An Amazing Afternoon in Venice

We were intrigued by signs advertising “Homo Faber” everywhere. You couldn’t not see them. People were holding cards with the logo at vaporetto (water bus) stops, walls were covered with the sign, and our friends all raved. It was ending in a few days, there was no cost for admission, and a free shuttle would take you to its location at San Giorgio Maggiore Island. The subtitle was “Crafting a more human future.” We weren’t sure exactly what it was, but we knew we had to go, being lovers of crafts.

We made our way to the vaporetto stop and crowded onto the shuttle for the short ride across the Grand Canal. We all got off and headed for the main building. It was wonderful to see so many people interested in spending their day viewing and participating in crafts.

We noticed two exhibits in the program we wanted to be sure to see: “Poetry in Wood” and “Mesmerizing Embroidery.” At first, we didn’t know the exhibits were spread all over the whole island. We asked for these locations, but we didn’t understand the directions, so we just wandered, our usual style, and were rewarded.

One of the first rooms we came to was arranged like a museum. The exhibit that stood out for me was the wall of creepy, paper måché anti-smog masks. I think they were meant to be used; a scary image. They are made of various materials and contain active charcoal. They’re attached to a breathable fabric filter that covers the nose and mouth. Imagine seeing hordes of people, wearing these, and coming at you on the street!

We found “Poetry in Wood” and were impressed with their display: the tiny, polished pill boxes and the letters A, M, O, R, E, made of wood. They cleverly fit together and are inserted into a bigger box. We learned that this was originally a wedding gift. A unique treasure.

In the “Mesmerizing Embroidery” exhibit, two women were busily embroidering lace onto fabrics they were going to use to create beautiful dresses, like the ones shown. I was impressed by the intricate details and how engrossed they were in their work.

At one point we hunted for an elevator, because several exhibits were up a long flight of stairs, hard for us with my rollator walker. When we come to the many stairs over bridges, Gabriana lugs it over her shoulder, while I make my way, holding onto a railing and using my “stick.” Unfortunately, there were no signs for us to follow. A Red Cross worker heard us ask for directions, knew the elevator was not obvious, and came to our rescue. She opened one unmarked door, then another, to reveal our quest, surprising for a public exhibit.

When we got to the Mont Blanc booth, someone approached me and asked if I’d like to write something. I was a bit confused, but sat down. He handed me a succession of four different glorious pens, in increasing nib sizes, to try. The ink flowed beautifully. We later found out that my favorite, the largest, cost more than 6,000 Euros. Here is the page I wrote. As you can see, I got carried away.

We weren’t the only ones examining and enjoying the various pieces. I loved this profile of the woman and the blue vase.

Another of the rooms had interesting videos of artists, their stories, and works. You could either listen with headphones or read subtitles. We chose the quiet version. I watched six and noticed recurring themes. All had been influenced by parents or grandparents, who had introduced them to the joys of their art at early ages. All included them in their process and engaged their help. All grew up in nature, mostly forests. Their work today reflects this, often in workshops just like the ones they grew up in. It was heart-warming to see their continued enthusiasm.

And here is my very favorite: The feather fan guy. We walked up to his area and all these fans, made of peacock and other feathers, took my breath away. I think I surprised him with my exuberant reaction. He had some feathers he was working on, and he suddenly handed one to me. I was thrilled. When I looked for something to put it in, to carry home safely, he handed me a plastic envelope and added some more feathers. He showed us the four drawings he makes for a single fan. Each is a layer which allows you to see a beautiful design, whichever way you hold it. He uses the drawings to find the perfect feathers to create the pattern he intends. He works for a company in Paris, DUVELLEROY, that has made fans for queens since 1827. I could see why. Just being near those fans made me feel regal.

