Once in awhile, we like to take a break from our regular form of travel; that is random, unplanned and often full of surprises; and do things the way others might do. Its rare, but it does happen.

On the flip side, one extremely rare event occurred this morning that literally woke me up out of shock and surprise. I had a dream that the most exquisite food was laid out before me, everything from eggs, french toast, bacon, sausage, pancakes galore, my stomach was grumbling so loud it seemed so real. The smells wafted into the bedroom and the sound of sizzling could be heard. Somehow I was awake but still felt confused because it is too early for this to be real…

Jake was up preparing a gourmet breakfast; eggs, prosciutto, toast and espresso, not to mention he had a stack of food already prepared for our journey today. My dream came true, and now we get to enjoy this superb breakfast, the only downfall is that it still does seem too early.

But we are on a mission. Today we join with a tour group to head to Murano, Burano and Torcello, 3 islands that are found in the Venetian lagoon. Its not our norm, but there was a really good deal on the 5-hour boat excursion that we couldn’t pass up, seeing as how we only have a few more days to explore this amazing place.

Our boat docking time is 830AM, so we wanted to make sure to give ourselves enough time to arrive and walk the 30 minutes to the loading point. All was smooth, we made it out the door by 715 and got to Venice 30 minutes later. Having spent just a few days in the city we already felt like pros as we walked expertly down the paths that we have now ventured a few times. The docks are located just off of St. Mark’s Piazza and we arrived about 20 minutes early for our departure. The city was still fairly quiet but the water was buzzing with activity. Boats were zigging and zagging all over the place, plus it was a bit windy and that made for a very choppy water.

By the time our vaporetto (or Venetian water bus) arrived, there were probably 50 other people in line behind us. It parked expertly along the slip and Jake and I were the first to board, heading straight to the back, which had outside seating. It felt packed on the boat, but only because most people wanted to be outside so the inside was actually fairly empty. The only real downfall is that we couldn’t hear anything the tour guide would announce because of the noise of the wind, boat engine and other people.

As we made our way out into the lagoon, I was very grateful that we chose today for this tour. Its bright and sunny, and actually quite comfortable on the boat. The views were also absolutely gorgeous and it is the first time we have been on the water in a long time, which sort of feels like home.

After 15 minutes, we arrived at our first location: Murano.

Murano is made up of seven islands in the Venetian Lagoon, linked by bridges over eight channels. It has a reputation as the center for glassmaking. In the 13th century, many of Venice’s buildings were made of wood. Glass factories at this time would often catch fire and the Venetian Republic feared the devastation of their city and ordered all glass furnaces to be moved to the nearby island of Murano.

For several hundred years, glassmaking was a prestigious position and Murano glassmakers held a monopoly on high-quality works. They refined and developed many techniques, crafting everything from contemporary art glass, jewelry, chandeliers, wine stoppers and mirrors. Cristallo is almost transparent and considered the finest glass in the world. Murano glassmakers also developed a white-colored glass (milk glass called lattimo) that looks like porcelain.

This is not our first rodeo when it comes to glass-making, Jake and I took a class while we were in Santa Fe, NM, a few years ago, and learned how incredibly difficult a medium glass is to work with. Its extremely sensitive, not just as glass, but in its liquid form, which also means lots of sweltering heat.

[Here are some photos from our glass-blowing class]

Our first stop was to the Industria Vetri Artistici, Ferro-Lazzarini. It is a renown glass factory founded in early 1900’s and focused on artistic glass objects and Venetian chandeliers. We filed into the showroom gallery and then to the back, where we watched a glass demonstration. I was blown away as we watched the master work a piece of glass from its liquid form into a stallion in under a minute!

The remainder of the demo explained a bit about different types of glass that are made and the specialty of this artisan shop. It went way too quickly and soon we were all shuffled back into the showroom, where I guess you are meant to purchase items. The pieces were gorgeous, but also extremely pricey and since we have such a limited amount of time to spend here, we slipped out the door so we could walk around and enjoy Murano a bit.

This is the part of “tours” that I don’t enjoy. The keeping to a schedule and throngs of people, but it is a small price to pay. Once outside, we sauntered down the waterfront walk. Here, too, the canal was buzzing with boats in and out, just like a highway at rush-hour. Up ahead, we were immediately taken by a most amazing San Donato Basilica, known for its Byzantine mosaic pavement. The church and its bell tower are built of dark red-brown brick, without plastering and the bell tower actually stands separately from the main.

