Tuesday, May 02, 2017

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!


14 comments:

  1. Bonsoir Ginnie. Tu as vraiment fait un voyage à Venise très complet car il fallait en effet voir les îles de Murano et Burano. J'ai eu plaisir à revoir dans tes images la magnifique basilica de Sainte-Marie e Donato devant laquelle j'ai fait moi-même beaucoup de photos. Et puis les canaux, les verreries, les ravissants petits ponts. Vraiment un plaisir ces photos, merci Ginnie

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    1. I love so much that you know these places, Marie, and therefore can enjoy them through my eyes. I wish I could see YOUR images. :)

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  2. You were blessed with a beautiful blue-sky day, what a bonus.

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  3. OH MY DOG!!! my heart is still pounding with unbridled avarice from the showroom of that glass store where you bought the snail!!! what outstanding beauty!! set my heart on FIRE!!! those wall sconces made me want to cry i wanted them ALL so badly... sniff sniff... i haven't been so touched by beauty in a long time, thank you, sister xoxoxox

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    Replies
    1. Isn't it so wonderful what grabs us from someone else's images, Elaine! I never would have expected THAT, however. So glad you got to see them.

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  4. Love the glass but 7th century church. That is incredible!

    I always smile at the food shots! Love those, always!

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    1. You're on the same page, then, Marie. That church totally made our day! I didn't use to do the food shots but I'll keep doing them just for you. :)

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  5. That was a fun day to visit Murano. All the glass, it is amazing. What a charming place to walk around and again I am so happy that we were there kind of in off-season.... now we could walk around 'normally'...
    That church was something else. The guy with the glasses.... yes we were short of eyes HA, IHVJ. A wonderful post again, great pictures.

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    1. Thank you, Astrid. Looking back over these images brings it all back, doesn't it. I guess that's the whole point of these posts...to bring it all back!

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  6. Oh my...wow...that mosaic floor. I'm not a big glass person either, but it is a must see I think when someone travels to this area. Great that you divided it up from Burano so you could dive in more and get beyond all the glass! It's all beautiful though!

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    1. Glass art truly is a marvel, Robin, and even though that wasn't our goal for the day, I'm glad we had a chance to see the beauty of it once again. And yes, it was good to separate this day from Burano because they are two very separate worlds! Thank you.

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