There were only two shuttles scheduled to go back, when we decided to leave, close to 7:00 p.m., so we rushed to try to catch one of them. Again, we were smashed in the waiting area. We looked around at our fellow captives and were surprised to see a familiar face, our new friend, Kris. We had met her a couple of nights before at the art cinema, when we were there with Elisa. She recognized her friend and came to join us. She had also rented Elisa’s apartment, the same one I did in 2010, and also became friends with her. We saw “Singing in the Rain,” with Gene Kelly and Debbie Reynolds. Old classics are popular here.

At the shuttle stop, she squeezed over to us in the waiting area, and we inched onto the boat together. After we arrived on the other side of the canal, we all decided to stop for a spritz, one of my favorite customs here. As we navigated the narrow streets to Café Alla Bragora, where we used to go every day, we saw hundreds of others, sitting at outdoor tables at cafes along the way, socializing over appetizers, enjoying life in Venice.

Signs in Venice?

We’re staying in an apartment in Venice, and our miniature refrigerator means we need to buy groceries regularly. Food shopping is an adventure here. Our restauranteur friend, Jonny, swears by the green grocer around the corner, for his produce. My favorites there were the crisp, green grapes and the round, tasty figs. He pointed out other small shops too, usually run by families, tucked into tiny, irregular spaces. The shopping area is a ghost town at night, since signs for the shops are inside the closed doors. Most are closed with shutters or roll-down steel doors.

Sometimes, even during the day, it’s hard to recognize the store you’re looking for. Gabriana and I were making our way behind a an important-looking building, situated on a concrete platform, with regal columns. It looked official to me. She casually mentioned that this was the Punto Simply grocery market we went to five years ago. I was taken aback. We’d entered from a different direction, and this was totally unfamiliar. You can only tell it is a supermarket by the walking traffic with market carts, and a peek at the produce when the doors briefly open for a customer. Another clue is the name of the store, nearly hidden behind bars in the sign above the door.

I remember from a previous trip being surprised by the signage announcing the opening of a supermarket. A scribbled message was handwritten in pencil on a wall on a main walkway, with an arrow pointing to the alley around the corner where the market was located. It also mentioned it was open on Sundays. Word-of-mouth seemed to be the best advertisement, because the market was filled with contented shoppers, including me, and pleasant clerks.

One day we were having gelato at our friend Davide’s shop, Mela Verde, and we needed to find a restroom. He didn’t have one, but he pointed out a little café down the street that did. Out in front was a propped-up sign, advertising gluten-free dishes. I recalled the disgusted customer at our local farmers’ market in California, walking off in a huff from the baker we were chatting with, because he didn’t have gluten-free cookies. I guess there are enough people around with her requirements to explain a sign like this.

Burger King is everywhere, in case you are worried. This sign amused me when we passed it. The incongruity. I remember one time in London more than 20 years ago when we were searching for a restroom (again). We asked an old woman selling something on the street, and she told us the “King’s Boiger,” right over there, has one. We still call it that.

And last, just for fun, is a treat we bought on our first day: Essei cookies and tiramisu. As you can see, we’re enjoying the food in Venice, especially the gelato and various sweets.

Great to be back in Venice

This was my first view of Venice after traveling two days. It’s all reduced to a “T.” Venice is the horizontal top, and the highway and train tracks from the mainland, Mestre, are the vertical.

Arriving by train gives the most immediate feeling. The train pulls up, you step out, and are filled with fresh air and the wide open space of the Grand Canal. Arriving by air, this breathtaking view is less immediate, but gives you this exciting picture you can never see any other way.

We are staying in an apartment of a former palace over a canal. That sounds fancier than it is. The front door of the building is on a bridge. The water door, with blue striped poles on either side, is the boat entrance, which leads into our kitchen. We were supposed to arrive there the first night, but the tide was too low, and no motor boats could enter the canal.

We can sit in our kitchen with the water door open and watch locals going by on their speedboats. So far we’ve seen only one gondola. I never realized how lovely and quiet they are. The open-air speed boats, and their shared music, remind me of traffic on our street at home.

Our sleeping room window is on the other side of the water door, above the white-covered boat. Luckily it’s screened, so we can leave the it open. This helps with the muggy heat wave unexpectedly hitting Venice now.

