Sunday - We met this morning for a 25 minute boat ride to Murano, where decorative glass is made. It was another of the older speedboats with a spectacular wooden interior.
There are around a hundred artisans on the island and, we were told, that most of the Murano glass sold to tourists is imported from elsewhere. Why am I not surprised by that.
We were given a demo of a vase and a horse. One blown and the other solid. The ovens are 1200°C, with pools of molten glass at the bottom. After picking up a blob (technical term from me as I wasn’t paying attention), he proceeded to gradually blow it then reheat before creating the vase. The colors are created by rolling the blob in pieces of colored glass then reheating.
The horse starts out the same but no blowing into the blob of glass. A lot of skill was demonstrated even creating these throw-away demonstration pieces. The vase shattered after about three minutes as it wasn’t put into a 600°C oven to cool. After ~8 hours, the ovens are shut off and the pieces cool overnight.
We then took the boat to Burano, another island specializing in lace and cookies.
Here are some of the lace made here. Up to seven individuals are involved with each piece as each artisan specializes in one stitch.
Burano is also known for its colorful buildings. These were shops mixed with homes. The bell tower in the background is leaning due to the unstable soil. The tower next to St Marks basilica does not lean as it was recently rebuilt after being it collapsed in the early 1900s.
Here is a better view of the bell tower showing the lean. It’s quite pronounced.
On the boat trip back, we passed an island with a rocket. I don’t know what that was about.
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