Monday, December 7, 2015

Venice - Third Entry

I finally realized that the titles for some of these posts are misleading.  This is the third entry about Venice, not the third day there.  Sorry if this has confused you, but since that's my usual condition, I didn't even notice.

These photographs are from our trip from Venice to Isola de Burano which is one of the islands that form the archipelago in the lagoon around Venice.  We skipped going to Murano since DH and C had been there several times, and we didn't feel we had to see how their beautiful glass is made.  It is for sale everywhere so I knew I'd be able to pick up a few items to take home elsewhere.  Burano turned out to be a perfect place on what was a lovely sunny day.  You'll see what I mean in a minute.  But first a few photos of our trip via water taxi out to the island.


No, this isn't our water taxi!  Once out in the lagoon, the gondolieri have to work very hard.  Theirs is a strenuous job at times.  According to the information we received at one point, gondoliers in red striped shirts are in training (400 hours) and haven't passed the required exam (including knowing every canal, proving one can handle a gondola, and knowing several languages) yet. But they though the work is physically demanding, it's well worth it as they are highly paid.


Here is the dock area at Burano.  You might begin to get a hint as to why this island is a special attraction.


So here are photographs (only a few of the vast number I took while here).  See if you can figure out why we wanted to visit this island.













Have you ever seen a more vivid locale? Well, I know the answer could be Yes because there are other places in the world where color is brilliant, but oh my!   We had been told what to expect, but the reality is stunning.

There was an added bonus for me here:


A lace maker!  When I asked if I could take a few pictures, she very graciously assented, but I was so fascinated I managed to take only two.  Her fingers flew as she hand knotted the lace she was working on.  She wasn't crocheting or tatting or using bobbins at this point.  I tried asking her a few questions, but she didn't speak any English.  It didn't matter.  In the picture below, she is making her lace so quickly the thread is a blur that looks like filaments of silk but isn't.


Out on the streets vendors had all sorts of things for sale, and I was hard put to pass up this very pretty blue and white ensemble (with black lace skirt).  It was wise since I rarely dress up these days, but it was really tempting!  Notice the lace parasols on the ground, too.



And finally, some random shots from Burano.  We wandered away from the main streets as we worked our way back to catch the taxi to Venice.  It was well worth it as there were fewer people and still much worth seeing.  Windows, for example . . .


The wind over the years has all but obliterated the wall designs below, but they're still striking.


More windows . . .



I love the way this home is painted.  One building, two families.


Wow, who'd have thought - another window!



More Venice to share tomorrow.




2 comments:

  1. what a really colorful place to visit. It's beautiful. And I think I would have also watched the lace maker, watch her fingers fly, and forget to take photos! Stunning!

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  2. We never went to Burano. What a mistake. Your photos are stunning; I particularly the two central canal pictures with the colorful buildings and reflections.

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