This is the view from inside our sleeping room, looking out onto the canal. The window with the greenery on the right is the kitchen of Trattoria Da Jonny, a restaurant highly recommended by the friends who found us this apartment. We went there the second night to introduce ourselves and to try his tiramisu. He was so welcoming that Gabriana went back to ask him for neighborhood tips, and where to shop. While she was there, she called my name from across the canal. Jonny was so kind. He not only showed her where the shopping street is and where to buy the things we need, but did some research and got forms for us to apply for Venezia Unica cards. Now we have unlimited vaporetto (water bus) rides for the whole time we are here.

This is the shared garden from all the apartments in our building. The double door in the center leads to a foyer with, of all things, a library. This lovely grassy spot is where Paisley insists to be taken, day or night. Especially in the middle of the night.

I’m learning how to negotiate steps over bridges with my rollator walker. Gabriana coached me with when to brake and when to step. Some kind people have offered to help, we thank them, and tell them we’re practicing. In this picture I’m happy to have found a ramp. We have come across a few and are grateful.

After we got our Venezia Unica cards yesterday, we did our usual wandering in the direction of the vaporetto, on the very narrow walking street, when we heard an American couple talking about their GPS and how it had JUST told them they arrived, after they had been searching for five minutes themselves, looking for the name of the restaurant where they had reservations. The only sign they found was on a faded doormat outside. We stopped to laugh and commiserate. We noticed the costume museum across the way and told them all about it. Angelina Jolie’s famous dress from “The Tourist” is on display inside.

As we were talking, my friend, Elisa, passed us on her way home after seeing a film. This was a major coincidence. We were far away from our neighborhood. She asked us all to stop for a spritz. Don and Robin, the couple who turned out to be from California, decided they needed a walk before dinner.

We went in the restaurant with Elisa and I had my favorite, an aperol spritz. It was nice to see her again. Don and Robin came in later and asked to join us. After a while, Elisa needed a walk, so the rest of us sat and chatted. It turns out they live in Campbell, California. We mentioned we used to go to the Kaiser Medical office there. Of all the doctors there, the four of us had the same two doctors. Another coincidence. Here is a picture of our happy, unplanned foursome. We closed down the restaurant, and vowed to see them in California.

We finally got on a vaporetto around 10:35 p.m. I was comforted to see my favorite sign here, listing each stop, so you could follow the trip. We went from San Stae to Arsenale. By the way, few seats were left on the vaporetto, and when we arrived at our stop, the streets were full of people walking. This is my kind of city!

Read more about our Venetian adventures on my daughter Gabriana’s “Nosy Parker” blog, where she writes about good things each day!

We’re going back to Venice!

I’m so excited. We just confirmed our lodgings — a studio apartment with a garden in Castello, near our old neighborhood. At the edge of the garden is a water door, opening onto a small canal, the same one bordering the home of my former landlady and friend, Elisa. She has just written, kindly offering to shop for any food we need to have there when we arrive.

We got our flights about the same time. We’re using miles, so we have to wait until the seats we want are available. My daughter, Gabriana, checked online often. The morning she came into my room with big smiles, I knew she had scored the tickets we wanted. We’re flying from San Francisco to Los Angeles, then to Zurich, and finally to Venice.

Gabriana will also be sharing stories of our Venetian adventures on her Nosy Parker blog, where she’s been writing about One Good Thing every day for the last few years. We’ll be celebrating her 1,000th entry while we’re in Venice.

If you are new to my blog, you are probably wondering why I love Venice so much.  If you have followed along before, you already know. From the first moment, I felt like I had finally come home. Everything suited me. The relaxed lifestyle. The small scale of the city. The vivacious people. The charming buildings. The winding canals. The fresh, delicious food. Especially the food. People were always out walking, at all times of the day and night. No cars. I loved getting lost and trying to find my way back. There was always something interesting to see. I was constantly inspired to draw and paint. I couldn’t stop smiling. Venice is in my blood. So I feel very lucky to be able to visit once again.

