I met Helena at her place downtown and we walked to the train station for a 0902 train. I think our tickets were around 10 Euro total per person, for a round trip on a Regional Velocity train. We got off at the Venice St. Lucia station somewhere around 1000 and promptly headed for the valparetto, or water taxi. I forget which number we took, but it took us directly to Murano and took about an hour. It seemed like a very long ride, but the boat was just putt-putting along and it probably would be faster in just about any other vehicle. Still, you can't beat 20 Euro for an all-day pass, since each single-fare ticket is six or seven Euro anyway. We hopped off in Murano and just wandered around for a while, taking it all in. We did some window-shopping and of course took some pictures, and really enjoyed the people-watching. It wasn't too crowded, but for a random Monday there were a fair amount of people. One unexpected treasure was a church museum we happened to stumble across. I think the entrance fee was only one or two Euro, and it had a great collection of religous items, from raiment to relics, carved pulpits and incense-holders, all sorts of random stuff. We weren't allowed to take pictures, so I would definitely go back in there to poke around some more and continue our made-up game of "guess the oldest object in the room." I really enjoyed the glass mosaics and installations which were scattered throughout the island, but after an hour or so we had about enough. We ended up getting on the wrong water taxi, and then getting off one stop too early, and having to walk to another stop altogether. I didn't mind, though, as it was a beautiful day for boat rides and meandering!
Once we got onto the proper valparetto route to Burano, it took us nearly another hour to island-hop. This taxi was more crowded than the first was, but we got a decent spot on the port side where we could enjoy the view - and the breeze. After making small talk with some of the other passengers - and acknowledging that yes, we are lucky to live in Italy - we hopped off the taxi and started making our way into the island. Our eyes were immediately caught by blooming cherry (or plum?) trees, wisteria and ivy covered walls, colorful buildings, and tourist trap shops full of beautiful art and lace. Come to think of it, I kind of want to go back for some art AND some lace! I did buy a small tablecloth, doing my part to contribute to the local economy. At that shop, we asked the salesman for a lunch recommendation. Some place not too touristy. He told us anywhere we chose to eat would be sure to have good food, but warned us that some places were more expensive than others. He directed us across a canal and down a few doors, and we selected outdoor seating under some colorful umbrellas. (I'm sensing a pattern here, anybody know a good synonym for "colorful"?) It ended up being a tasty and reasonably priced choice, and I had my first real Italian calzone! It was delicious, and enormous, and I would do it again in a heartbeat. We also ordered a small pitcher of Prosecco, which really hit the spot.
After lunch, we did more wandering and people-watching. I learned there's a leaning tower in Burano! It is the bell tower or campanile which belongs to the 15th century church of San Martino, and is a pretty visible landmark on the island. I'm pretty sure we circumnavigated it, and I even got a picture of a wall mural - of the tower. 1) Left picture appropriate from the hyperlink earlier in this paragraph. 2) Bird! (I snapped that one.) 3) Mural on the wall (I photographed that one but certainly didn't paint it!)
There were also some beautiful wisteria vines growing near the church that I just became obsessed with, and think I got some great photos of it. And I even got a cute snap of a good samaritan helping out another tourist with his photographer skills. The pictures never quite do justice to the real thing though, do they?
Speaking of people being helpful and taking pictures for others, look at this cutie pie shooting (I assume) his parents! He was so happy and proud to be of assistance, and I was happy and proud to capture the moment.
I got quite a few photos of other people's laundry hanging out to dry. I don't know why, but it always makes me happy to see laundry hanging out - sheets, socks, underwear, whatever. Maybe because it means the sun is out or something? Maybe I appreciate the domesticity of it all? In Burano, I certainly appreciate the clash of all the amazing colors.
Helena and I took the scenic route back to our water taxi, and walked along the water, through a small park where a couple was having a picnic, people were walking their dogs, and kids were running around playing on swings. Just a happy day in Italy! We cut through a little field, and I made a comment about looking for four-leaf clovers. And what do you know, I found three within about five minutes! It's only the second time I've ever found three in one go, and the last time was at Tony's Grampa's house in 2013. We took the number 12 valparetto back to Venice, and spent a few minutes window-shopping at the train station. Well, I say window-shopping, but we each ended up making purchases. I got a nice notebook and some tricolor peppercorns for grinding, and Helena found the most awesome umbrella - with a pirate sword handle, for ten euros! Epic.
It was a beautiful day, and I'm happy we got the experience to just wander along with no itinerary or pressure to be anywhere at a certain time. We stumbled across a few hidden gems and enjoyed the boat rides, the sunshine, and the small adventure of a day trip to a new place. La vita e` bella! I shall leave you all with a picture of a very cute Italian nonna, who I may or may not have followed for half a block to photograph...
No comments:
Post a Comment
Please be respectful here.