Anne here. Given the uncertain weather, we decided to spend the day on Murano, one of the small islands nearby. We got the vaporetto there and back with the locals after purchasing a two day ticket which we can use as much as we like. Each stop was announced as we approached but not on the return trip. Once on Murano we saw two glass blowing demonstrations but felt no obligation to buy any of the quite beautiful pieces on display. Watching a beautiful glass horse being formed with such skill from a lump of glass in only a few minutes was amazing. The glass was still so hot after he finished that a piece of paper held next to it caught alight immediately.
It being winter and very cold and damp it was fairly quiet and easy to get around. Next on the agenda was coffee of course, and we walked past several cafes before finding one with locals- just our style. I had a very tasty little pastry with pumpkin and Mick had a sandwich with meat and cheese and a pickle.
The Glass Museum was on the other side of the island, or in fact on another island just over a bridge. One becomes accustomed to climbing over bridges here. Glass making began in Murano around the thirteenth century after moving from Venice to reduce the risk of fire in Venice itself. Some of it I found quite beautiful, particularly the "sommerso " which involves a technique of glass inside glass. Some of the very old pieces such as mirrors and frames are extremely ornate but the work involved is quite incredible. One of the glass makers we saw earlier told us that one must study for many years to qualify as a glass maker, and if one does not have the ability, then no amount of study will suffice!
All of these places are well prepared for tourists and in fact asked what language we needed on arrival. We are always amazed at the language proficiency of Europeans.
The next stop prompted me to comment " Now I know I'm in Italy!" You guessed it- a wonderful lunch with exceptional service and food in an Osteria called La Perla Ai Bisatei - that like so many in this incredible country, one could easily walk right past without noticing. It pays to do the research beforehand. The waiter looked after us so well from the moment we walked in, giving us one menu in Italian and one in English. We realised we would not be eating anything much else for the rest of the day. My pasta, followed by grilled bream and vegetables, washed down with the local white, was lovely. This was after the Fava beans our waiter placed on the table with the bread right at the start.
The return vaporetto trip was uneventful and we arrived back in our lovely, warm flat, around 4 after another quick supermarket detour for more milk and bread.