Island of Burano [ Color & Lace ]

A hop, skip, and jump away is the island of Burano. There aren't enough words to describe how beautiful and unique this island is, so I will just let the photos speak for themselves. This is an island famous for its colorful buildings and its lace. Its so beautiful and unique and you simply cannot be in a bad mood on this island because its so happy and colorful! I absolutely love the photos of this island. This is a stop you can't miss! 

Burano in Wikipedia

Murano, Italy [ Island of Glass-making ]

The Hotel Ai Mori D'Oriente in Venice offered a complimentary taxi service to the nearby island of Murano. This island is the home of famous Murano or Venetian glass. Through the hotel, I was able to get a  private demonstration of how glass is made and it was fascinating. The glass-maker was so talented and was able to make a whale and a case in a matter of minutes!  After the tour, you walk through a glass museum and can purchase some of the most beautiful intricate glass pieces you can imagine. If you're visiting Venice, look into the tours offered by the island. 

Murano in Wikipedia

The Taxis are so fancy in Venice - they're little mini luxury boats!

  

The glass making process - blow into the metal pipe, and then mold the glass with pliers

Bake in Oven and repeat the molding 

 So much pride

The finished glass product is so hot that when a paper touches it, it instantly ignites in flames.

Also serves as a lighter for cigarettes

Murano glass animals

Cherries

Murano Glassware

 

Its cold out! 

Murano Glass Art on the Island

Venezia - Day 1 at Night

If you thought Venice was beautiful in the daytime, it is even more charming at night.  Its relatively safe, so dont be afraid to wander the streets and get lost. In fact, I encourage you to! You'll find lovers holding hands, hidden alley-ways and small canals, and local streets alive with bars and restaurants.  An absolute must visit when I travel if its available is to go to Harry's Bar. Sure, its overpriced with its cocktails at 20 euros, but its an experience.  And if you're going to splurge, you have to go to the Harry's Bar here because it originated in Venice. Dinner was at a local osteria by my hotel - Hotel Ai Mori d'Oriente.  I will say this - Tuscan food is so much better, but then again, you dont come to Venice for the food. You come to Venice to be in love! And at night, you will understand why Venice is considered the most romantic city in the world.

In front of Basilica di San Marco

Facade of Basilica di San Marco

Gondolas

One of the many charming alleys

Venice Carnival Masks - Just ended when I arrived!

Dusk

Gondolas Parked

Harrys Bar Cipriani

Inside Harry's Bar

Doge's Palace lit up at night

Venice streets at night

Dinner at a Al 40 Ladroni 

Shrimp Polenta

Home-made Gnocchi with Crab Meat

Venezia - Day 1

I was on the Trenatalia from Florence to Venice, when suddenly the train tracks were suddenly surrounded by water. At that moment, I knew I landed somewhere magical.

To get around, you will need a "Vaporetto Pass" for the water buses. They allow for unlimited travel for the time period purchased - 12 hours, 24 hours, 36 hours etc.  And like New York City's train system, they run almost constantly.  However, they run on the large canals surrounding the lagoon, and can't fit in the narrow and shallow canals through the local streets. That's what the Gondolas are for. The most famous square is San Marco and that's where you will spend most of your time, happily. There is not much to sight-see, you just sit along the canal, get lost in the labyrinthes of streets, and enjoy the views.

The Rialto Bridge - the oldest bridge in Venice, the first of only four bridges to span the Grand Canal, the Rialto Bridge is lined with shops and is a gateway to the Rialto Market.

Gondolas Parked

On the Vaporetto or Water Bus



Doge's Palace, the Campanile and the Basilica

Piazza San Marco

The View

Along the Canal

Ponte dei Sospiri or "Bridge of Sighs." Though it looks highly ornamental, it transported prisoners to their cells for execution. They would sigh after looking through the narrow windows where they got their last views of Venice. 

Gondeliers at dusk - the best time to go on a gondola ride. 

Old Doors have history

The Shadows of Doge's Palace at dusk

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