Part of the fun of this trip is the preparation. I didn’t want to leave you out, so I’m including some of the things we are doing to get ready.

When you think of Venice, you think of endless walking. Wonderful and exciting, but endless. I’m too slow with my “stick,” so my daughter found a rollator walker, which sets me free. I can walk much faster, and sit down on the seat when I get tired. We blinged it out, so it is an object of beauty and whimsy, not the avoidance or pity it first elicited. It has a cup holder and a light, and the seat opens for storage, perfect for my watercolors. The blinged version is on the right, photo-bombed by Paisley, our sweet Boston Terrier.

The other way we are getting ready is by scouring the book, Clued In Venice, The Concise and Opinionated Guide to the City — with photos, by Dean Dalton and Andie Easton.  Between the hilarious recommendations from this guide, and the mouth-watering “Somebody Feed Phil” in Venice episode on Netflix, we have underlined a map with the places we want to go, and highlighted (color-coding, of course) the eating establishments nearby. We are going to plan our days around this map, besides our usual wandering and discovering. I’ll share the interesting things we find. With my rollator, I can easily stop and take pictures.

I will see you when we’re there and settled.

 

Our delightful first days

We’ve been here for a few days. Abby is a big hit, putting it mildly. Every few steps we take, someone stops us and comments on the dog. Fellow travelers or Venetians, it doesn’t matter. Many tell us they have Bostons at home or have grown up with them. Many tell us about their dogs, and even share photos. Everyone wants to pet her! The first night this repeated so often while we’d actually been looking for a place to eat that Gabriana laughed and commented that we might starve out of friendliness! But we really didn’t mind. Abby is so loveable and it’s nice to see that we aren’t the only ones who think so.

Just as we were getting home, we ran into Mario, a Venetian guy we had seen earlier who’d asked us about Abby’s breed, a rarity in Venice. We hadn’t realized that he is our neighbor. He said he lives in our same building, but faces the street behind us. This time he was with the Cavalier King Charles cocker spaniel he had told us about. We talked about getting together again, and he will call us when he returns from a 10-day trip to Paris.

We met a nice couple also from the San Francisco Bay Area. They were staying at the Hilton Hotel on the island of Giudecca, a short boat ride away. They told us about their dogs and how they missed them and about a great happy hour at the hotel every day and suggested we join them sometime. When we got home, we already had an email from them, inviting us to join them the next day.

After several adventures, including rushing to catch the shuttle boat they were going to meet, getting in a ragged line with people crowding ahead, having the guy letting people on the boat put his arm down right in front me, saying “fini” (the next boat was leaving in an hour), rushing to find a vaporetto (water bus) and fighting for the last seat in the outside section after being literally SHOVED aside by an extremely rude young woman. We finally found them and the happy hour. After lots of laughs and fun conversations, we were the last to leave.  Then they showed us the beautiful Grand Canal view from their room. We hadn’t seen Venice from such a high point of view before. We were all spellbound for a while. Here is a picture of Gabriana and John hanging out their window enjoying the view.

Later that night Cindy said she wanted gelato. So, even though we had already had some during the day, we all took the boat back to Venice and set out to find a good place that was open. We are very fussy about where to get “good” gelato. Along the way we all admired the beautiful Piazza San Marco. We stood for a while staring up at the intricately carved sculptures and marveled at the years it must have taken to create and build. We also enjoyed the several dueling orchestras playing to diners at the outdoor tables. The piazza (square) is much less crowded at night and so much more enjoyable. We were not disappointed at Fantasy gelato! I’ll write more later about our gelato standards with some recommendations.

Also, please check out my daughter Gabriana’s blog on our adventures, including some short videos from our trip!

Returning to Venice!

On our way into Venice from the airport! I’m kinda happy.

Well hello again,

I did so well on my trip to Venice last year that we are going again. In fact, I was rejuvenated. After several MRIs this past summer to check on a bothersome growth, the last one showed no change, and I don’t have to have another MRI this month! We were approved, and actually encouraged, to travel again. No question where I wanted to go. So we are in the final stages of departure.

