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Published: September 3rd 2007
We had high expectations of today - a trip to the glass blowing factory, then a stroll around the streets of Venice, with the sun gleaming across the street canals. This idealistic dream quickly evaporated as we woke up to yet another drizzly day. Last night, we had checked the weather on the internet (sunny 29 degrees) and had dressed accordingly. We both wore thongs and shorts - bad idea Sunshine!
The day started with an hour trip to Venice from our accommodation - which was about 45 minutes outside of Venice. This trip included a water taxi to the centre of Venice. It’s a shame the sun wasn’t out, but we still managed to get some photos.
Our first stop was to a glass blowing demonstration. At first, I was a bit sceptical of this one as I had seen glass blowing before at some markets. As we winded through the streets towards the factory, we were approached by the Venetian Mafia and told which factory to visit and escorted appropriately.
The demonstration was on the edge of a bridge over one of the back canals. I was amazed at the skill of the master blower, as
he quickly blew a bottle, followed by a Venetian vase (complete with rippled flower opening). While I sat there with a slight smile of admiration at his skill, the master began his next creation - a horse. Basically, he started with a molten ball of glass which he rotated on the end of a stick in one hand. His other hand held a pair on tongs and he began to pinch the molten blob. Within a few seconds, he had fashioned the horse’s head and started to pull and bend the legs from the horse’s body. It was pretty impressive!
After Chelle and I looked through the attached store at the expensive glass ware (I will never look at an overpriced vase in an antique store the same blaze attitude again.) We had the rest of the morning free to explore the city, before our cruise to the small island of Burano. We walked through the small streets with our umbrellas clutched in our hands. Chelle was on a mission to find a Venetian glass ring! We did manage to locate a small bakery with some delicious profita rolls before continuing our walk. Several streets, bridges and court yards
later, Chelle wanted another roll and managed to direct us back to the same shop - I was impressed!
The streets of Venice are lined with small shops selling glassware, jewellery and decorative masks - much the same as the island we were visiting for lunch. Another water taxi ride, and we were at Burano, a small island accessible by boat only. The island is most famous for its colourful houses, each one painted in a different colour - beautiful. The lunch was equally impressive with four courses and free drinks. The eating hall was huge with four rooms full of tables and people. One highlight of the meal was the fish mousse on dried toast with lemon juice - balissimo.
The rain continued to fall and we did manage to find a bit of glassware to appease Chelle’s shopping demons. We finished up the day with a stint of blogging. Hopefully tomorrow will bring some sunshine as we travel to our next stop - Rome! Ciao!
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