Island Hopping - Murano and Burano

Day 15 (18 May 2025)

We had a free morning with so we took a stroll around Venice. Chanced upon this beautiful spiral staircase called Bovolo (meaning snail shell or spiral) which is part of a palace from the 15th C. 

 

 

Can't remember what these houses or streets are but they're pretty! 😁

 

 

 

We also visited Giardini Reali - the Royal Gardens of Venice. It's small but pretty and only restored and opened to the public in 2019. Supposed to have many varieties of flowers but we only saw green.  

 

 

It's a very relaxing environment though, and lovely to have this spot of greenery right smack in the city centre. Brought to mind Isaiah 58:11: "And the LORD will guide you continually and satisfy your desire in scorched places and make your bones strong; and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail." 

 

 

In the afternoon, we took a trip to two of the more than 100 islands in Venice - Murano and Burano. We travelled by boat and I've come to an unexpected realisation. In the past, we seldom participate in sea-based activities as two family members suffer from seasickness. So it came as a surprise on this trip that I discovered I really enjoy travelling on water. The scent of the salty air, the sea breeze blowing against your face, the sound of waves lapping against the boat - both Andre and I agree it's a very soothing and refreshing experience.

Our first stop was Murano known for glass blowing, an art form that goes all the way back to the 8th C. Murano glass is a symbol of luxury and it used to be a tradition to pass down the trade from parent to child. But the trade became less popular and it's a dying craft.

 

We were able to watch a demo of glass art. Right before our eyes, a 75-yo maestro heated up a piece of glass in a fiery furnace, added some blue, then proceeded to twist and shape the glass as it melted, creating a glass horse in under 3 mins! Mad skills that took a lifetime to learn. 

 

 

As an island, Murano looks very much like the main city of Venice.

 

Next, we went to the island of Burano. To be honest, we thought it would be more of the same. So colour us surprised when we discovered Burano to be the cutest town we've ever seen. All the houses are painted in bright candy hues - it's like something right out of a movie set for a fairy tale 😍

 

Andre and I went mad for it. It's what we thought Cinque Terre would be but better. For one, it's so quiet and peaceful. This is a residential town with only 2,000 inhabitants and it's not packed with tourists. It's quite unspoilt, most of the buildings we saw were actual homes, not shops or restaurants.

 

 

Burano is famous for their handcrafted lace-making. It used to be you can see ladies sitting outside their colourful homes weaving intricate patterns, but like glass-blowing, it's not a trade that interests youths any more so it's dying out. Today, the only lace-makers left are elderly women. We saw one stitching away in a shop. Such exquisite work! We bought a beautiful piece for the top of our piano as a keepsake. 

 

Incidentally, throughout Venice, you will find shops selling masks. The annual Carnivale in Venice is popular as you might have seen in movies. It's a celebratory and indulgence period before the period of Lent when penitence and abstinence from red meat was required ("carne" means meat, "vale" means allowed). Masks used to be worn to allow people to come together regardless of their social class and have their identities hidden.  

 

I don't know if there's a law that you have to dress up your house according to its colour but it felt like all the windows had colour-coordinated flowers and decor (sometimes even the laundry hanging outside!) Perhaps you need to pass some aesthetic test before you can live here 🤔

It's so, so picturesque. Andre and I even picked the colours of our houses if we ever decided to retire here (turquoise for me, magenta for him). 

 

 

 

Also had some very good gelato. Our tip to buy from shops with covered pots never fails! 

 

I love Burano. Love it so much I painted this scene of Burano back at the hotel. Don't think I did it justice though.

 

Finally, it was back to the main island of Venice. On the wayback to our hotel, we passed by Albergo St Marco restaurant. Saw it had great ratings so we ate there. 