Since we only have about 15 minutes before the boat departs for the next island, we couldn’t go in and explore the way we would have liked. But it is said that the basilica contain the relics of Saint Donatus of Arezzo and large bones behind the altar, which were fabled to be those of a dragon slain by the saint (DRAGONS ARE SO COOL!).

It was far too short a trip, but the boat will not wait for anyone and we don’t want to get stuck here, so we found our way back to the dock, only to see that our boat was not there. It has been replaced with another, one that is not nearly as nice. It doesn’t have any outdoor seating and the seats are so low inside that you can’t even see out the windows (which are all crusted with film).

The next journey took about 30 minutes, heading to Burano. It would have been a great ride, especially since we passed several interesting ruins along the way, however only the people sitting on the port side of the boat could actually see them (we were on starboard). It was extremely hot on this boat, and it didn’t ride as comfortably through the choppy water. Thankfully we are used to boats and didn’t have a problem, but others weren’t so lucky. So when we arrived to Burano, everyone was eager to get out. Before exploring, our tour guide informed us that we have 50 minutes to go and check out the island, pointed us in directions to the most famous places and then left us to our own devices.

Burano is known for its small, brightly painted houses, which follow a specific system. The idea was so that fisherman in the village would recognize their houses in the fog, which is prevalent during early hours much of the year. The color system originated from the golden age of its development. If someone wished to paint their home, they must first make a request to the government who will respond with which color(s) are permitted for that specific lot. This is also an area known for lacemaking, in fact there is a museum and school that is renowned.

By the time we walked around to the Church of San Martino, with a leaning campanile, we only had about 20 minutes more to enjoy of the island. We tried to walk in a circle, following the paths around the outskirts of the island, though eventually they all flowed back to the main market. This is where all the people are; with plenty of shops and restaurants, its bustling. I was keen to learn more about the lacemaking and maybe pick up a souvenir or two, but there just wasn’t enough time. Too bad, but it was a very beautiful place that I would certainly come back and spend more dedicated time exploring!

We arrived back to the dock about 5 minutes early, so we enjoyed a lounge in the shade of a big tree. I’m so glad Jake packed us lunch and snacks, otherwise we would be starving. There wouldn’t be time to stop and eat even if we wanted, so this worked out perfectly.

The crappy boat pulled up again and we all boarded, thankfully it will be only a short trip around to Torcello.

Torcello is next. Did you know that only 11 people live here? Isn’t that crazy?!?!

It was not always that way, there was a time when Torcello was populated by those Veneti and also became the bishop’s official seat for more than a thousand years. People brought with them the relics of Saint Heliodorus, now the patron saint of the island. It was first settled in the year 452 and has been referred to as the parent island from which Venice was populated. It was a town with a cathedral and bishops before St Mark’s Basilica was built.

In pre-Medieval times, Torcello was a much more powerful trading center than Venice. Thanks to the lagoon’s salt marshes, the salines became Torcello’s economic backbone and its harbour developed quickly into an important re-export market. However the Black Death devastated the area of Venice and all the nearby islands, and Torcello was a bigger problem due to the swamp area that completely surrounds the island; malaria was greatly aggravated as well. Navigation in the laguna morta (dead lagoon) was impossible before long and traders ceased coming. As a result, the population dwindled and even the bishop transferred to Murano, leaving only a few left.

I’m certainly glad to get off the boat here, because it felt like a nice break from the crowds of the last two places. Most people headed to one of the two nearby restaurants, but Jake and I thought it would be fun to go check out the basilica at the other end of the island.

Along the walk, we passed a Ponte del Diavolo known as Devils’ Bridge, Jake couldn’t resist getting a photo! Devil’s bridge is actually term applied to dozens of ancient bridges, mostly in Europe. They are typically stone or masonry arch bridges that represent some significant achievement in ancient architecture, and often objects of fascination and stories in antiquity and medieval Europe.

Each of the Devil’s bridges typically has a corresponding Devil-related myth or folktale regarding its origin. These stories vary widely depending on the region and beliefs. Some have the Devil as the builder of the bridge, relating to the precariousness or impossibility of such a bridge to last or exist in the first place, so much so that only the Devil himself could have built it. Others have the knowledge to build such bridges given to the mankind as a gift from the Devil as part of deal, pact or bargain between the Devil and local populace, usually in exchange for their souls.

