New blog site

Travelswithnoshoes.wordpress.com

En route - Ciao, Europe.

We have an afternoon flight today so there is plenty of time to have breakfast, pack and then go for a wander. There's something going on in the square...

We're not sure what it is but there are Italian men in uniform!

Went over towards the water - the light here is amazing.

I am actually on the Bridge of Sighs... See that dot in the middle?

We had thought we could pop in to St Mark's Basilica this morning - there was such a crowd there yesterday. It opens at 9:30 and it looks like a crowd is going to form - at 9:00, so as the shops aren't open yet and there is this parade rehearsal thing happening, we might as well queue up too. They practised raising the flag and there was a church moggie going into the church.

The doors open and we go in. It's such an old church and different from all the others we have seen. There are very clear signs saying no photos, no videos, no hats, not food and drink, but so many people just click away. It is so annoying and extremely disrespectful. One man actually had to photograph around the no-photo sign.

I put myself into a couple of selfies with my worst possible expression and when we got to the end, one girl who had been particularly annoying was taking snaps in my direction so I pulled faces and hopefully ruined her shots.

Bit of a walk around some of the shops to have a look - some amazing masks and glassware - all very expensive!

By now, whatever is going on has started and there is music and marching. Some of them have to march through the rising water - puddles appear in Venice - they have walkways to put up to walk over them. 

Someone important - hope he's not someone we should know... Coz we don't.

Then it's time to check out and into a water ferry to the airport.

And onto the plane.

Some notes for travellers - when you are walking along and you decide you want to take a photo - don't just stop where you are, move to the side.

On a plane, if you aren't actually sleeping, please don't recline your chair! It's just selfish and you might have my knee in your back as much as I can.

At some site, you want to take a selfie - take your photo and get out, don't stand there, look at your handiwork, reapply makeup and take another five - take a couple and get out!

Here are some snaps that didn't make the blog for a number of reasons - the main one being that the blog crashed and I didn't want to crash it any more by adding more photos...

Street performers, Prague.

Trdelnik being cooked! Prague

One of our favourites - the Japanese tourist with a tripod, posing...

Street hawker on a break from hawking, Vienna.

And back when it started...

Venice - Glass and the Seasons

This morning, after breakfast, it's another little tour, and today we are off to the little village of Murano. The meeting point is just a five-minute stroll to a little square where we meet Chiara, our guide, and Jennifer and her daughters, Elena and Tori - they are from Dublin, and Robert and Berenice, who are from Townsville. It's a lovely group. Robert and Berenice are spending three months going though Europe, mainly Italy and France. Jennifer and her girls are taking advantage of the lucky proximity to Europe and are vacationing in Venice for a long weekend.

Chiara leads us for a short walk through more winding streets, giving us information about Venice as we go. The population is about 50,000 and the numbers are reducing as the working people can't afford to live there anymore, they are moving out to the next suburbs, and so Venice is losing its social fabric a bit.

The glass makers moved out to Murano coz the Doges didn't want them working on the mainland for two reasons - to keep them a bit exclusive and away from the general population but also to try and avoid fires - glass work is done at very high temperatures and the threat of fire is therefore increased.

The glass work has been taking place here from the 13th century - I think that's what she said, it was a bit confusing - a long time anyway. It is handed down through families. There has been glass work continually except for a brief time in the 1800s when they were taken over and the bohemian glassworks was more popular, but that only lasted a few years, then they were back in action.

Anyway, back to the walk...

Interesting, seeing the garbage collection...

To the water's edge. 

There's a cemetery island...

We hop onto a very crowded water bus and head off. The first stop is the cemetery island and a lot of people get off here. It was a national remembrance day the other day and many people are going to pay respects. 

We go to the next stop, which is Murano. And we start with a walk along the canal, Chiara points out many of the different glass makers and their shops - all distinctive and all family.

There's a window with glass flowers in the boxes, and the Main Street.

Past an interesting statue that was another one where the designer won a competition and had the artwork used. It was meant to be a short term display but it stayed - everyone thought it represented the island very well.

