Letters from the Lighthouse: Travel Edition: City on the Water

I walked out of the train station in Venice and saw water and gondolas and people and instantly felt giddy. I could not believe I was actually in Venice!! I was so excited

My first view of Venice from the train on the causeway.

I just started snapping pictures because I was enthralled by everything I saw!

Then I realized, as I had been walking for an hour, that I was good and thoroughly lost. My map was of no help; my written directions that I wrote out before I left home were of no help; and Google maps was the worst. I lugged my suitcase and backpack up and over at least six stair-stepping bridges and down several very narrow alleys. I came across some interesting finds though. Check out these shoes I saw in a little hole-in-the ancient wall shop!

Is that tower really leaning? Yes, as were a few others on this island.

Finally, and don't ask me how, I found Domus Ciliota. Two sweaty hours later I was telling the
gal at the front desk my story and she told me I got off at the wrong ferry stop (that was because that is what
I had written down). Live and learn. She was really nice and I was just glad to be there.

Oh, did I mention I stopped for a giant meringue covered with chocolate on my lost journey? Yummy!

The view from my room

The next morning I was able to get a daylight view of the canal under my room's window. Pretty cool, huh?

After getting a good night's sleep I woke up early and walked down through St. Mark's Square toward the water. I met up with the tour to Murano, Burano and Torcello - a boat tour to these three islands. While the streets, canals and squares were quiet I took some pictures.

An empty St. Mark's Square. It was nice.

St. Mark's Cathedral

Church of San Giorgio Maggiore on it's own little island.

Another learning bell tower in Venice.

Off to Murano. Murano is an island famous for glass blowing and making beautiful glass products. We landed, watched a man do some glass blowing, guided into the shop full of glass products, made purchases, got back on the boat. One super fabulous thing? There was a lighthouse on Murano! I didn't know so it was a complete, delightful surprise.

The route of today's boat / island tour

Met some American travelers - single ladies - on the tour! Colleen, 21, attending college in Milan; Yvonne, 60, celebrating her 60th birthday with a 6-week trip to Italy!! Nice ladies.

All the glass makers had to move to the island of Murano because of fire hazard.
Venice didn't want the possibility of a workshop fire to be on their island. Well, what about
the people on Murano???

After Murano, we were back on the boat for Burano, most noted for their local lace makers. Just like all the glass available in Venice, you were have to make sure it's "legitimate" handmade lace. I don't really care about lace, but I loved the colors of the fishermen's houses. That was the best part of the tour for me.

Not only did I love the color of the houses and the canals, this restaurant had beautiful flowers
right on the edge of the waterfront walkway.

Making lace by hand. I don't know how this elderly woman can see well enough
and also not have arthritis. It was amazing to watch.

After Burano we headed to the island of Torcello. We were told there was a very old church on this island so we couldn't figure out why we had a whole hour on this one island. Well, it took a little while to walk to the church. The walk was actually more interesting than the church. AND, we had to pay to get into the church and once in we would not be allowed to take photos. Colleen, Yvonne and myself decided not to do that but to find a little cafe to sit down and just relax.

Torcello Cathedral

A vineyard next to the church

A really cute little restaurant on a canal on Torcello

Colleen having fun on the top of this really cool old brick bridge.

And that was the half day tour to Murano, Burano and Torcello. I don't think this was all that wonderful, but it was really nice to meet Colleen and Yvonne, and so for that reason, it was well worth it! Got back to Venice, had a bite to eat and headed home before it got too dark lest I get lost again!

A couple of the restaurants on the perimeter of St. Mark's Square had their own little
instrumental ensemble playing for the crowds gathered to eat.

A pizzette. Ham, mozzarella, mushrooms. So good I had it the next day also.

OHMYGOODNESS, that "hot chocolate" was literally chocolate, melted and warm. The other
part of the dessert was fragola (strawberry) and lime gelato, whipped cream, strawberries, and those
yummy cookies. At one point I spooned a bunch of cream into my hot melted chocolate and stirred it
around with one of the cookies. Completely decadent.