Since this island is so old, its not surprising that myths would surround it. Soon enough we came to the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta and Santa Fosca, one of the most ancient religious edifices in the Veneto, and containing the earliest mosaics in the area of Venice.

If we actually had more than 20 minutes to explore, we would have purchased tickets to go through the basilica. So we walked around the outskirts and through the gardens until it was time to load back on the boat.

I guess the moral of the story is that scheduled tours are not our favorite, though I am so glad that we did this one, just to get a glimpse of these other areas we would have never seen otherwise. The boat ride back took nearly an hour and I dozed, grateful that one of the windows on our crappy boat opened up so we could get a fresh breeze.

Last Days in Venice

To continue with our boat theme of this post, we found that our last few days in Venice were mostly situated by the water. The first is when we encountered the World’s largest sailing yacht.

Sailing Yacht A, we learned later, is a $600 million dollar state-of-the-art vessel that is owned by a Russian billionaire. It sure puts our Bosco to shame. At 469 ft. with a beam of 82 ft. Lets compare to us; we are 31 ft. and beam of 11.5 ft. She has 8 decks and features a 1 ft thick glass underwater observation area located in the keel, accommodates 20 guests and a crew of 54. The 3 masts are over 300 feet above the waterline and a crow’s nest sits about 3/4 of the way up one of them. This mega yacht has not 1 but 4 tenders. Two of them are “limousine” and have a very unique, sleek and modern design, one is a working catamaran and the other is a carbon-fiber speedboat. It also has a submarine, though we couldn’t see that.

Who wouldn’t gawk at this spectacular sight, especially in contrast to the old-world Venetian skyline. This massive beast towers over everything in the city! We spotted several crew members opening her up and setting up some kind of station, perhaps for guests to come or go, or maybe just for passersby to learn more about the boat. We never saw anyone get on or off, other than crew, but it was really cool to see Super Yacht A, in person!

I was also keen to go up St. Mark’s Tower, which we learned has the best overview of the city. But like everything here, it costs money and Jake didn’t think it was worth it for both of us to spend, so in an effort to save a bit, he sent me up there solo. You could stand in line for hours and save a few bucks, or pay for the quick-entry and be assigned a time, like a fast pass!

We were early enough for my tour that we had to wait a few minutes. The square was already mobbed with people and the guard refused to let anyone go until the exact time on their ticket. Once it was mine, I walked in through the security detectors and then was shuffled into the elevator with about 25 other people. It was a short ride and as soon as we got to the top, I could feel a breeze wafting through the gates. The view was absolutely gorgeous!

I wish Jake would have come up here, he would have loved it. I took loads of photos and videos so that he could relive it with me later. The 360 degree views of Venice from this vantage point were unbelievable, and luckily we had a clear sky. Super Yacht A was still sitting in her splendor by the dock, towering over everything.

It was definitely worth it to go up the tower, but I would imagine that if the weather was not so great, it would be a terrible time, since it is open to the elements.

The last of our time in Venice we spent exploring the “free” exhibits. Most of the Churches are free and there are many museums that can be found throughout the city with no charge. The only downfall is they don’t allow photography, not that this is a deal-breaker, but it would have been nice to document some of it. We spent some time in Basilica Santa Maria Della Salute, which is absolutely gorgeous and has some of the most vivid and beautiful oil paintings I have ever seen.

We also stopped in the Museum of Music, cleverly hidden inside an old converted church, San Maurizio. It featured a collection of Antonio Vivaldi violins. Jake used to play the violin in his youth, and actually had an interest in learning more about these. The classical era of Italian violin making has given us the most celebrated, admired, preserved production in the history of manufacturing musical instruments. Even the Venetian musical craft was famous anywhere: the instruments built here were sought after by professionals, collectors, and now enrich the collections of museums around the world.

And with that our time in Venice comes to an end. We walked a total of 50 miles in 4 days and the last day and a half of our time in the city we spent at the apartment. The weather was terrible and stormy which made it very easy for us to enjoy watching old-time movies and eating our delicious pasta, packing and gearing up for the next adventure.

Venice is a magical city, one that I am so glad to tick off the bucket list.