Glass Blowing and Gondolas

Our first full day in Italia was magnificent. We had our delicious hotel breakfast on the porch overlooking the town before heading off to our first city tour, beginning at Saint Mark’s Cathedral.

Visiting such grand churches as these never gets old - never disappoints. Each seems more uniquely stunning than the last. As usual, there was no indoor photography allowed.

The most fascinating lesson learned here is that the church floods regularly! That's why the stone floor has become so irregular. It's like a miniature putt-putt green with more roll and pitch than a par 4. More amazing is that all of the art work inside is not painted, but because of the moisture everything is really glass mosaics. Our guide showed us the size of the small pieces close up and explained that any gold piece was painted with gold leaf, then glued to the surface. Unbelievable! The church’s amazing façade and those of nearby buildings are simply incredible.

Then our city guide took us through the quaint, winding streets of Venice and led us to the Grand Canal. Once, Italy had been at the cross roads of European commerce. The Rialto market and famous bridge, still attract tourists by the "boat loads" (It is actually the only way to get there!) but they have lost the status of an earlier time.

Next on our agenda was the Murano Glass Blowing Factory. I’ve always been fascinated by glass and was thrilled to see a presentation by a Murano “glass master.” He demonstrated how to make a hand crafted vase. We were all impressed with the time, dedication, and skill it takes to make even the smallest jewelry bead out of glass and were happy to be given some time to shop at the Murano factory.

Although many of the glasses, plates, and sculptures were way out of my price range, I purchased a green beaded necklace and matching earrings that are quickly becoming my favorite pieces of jewelry; a perfect reminder of my time in Venice!

After the tour, we were given free time for the remainder of the afternoon, a rare occurrence for anyone who has previously toured with CCVA! We went shopping, of course, and I found a really neat little leather store, where the owner makes journals by hand in the loft of her store. She showed me the ladder and door to her upstairs where sheets of leather and chord were hanging, ready to be used for her products. When I saw how much work went into one of her little journals how could I not buy one?

Then, it was back to the hotel to relax before our afternoon gondola ride! Lisa, John, Meghan, Mike, Molly and I all packed into our tiny boat to cruise down the smaller canals in Venice and spend some time talking and taking pictures.

Unbeknownst to me, Dad had "done the steps" at the Bell Tower of St. Mark's! The view is amazing, as you can see from his pictures.

We ended our second day in Venice with another wonderful dinner and some more free time to take an evening stroll out by the water. What a great end to our stay in Venice!