit glitzy for me: bits of gold or lace , a gold chain or two, some sequins etc etc: just not my style. But this shop had some simple well-designed leather so I was pleased with my purchases ( but there goes a kitchen cupboard door!).

After a reviving cup of tea and venetian biscuits, we went for a wander to go to an art gallery that had been recommended. Most of them stay open until 7pm but of course this one closed at 6pm which didn't give us enough time for a good look so we didn't bother. Instead we wandered around the narrow alleyways checking out the endless souvenir shops full of glassware and venetian masks next door to exclusive stores such as Louis Vuitton, Zegna, Prada etc: such an odd mix!

As we hadn't participated in the venetian tradition of a 'spritz' pre-dinner drink we went to a tiny bar and ordered one. They are very drinkable and bright orange. On offer are a range of fried bits - arancini balls, stuffed zuccini flowers,  crumbed crabs claws- and mini pizzas, bruschetta etc. A very pleasant way to wind down after a hard day of sightseeing.

Before finding a trattoria for dinner we wandered along the shore, to see another huge cruise liner departing, this time minus the italian opera at full volume. It's estimated that 22 million people visit Venice each year, and up to 150,000 per day at peak times. I'm sure most of them pour out of these ships as they are HUGE!

We seem to have spent a lot of time in Venice just wandering around , and getting lost occaisionally. The narrow laneways can sometimes be smelly and dark, but often open out into a square with a church and kids playing , or they run into a set of stairs and a tiny bridge to cross one of the endless canals. It's never dull, but can be very confusing. And the buildings are always interesting and in various states of disrepair . Those that look the best-kept tend to be the hotels rather than the residents homes. Living in Venice would be a challenge for a family with few open spaces and an expensive cost of living. For tourists it is magic though!

Your tired but happy correspondent ( not a religious painting in sight today!)

Dianne

We found a nice little trattoria and had some pasta before heading back to the apartment to plan our last few days in Italy. Very sad.