The Island of Murano

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Today we boarded a larger vaporetto and rode out to the Island of Murano where the famous glass factories and craftsmen are. We watched a glass blowing demonstration which resulted in a lovely vase with red swirling lines around it. There were several displays of glass product items to see. Then John and I walked into the small village of Murano (a fishing community). Of course there were many shops selling Murano Glass products. I was mostly interested in beads but John found a small Mille Fiore vase that we both liked, so we bought it.

It was time for lunch so we had some pizza at one of the sidewalk restaurants there. I had a pizza with frutti de mare (seafood) on it. The muscles and clams came with the shells on and I had to de-shell them but it was delicious.

We then took the vaporetto back to Venice and found our way to palazzo SS Giovanni e Paolo. We had an hour to wait before our guide was to meet us so we found a table & chairs at one of the sidewalk restaurants there, got a cold drink and relaxed to "people watch" in the sunshine.

When Giovanna and the rest of our group joined us, we toured the Gothic church with elaborate Marble tombs- a Mausoleum for the Doges of Venice.

Then we all took the vaporetto back to our hotel to get ready for our farewell dinner. Tomorrow, we begin our journey back home. It's hard to believe we're leaving Italy already, but I think many of us are "ready to go home".

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Photos

and steams out into the lagoon
Bon Voyage!!

View of the Grand Canal
from our bathroom window

We wait on the vaporetto stage
to catch the boat to Murano

Marty's pizza
Frutti de Mare

Candy shop
"vines" of all flavors in the window

We found it!
Campo di s.s. Giovanni e Paolo

Gothic church
A mausoleum for the Doges of Venice