Around another little street and we arrive at...

..Colleoni. That is Chiara, and Berenice. In we go and into the workroom.

It's very hot in here and we do have a guide with us but he's a bit hard to hear. As far as I can tell, all the men here are masters and they all specialise in one thing. Some items take one person to make, some items take more - these are more expensive. 

They make everything here - all the glassware - jugs, glasses, animals, everything. They add colour to the initial stage if they want coloured pieces. After being made, the item has to be tempered for 24 hours. 

This guy is a master with 30 years experience. In a couple of minutes, he made a bucking horse - amazing to watch, just stretched out the glass and twisted it here and there and voila - a horse! He stuck a piece of paper onto the horse and it caught alight - showed how hot it was.

Then we are going into the little workshop to do a bit of beadwork ourselves. We have to walk right through this main workroom, which is very interesting - and hot! Out through a little courtyard.

Then they show us how to make either a mosaic, a bracelet, earrings or a key ring. I had been thinking of doing a mosaic but now I think a key ring would be more practical so that's what I did. Alison chose the key ring too.

The others did bracelets or key rings while Tori did a mosaic. There were so many beads and choices, I could have made a stack of different ones! Very happy with the one I did do and Alison finally got the blue and white she's been wanting.

Next we go through the showroom - this was almost overwhelming - so much glassware of all types and colours and prices... Room after room of amazing stuff, some was quite gaudy, some quite lovely, just so much! Then the gift shop - of course - where we have a bit of a look but that's about it. Great fun. 

As we were leaving, Jennifer gets the young Elena to do what the young'uns do so well - take a group selfie...

Robert and Berenice are staying to have a look around the island while Jennifer and the girls and Alison and I are on a return ticket to St Mark's. It's such an amazing place and so unique, getting around by water bus. Here's something you see in every city, slightly different here...

..Hop On, Hop Off in Venice!

And coming in to St Mark's...

And a bridge...

We say farewell to Jennifer and the girls and head off to find a sandwich and a sit down.

I wanted to go into Doge's Palace but when we walked past it, there was a massive queue. So we asked our concierge if we could get tickets through him and he suggested we go to a museum in St Mark's Piazza and buy a ticket there - same price, it would give us entry to the museum and the Doge's. So off we trot, get the ticket, decide that as we are here and have a ticket, let's have a look at the museum, so in we go. And it's a lovely place - the first part is actually the royal palace. Franz Joseph and Sissi stayed here.

After this section, we go into the museum section. It's very interesting and well done but neither of us are really museum types, so we stroll through, looking at everything and then out. Great view of the Square...

Then it is over to Doge's...

The golden staircase...

The Doge's Palace used to be the home of the Doge of Venice. It is another of the buildings that has been destroyed by fire and rebuilt. 

One of the smaller parliament rooms. Very ornate. I did read the information on these but it's all gone from my head - too much information!

View from a window.

This room was amazing - and this explains it better than I can!

From this room there was a jewellery display with some amazing pieces but no photos allowed.

Down to the prison downstairs, past a window with a view of the Bridge of Sighs...

It's quite amazing, the difference between levels! Out through the courtyard...

It's a very impressive building and thankfully, not totally overrun with people when we were there. There were heaps in the square when we got out, some feeding the birds...

One boy was trying to kick the birds and we both told him to stop, not sure his parents were happy with us doing that but we didn't care - don't let your kid kick a bird!

Then we come back to the hotel to have a much-needed sit down! It has been a fast-paced month. And we may or may not have got a gelato - you know, when in Italy...

Tonight, we are going to a concert, so it's a quick pasta dinner and then around to Scuola Grande Di San Teodoro to wait for the doors to open - it's free seating and we want to get a good spot.

FOH staff...

We are in B reserve, it is a concert of classical music so we don't need to sit right up the front and we are early enough to have the front of B reserve so it's a good spot. The concert is a bit of Vivaldi then Pachabel's Canon, brief intermission and then Vivaldi's Four Seasons. The orchestra is in costume and the music is wonderful. Such a fabulous way to end our travels!