VENICE 2017: Murano

As you see, I'm moving along as soon as I get a new batch of images done, determined to get through the Venice-Verona trip as quickly as possible.  The method to my madness is partly because we have a short trip to Cornwall, England, coming up next week for 5 days.  Not that I'll finish Venice by then, of course...but you get the picture!

Almost everyone who makes it to Venice tries to also make the fast hop-over by vaporetto to Murano, just 3.5 km away in the Venetian lagoon.

Others will also make it further to Burano the same day, which I did in a past life.  

You can do both in one day...but I'm glad this time we didn't.
(We did Burano 2 days later, which I've already shown you here.)

As I recall, there are 4 stops in Murano for the vaporetto waterbuses.

Since Murano is known for its glass, you can't miss it whichever stop you use, I'm sure.

Everywhere you go, storefront windows are displaying their goods.

And glass factories are hoping you will watch their glassblowing shows.

Murano is one of those touristy places, depending on YOU as their customers.

WE, however, know all about glassblowing from the Netherlands and had no interest in glass.

Or so we thought!

Suddenly, Astrid wondered if she could find a snail for her DIL who collects them.

So into one store we went...and because we did indeed buy a snail,

we became privy to their behind-the-scenes showrooms,

as well as to our own private show of their resident glassblower.

Lucky us.  And totally unexpected.

But as I said, we were not there for Murano's glass.

We were on a mission...

a little bit further along the main canal,

past the bell tower of San Giacomo and it's blue glass sculpture,

past this, that, and the other small bridges,

to the BIG bridge, they said.  THIS one, with good views along the canal.

Then we saw it:  the Basilica dei Santi Maria e Donato, founded in the 7th century.

This was more important to us than all the glass in the world.

We were not disappointed!

It's known for its Veneto-Byzantine columns,

and its mosaic  floor, dating from 1140, incorporating fragments of ancient glass 

from the island's foundries.

It's a Gothic ship's keel roof.

You know me by now; I love all the wood.

I'm sure everything means something, inside and out.

(Like listening is more important than seeing or speaking?)

Notice how such places always work up an appetite!

All of that in the morning and then it was time to set off again for the afternoon...

to the cemetery on the island we had passed coming in, San Michele.

But first, some passing scenes as we left Murano and its landmark lighthouse from 1934...

and other churches we did not visit, like the Santa Maria degli Angeli (top row),

and the San Pietro Martire (bottom row).

Another morning of being "short of eyes."  HA!

Let's hear it for the guys...and gals!