The Lagoons

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This morning, Beth and I got a relatively early start and hopped on a boat headed toward the lagoons. Murano was our first stop where we took a gander through the glass museum. It was so fascinating to see teeny-tiny glass bowls and bottles from the 1^st century! We wondered how they even had the technology back then to make such beautiful glass pieces!

The up-stairs of the museum had a room that described, in detail, the process of glass-making, including the ingredients and temperatures—1200 degrees Celsius! Other rooms described the different ways of decorating and how a trend during the 19^th century led to the creation of a milk-white glass that imitated the valuable porcelain being imported from the east. I found this particularly interesting, as the Hapsburgs and other European cultures during that same time were also intrigued and nearly obsessed with this new eastern import. I guess porcelain really was a big deal. I would be interested to find out more about why it became such a trend, other than its exotic aura.

It was so fascinating to see teeny-tiny glass bowls and bottles from the 1st century!

Our public transportation...the water bus!
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Today, we also traveled to Burano to see the beautiful lace (all of which was quite out of our price range!) and then to the Lido beaches!

What an incredibly fun trip! It really wasn’t even all that crowded, except in San Marco Square. We saw the pigeons, and the touristy shops with Italian silk and the carnival masks. The whole city is just so romantic! It was a little bit dirty in some parts, as all touristy cities eventually become. The crowds on the main island got to be a little too much by the end. When we got back to our rooms at night, we still felt like the ground was moving beneath our feet like the water bus/boats we used to travel from place to place. Over all, though, this weekend was truly a dream come true—absolutely worth every penny!