The Old Gray Mare She Ain't What She Used to Be...Day 9 in Murano & Burano...

This day we drove from Florence to Venice. In the afternoon we visited two islands, Murano & Burano. Murano is known for Glass and Burano is known for Lace. There is a causeway from the mainland Italy to Venice. On the west end of this is a port for all the boats that ply to waterways and canals of Venice to pick up and return guests. Our coach had a nice parking lot in which to wait for us.

This day we had our own boat to get around the islands. 

Italy has a speed train which we saw when leaving Sorrento, around Rome and in Venice. This is a picture of it coming out of the Venice station. The interesting glass-like object is the Venice train station. 

Our first destination was Murano. 

This is where the lagoon in which Venice sits opens up to the Adriatic Sea. Claude and I have seen a documentary regarding the flooding that happens in Venice now. There is a wall built in sections un the opening. When there is the possibility of a flood on the streets of Venice, the sections of this wall are all raised forming a barrier to slow the influx of water. We found ourselves scanning this area for any signs of this wall. 

Alan is a piece of work. He got on the boat and as it was cruising, he came into this main cabin and found a life vest overhead. He pulled it out and immediately starting do the part of an airline flight attendent explaining how to use the life vests. The man in front of him is part of our tour group and he is lengthening the belt of the life vest so it will go around Alan. 

A shipyard. We were told they handle submarines here.

Does this boat not remind you of Indiana Jones or the James Bond movies?

Church of San Giorgio Maggiore.

Basilica di Santa Maria della Salute.

Doge's Palace. Doge is the Italian word for Duke.

Doge's Palace, on the left. In the middle are two bridges. The Bridge of Sighs is the covered bridge between buildings. Ponte della Paglia is the white bridge along the water edge in front. Ponte is the Italian word for bridge. The Bridge of Sighs goes from the prison in the Doge Palace to the jail on the other side of that canal. We will walk through the Bridge of Sighs the next day. 

Scuola Navale Militare Francesco Morosini is a military education college based in Venice operated by the Italian Navy and named after the great venetian Doge.

Chiesa parrocchiale di Sant'Elena Imperatrice

Paul Kneale public sculpture.

Murano known for its glass works. 

Ferro-Lazzarini Glass Works. The owner is in the orange shirt and would be our guide.

Glass Artwork in the Courtyard.

Ferro-Lazzarini Glass Works factory. Usually, they have about 30 people working. We were there on a Sunday, so only one master glass worker came in to demonstrate the art.

This plate gives a sampling of some of the colors they can make into glass works.

The master glass worker first demonstrated the making of a vase. We have watched this process at other places. It is amazing to watch them work with the melted glass.

Then the owner must have been coached about our group. He asked if this master glass worker should make an animal and what kind he should make. I immediately yelled turtle because, well, I love and collect turtles. Then the owner said, "I understand there is someone from Kentucky here. What if he made a horse?" Well, of course, make a horse. This is the making of a glass horse.

We were then led into his store. Many rooms on two layers for the store. See those tumblers on the glass laying on the table. He picked those up on several occasions and dropped them on the glass on the table. Lots of noise. NO broken glass. It has something to do with firing the glass a second time after it is made. Amazing!!!

Our purchases were these glass beads which we will use for a Christmas ornament. 

We learned that the stained glass in the windows of the Rome Italy LDS Temple were all made here at this factory. Way cool!! We left Murano.

And made our way to Burano. It is known for lace making. This is a most colorful island. Every home is painted a different color. It is a UNESCO site so the homes must always maintain their color. This was begun so fishermen returning home IN the fog (real or ingested) could find their home. Reminded me of the doors in Ireland all painted different colors.

Another leaning tower!

Luigi giving us some directions. 

Everyone uses a clothesline outside their windows.

Luigi had us wait on the street while he went inside Carmelina's. He asked for sample for each of us of the Buranello. They graciously gave him a plate piled high of them.

Claude was in heaven. They reminded him of his Gramma Jones cookies he loved so much as a kid. We bought a big bag of Buranellos.

Luigi knew the store owner here and had them do a demonstration of making lace. This is what the women did while their husbands were out fishing. It is handmade and very intricate.

Alan holding up the sample of the lace-making process. They do all this stitching with a needle and then cut away sections. Another person then stitches in connecting threads.

Our Christmas Ornament from Burano.

We purchased another small piece which we will mat and frame for our travel picture wall.

After a gelato break, we hiked back to our boat for the return trip to the dock. We boarded our coach and it took us back across the causeway to our hotel for that night. We were the first in line this time to get our room key. We were again on the 1st floor which would be the 2nd floor in America. We got on the elevator and walked the length of the hotel to our room. The key would NOT open the door. Claude tried every direction. I tried every direction. It was not going to work. I saw Dane and his dad come to their door on this floor. I walked down to see how their key worked. Turns out it was a different kind of lock. Mindy and her roommate came up. They had a lock like ours. I watched them hold their key in front of the lock, we heard the lock up in the door, they opened the door and went in. Back to our door I went and tried multiple times. Nothing. Claude ankle was done in. I took the key and walked all the way down that very long hallway and down the stairs to the front desk. I asked the lady to give me some instructions as our key would not open our door. She told me I had to put it in the little slot. I assured her there was NO slot. She assured me there was a slot and to try again. Hmmmm... Luigi was standing near and heard the interaction. He said he would come and try. I headed to our room and shortly Luigi was there and he tried the key. It did not work. Luigi said he would go down and tell the desk. He did and they 'recharged' the key. When Luigi tried it this time, it worked. Claude entered the room first. Quickly he told us we had a problem. Someone else's luggage was in that room and open. We all headed to the front desk back down that long hallway. Luigi ran ahead to explain their error. Now this room was 126. The front desk clerk gave us a new room and key. It was room 127. Back down the long hallway with Claude's very achy ankle. The key worked. We had a room for this one night. It was the nicest room of our entire trip. Traveling can be an adventure on many levels.