Touring Venice, Murano and Burano

On Friday morning we got up, had coffee and rolls at a little shop a few steps from the front of the apartment and headed over for the Vaparetto stop to head out for the day.  We first went to the train station to buy tickets for Saturday’s trip to Milan, and then got back on the Vaparetto and took it down the Grand Canal to the Rialto bridge.  We got off there and went over that famous bridge to the open markets on the other side.  Shopping was done and trinkets were acquired.

After the minor buying frenzy, we got back on and took the Vaparetto out to the island of Murano, famous for its glass making.  There, we found a grocery store (the “COOP”) and bought wine, bread, cheese, ham, shrimp, strawberries, cups and knives and found a spot for our picnic lunch.  The spot we found was right in front of a famous restaurant (Anthony Bourdain ate there is one of his television programs) and we had eaten there when taken there by a business associate of Patty’s on our last trip to Venice.  This time, we ate our picnic lunch on the base of an old town well and looked at the expensive dishes being brought out to the patrons on the plaza tables.

After wandering around Murano, we got back on the Vaparetto and took it out to Burano, famous for its lace and beautiful pastel buildings.

Heading back to the island of Venice, we got off of the Vaparetto on the opposite side of the island from our apartment and walked across, finding a little restaurant in a square for dinner.

After dinner, we found a great little shop selling very nice Murano glass and bought some very nice glass platters; one for Jim and Georgette to give as a gift and one for us as Patty’s birthday present.

We were glad to make it back to the apartment after a very long day and with rain starting to come down.