 

 

What a find! Quiet ambience, not crowded and reasonable pricing. The waiters were friendly too. One of the best meals we've had - seafood spaghetti in a delicious broth, grilled seabass and tiramisu, while John Lennon and Coldplay played in the background. What a great day 💙 

 

 

 

Venice - City of Romance

Day 14 (17 May 2025)

Today, we travelled by train from Bologna to Venice. When the train neared Venezia Santa Lucia station, we knew we were coming to a completely different city. Water, water everywhere.

 

Right outside the train station is the Grand Canal.

 

 

 

We needed to take a bus to our hotel, but not just any bus - the vaporetto (water bus)! It works exactly like a bus, with bus stops, bus numbers and fixed routes, except it's on water. You buy a ticket which gives you 75mins of travel for a fixed fare of E9.50 (not cheap!) Then you go to the bus stop that has the bus number you want, and wait there for the vaporetto to arrive. 

 

 

People get off, people get on. Just like a bus!

 

Inside the vaporetto, you can see the route and the stops. An electronic board shows the next stop (similar to our MRT). 

 

 

So much to see!  

 

Our hotel is very centrally located, close to Rialto Bridge. We alighted at Rialto stop and walked a short distance to our hotel Hotel Gorizia. It's a very large room with quaint furnishings - drapes and chandeliers. I found the cleanliness to be questionable though, I couldn't stop sneezing in the room 🤧 

 

 

We took a stroll to Rialto Bridge, the main bridge spanning the Grand Canal. Before we came to Venice, we weren't sure how we would feel about it. Would the city smell like a giant longkang (drain)? Would we be wading through floods? But the minute we reached here, we were charmed. It's so pretty 😍

 

Venice is hands down one of the prettiest and liveliest cities I've ever seen. All the transport happens along the canals - vaporettoes, water taxis (expensive), private boats and of course the gondolas. 

 

 

Land vehicles are not allowed in the main city of Venice, not even bicycles. That's such a nice change from having to share narrow roads with cars, scooters and bikes! We walked around to take in all the sights. Venice is mad crowded but even the crowds here feel different. They're younger...and louder. 

 

We went for a spot of lunch - squid ink pasta and something else I've forgotten.

 

We also decided to sample cannolis and have coffee at the bar like a local.

 

The Italians do love their sweets!

More strolling. We explored a labyrinth of narrow alleyways, and each time we turned a corner, we'd be hit by a charming little scene right out of a postcard. 😍 We also found Venice to be very clean, like Rome. Ironically, even though Venice is a series of canals, there's no smell of sewage here at all, unlike in Florence!

This is such a romantic city, no wonder couples like to come here. I personally find the gondola ride is a little cheesy but I can see why people do it. Though we've also seen tourists, especially from a certain country, pack 5 people into one gondola, presumably to get their money's worth 😆 

Aside, Andre and I have noticed that the Italians are a ridiculously good-looking people. Often, an ordinary person walking down the street can make us turn our heads. Pizza seller. Waiter. Ticket seller. Bus driver. Both male and female. We once saw a female garbage collector clearing bins who wouldn't look out of place on a Hollywood set. They truly are genetically blessed (Andre thinks it's so unfair!)   

I did a quick sketch on site along the Grand Canal. It wasn't the best view as there isn't really any place you can sit to draw, unless you eat at one of the hotels by the Canal. I added watercolour back at the hotel.

 

 

 

For dinner, we went to a nearby restaurant recommended by our hotel. I had the best pasta on this trip at dinner - a spider crab tagliatelle while Andre had the octopus. Since they're near the sea, Venice specialises in seafood and their cooking style is heavily influenced by Mediterranean cuisine. This is a nice change from the land-based meals we've been having. I'm already thinking I'll enjoy the meals in Venice more than in the other parts of Italy.

 

 

After dinner, we walked back to Rialto Bridge. In May, the sun sets only at 8.30pm, and the scene that greeted us at dusk was simply breathtaking. With the setting sun, lights, reflections and ripples in the water, it's pure poetry. Ah Venezia, you have just supplanted Rome as my favourite city in Italy.  💙