Molten Glass, Gold Leaf & Old Lace

Venice, Italy.  Take a Vaporetto to visit outlying Venetian Islands

Undecided about these cakes...squid, fish or fruit flavoured?

Having walked our legs off it was time to invest in a Vaporetto Pass (€60 for 7 days unlimited; otherwise it’s €7.50 every ride!).  Our first foray in the world of fast & bouncy boat rides in a large sardine can was a slow trip on the #1 up 3.8km of Grand Canal.  Water craft of every kind jostle for space and thankfully in the upper reaches, the waters are less choppy.  That doesn’t stop locals from travelling full pelt.  Gondoliers jockey their charges (cashed-up tourists) with amazing dexterity through this constant mayhem. Still, the Canal is quite the imposing parade of Palazzo, covering just about every architectural era and attending to the whim and fancy of the rich and famous.  We made a mental note to include a visit to one or two of these lavish establishments (those designated museums of course) just for a peek inside. 

Exotic Venetian Glass Chandelier in Palazzo Querini Stampalia

Back on dry land then, our quest was to find the Palazzo Querini Stampalia, a huge mansion in the Castello district with its promise of fine paintings, large collection of books and grandly decorated rooms.  This it delivered as well as exhibitions of modern works by artists participating in the Biennale.  The Cap’n is slowly becoming de-sensitised to the art world in general – that doesn’t mean he’s not got an opinion or two on some of the more “interesting” exhibits.

It was home early as we’d promised our neighbour, Ian, a bonny Scott on “Old Rarity”, a curry dinner and a wee dram – well a few local beers at least!  Ian also has a portable washing machine on board and GS was softening him up for a planned midnight incursion to nick this useful & hardworking domestic appliance. 

Another Glass Chandelier in the Museum on Murano

Next day it was out early for a vaporetto ride to some of the Lagoon Islands followed by a complete island circuit; a look at the industrial “outside” of Venice on the #4.1.  Yes a day afloat- strange but true.  First stop was Murano, the island of glass blowers, furnaces and shops brimming with exotic glass pieces for sale.  The Cap’n expertly guided GS towards the Museum (Museo del Vetro), worried about her recent interest in elaborate Venetian glass chandeliers. 

The museum, housed in an old mansion, proved a modern facility that covered all aspects of this challenging craft and held an interesting collection of antique glassware.  Downstairs, a special exhibition by master craftsman Luciano Vistosi, included some delightful pieces that reflected the organic energy of molten glass. 

A Fantasy Garden all from Venetian Glass. Who needs a Doll's House?

Colourful Houses line Burano's Canals

Lace Museum, Burano

From there, our excursion took us to Torcello with its lovely green fields, historical Byzantine Cathedral (Venice’s first dating from 639 AD) and Attila’s throne (no, really?) but walking and cathedrals were off the day’s itinerary, so it was on to the colourful fishing village of Burano for lunch and a visit to the famous Lace Museum (Museo del Merletto). This museum is located in an attractive old mansion on the church square and, aside from its very appealing air conditioned rooms, proved to house a fantastic collection of original pieces.  Burano lace is now sadly a scarce commodity, practitioners few and authentic pieces rarely found in the island’s lace shops.

 

So mission achieved, islands visited, crowds escaped and the Touring Budget still successfully intact…more or less.  And better yet, no delicate chandeliers or Venetian Masks to carry home.

Decorative Venetian Masks sparkle on Burano's "streets"