Firenze: Venice/Murano/Burano, Italy

Venice

Venezia per Carnevale! This weekend I spent time discovering the hidden secrets of Venice. We were fortunate enough to visit Venice during the Carnival season! Early Friday morning my group took a coach bus to the mainland where we then took a ferry over to main island where we were immediately submerged in the party craze of Venice Carnival. The Carnival of Venice is an annual festival where masks and costumes are prevalent. Thousands of tourists come to Venice to see and take part in this magnificent carnival. Walking around seeing the many fancy dresses and the city’s magical scenery was truly an exceptional experience. I even took part in the wearing of the masks, just like the Venetians! The city of Venice was flowering with concerts, theatre pieces, and cultural events. In the Grand Foyer of Piazza San Marco there was a main theatrical structure equipped to host the most important Carnival shows. Some of the shows included comedy art plays, choreographic companies, international circus-theater performances, parades and comedian entertainment, and live concerts organized by DJs. All afternoon we wandered through the alleyways, side streets, crossed over bridges and through the piazzas all the while pushing through the lively carnival crowds of people. Later on that night we came back to the center of the carnival festivities for dinner and live entertainment on the streets.

The next morning we jumped back on a boat and made our way towards the island of Murano. This tiny Venetian island has been the home of Venice’s glassmaking industry. While here we were able to take a private tour of a glassmaking house and watch an authentic Murano glass making demonstration. We then browsed through the artisan collection of glass pieces ranging from vases, decorative bowls, exquisite drinking glass sets, and beautiful handmade jewelry. Of course I saved most of my money for glass jewelry purchases!

After a few hours on the island of Murano we hopped on the boat again and headed off towards Burano. Burano is an island in the Venetian Lagoon specifically near Torcello at the northern end of the Lagoon. Just like Murano is known for its glass, Burano is known for its equisite lacework and brightly colored fishermen’s houses. Exploring Burano provided countless photo opportunities of the many charming yards and squares where drying laundry adds to the general decorative quaintness of the island. The town itself covers the island, with several small canals acting as throughways. There are a couple of larger squares, and many little lanes and alleys. There are no essential tourist attractions other than the island itself and its general ambience.

This weekend was filled with carnival festivities, handmade glassware, and picturesque island landscapes. The weather was beautiful which made for an enjoyable experience.