Venice was built in a lagoon, and there are other land masses in the lagoon. Murano, where the beautiful glass is made, is one example. We took a hired boat and visited a couple of others.
Our first stop was Torcello. After a pleasant walk along a canal, we saw the Church of the Assumption. Photos inside were not permitted, and the interior is being restored. Its back wall has a golden mosaic of the last judgement Over the altar, a solo, Virgin with a baby on a stark, gold background rises. Both of these works of art were restored thanks to the American foundation, Friends of Venice Art. At the link you can see photos of the restoration.
After grabbing an espresso in a nice garden, we boarded the boat again, for Mazzorbo.
Our lunch was scheduled at, of all things, a winery! To eat lunch at a winery is certainly not unheard of in Italy. But have you ever heard of eating lunch at a winery in Venice? Can you even imagine a vineyard there? The groundwater is brackish, the soil is shallow and yet these grapes, which were thought extinct after the floods in the 1960s, were rediscovered and brought back for a future.
The vineyeard is at the location of a former monastery (you can see the old wall all the way around the vineyard.) The grapes somehow manage to get enough fresh water, and the production is completely organic. The wine is produced in glass because, glass is common in Venice, and wood for making barrels, is not. The winery is also an inn, has a Michelin star restaurant, and lets the public visit the grounds to walk around. The Venice Biennial is on now, and there were sculptures around the paths, as a added bonus.
The food was delicious– the best I’ve eaten in Venice, especially the bacala starter. The wine, was no so much to my liking, but the setting and the company were amazing.
Our last location was the island of Burano, which is just a bridge away from the vineyard. It is a little busier, with picturesque streets and lots of people out for a stroll, sitting in the cafes and browsing the shops. Burano is a lace making town, with a certain style of hand embroidered lace that takes several makers to complete one piece. The pieces we saw were mounted in frames. There are other types of lace made in Burano, although they are not specified as Burano lace unless they use the old patterns and techniques. Some are also machine made now.
As a location for a photo safari, Burano is a gem:
The buildings are painted in vibrant color. I could pull together a collection of seaside colorful houses with photos of Cinque Terrre, St. John’s Newfoundland, and Burano all lined up. Each of these places has the legend that, at sea, fishermen would want to pick out their home, and bright color made that easier.
I also made friends with Mitzie, when she eventually woke up. She lives in a cafe in Burano where we stopped for an espresso. I wish I’d gotten a photo of her awake but she knew just how to orient her body so I could scratch her ears and wasn’t going to turn around to face the camera! She’s become an old lady, and clearly is a beloved pet.
We returned to the main city for the evening. Mark and I wandered to have a cocktail and eat cicchetti, little appetizers. We found an indifferent cafe with a good location for people watching, and then went to another which prepared its cicchetti on polenta. We wandered around, and I finally made a purchase of a Bialetti espresso pot. It’s full tourist style, 4-cup volume, in red and green. The company makes this pot in an induction friendly model, so it will work in our kitchen, and should last for generations, and I’ll have to bring myself to mar it’s shiny, smooth surfaces with use. I have been wanting one for years, and just never crossed the threshold until now.
We made our way back to our hotel and had some nice conversation with some of our fellow travelers. Venice is absolutely full of people– the crowds don’t let up. Our trip into the outliying islands was a welcome respite.
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