Murano

Sunday morning in Venice, and soon it will be Sunday morning on Sugarloaf Key. Zuzu and Tootie will meet their friends for their Sunday walk along the canal.

Our morning began with a vaporetto ride to the backside of Venice where we picked up line 42 to Murano.

 With a one-way fare priced at 6 euros, we saved quite a bit with our 35 euro three-day vaporetto pass.

The trip to Murano took about an hour, but there was plenty to see along the way.

Venetians seem to always be out on the water, whether they are fishing, going from one island to another, or simply taking a ride. There is a lot of boat traffic all day long.

The city's cemetery is located on an island, Isola de San Michele, located between Venice and Murano.

Passing the island you can catch glimpses of the crypts peeking above the cemetery walls.

Near the vaporetto stop for the cemetery is the Sainte Michele church, the first Renaissance church in Venice.

The vaporetto approaches the end of the line, Murano.

Much like Venice, there are no cars, motorcycles, mopeds, or bicycles on the island, only boats. There's not much to the island, though, and exploring its entirety is easily done on foot.

The canals of Murano are more sleepy than those in Venice; however, it is Sunday morning.

The sidewalks were quiet with only tourists like us milling around. We were headed for the main museum for a history of glass blowing in Murano.

Along the way, we took in the sights.

And admired the various glass sculptures along the route.

It's clear that you are in the glass blowing capital of the world.

Across the bridge and to the right is the museum.

I had planned on taking pictures of some of the pieces on display, but was reminded by those keeping an eye on the rooms that no pictures were permitted. "C'est dommage," I responded and stowed my camera until the end of the visit.

Following the visit one can take pictures of the garden and exterior.

No glass out here, though, only stone artifacts and a couple of stone caskets.

Since it was Sunday, the glass blowers had the day off. However, one could still visit the factories and purchase authentic Murano glass items.

During lunch, I looked up and noticed the blinds in the open windows. "Look, Venetian blinds," I exclaimed. They really do come from here.

Lunch was decent, pasta and salad washed down with bubbly water.

It was time to head back to Venice for an afternoon nap.

It is our last night here and there is still so much to see.

We won't see it all, but there's always next time. We've already talked about returning and renting an apartment for a week.