Again we are taking Abby, our medical service dog. Gabriana is busy doing all the paperwork to take her, including driving to San Francisco to bring some papers. I’m glad we live relatively close. I think this office serves  lot of cities.

I packed what I thought I would take. Now I’m being ruthless and trying to eliminate as much as I can. I keep thinking of what it feels like to have too much stuff there. I’m branching out into brighter colors and that feels good. I’ve hidden away my purples and turquoise for too long.

I would like to do some sketching, but travelers are discouraged from sitting anywhere. There are crudely handwritten warning signs posted over tempting seats. I found at a 3-legged stool to stick in my bag or sling over my shoulder. I saw some artists last year who could sit ANYWHERE they liked and that idea stayed with me.

I’m also taking it easy packing. Last year I did too much at one time and did too much lifting to try out the weight. It’s no wonder that I had terrible pains in my side during the trip.

Now I’m working on my “amazements.” This is the word my daughter, Gabriana, used when she was a little girl and was packing her amusements for a trip. It was so cute, I didn’t have the heart to correct her. Now we laugh, but we still use that expression.

What will I want to do for a month when I have down time? And what is easy to carry? I have some books I want to read, but they are hard cover. I can just hear you saying, “What about a Kindle?” But that just seems like one more gadget to bring and I can get Kindle on my laptop and my iPhone. The flight attendant last year was appalled when she saw me reading on my iPhone and INSISTED that it was not good for my eyes and shamed me into stopping. ] I love to do extreme Sudoku, so I plan to print up a bunch for the month. I just have to force myself not to start them now. I’ve already packed my watercolor art supplies, so that is covered.

Since I haven’t finished my Pimsleur Italian lessons, I will probably do that and then try out the conversations the next day. I have a bone to pick with the authors. When “Mr. and Mrs.” Smith and all other couples have a conversation about what they are going to buy, the wife ALWAYS asks the husband for money and he always comment on whether what she wants to buy seems too expensive. Then he throws in the kicker and tells her to buy only un capello (hat), no due (two!) I continue my lesson after I have done some screaming.

Update: we arrived yesterday and are in our glory! Gabriana has written a post about our arrival on her blog, Nosy Parker, along with a short video of the water taxi ride into the city. More to come, after we have had some gelato! This time we are in Castello, a different neighborhood than all of my trips before, so we have new places to explore. It’s fun to hear Italian conversations outside our window. We are right on the street.

I OPEN SOME TIME

When I was in Venice in 2010 I saw a sign on a shop window that delighted me:

When I was there in 2012 I wanted to go back to the same store to show Gabriana and Diane the funny sign. I guess they had had too many complaints. But they still needed to put in a little twist. What stores open at 12:20? This is what we found:

And this is completely ignoring the Venetian custom of closing during the midday for lunch. Diane had her own ideas about what kind of store this was. I thought they either looked like great Burning Man attire or clothes that an old friend from The Well, Howard Rheingold, would wear. Here are some pictures I took of the inside in 2010. You can make your own guess about the clientele.

I took the 2010 pictures and the 2012 pictures were taken by Gabriana Marks and Diane Rauchwerger. I thank them for their good eyes and fresh viewing of Venice!

PLease follow Gabriana’s blog

Alessandro’s workshop and a baby named Charlie

Today we contacted Alessandro again. We had met him on the night we ate at Da Raffaela a few weeks ago and he said he would take us to his workshop. On the way, it was chilly, so I stopped and bought a black cardigan sweater at United Colors of Benetton. It’s so much easier to do things like this when you are walking and pass the store. We didn’t have to drive there and find a parking place. We just stepped into the store, found it on the shelf and bought it. Of course, I did try it on first!

By the time we called Alessandro, he was ready to go for lunch. So we did the same. We weren’t hungry enough for a regular restaurant, but we didn’t want to buy a sandwich from a vendor and then have to find a place to sit in the shade and then find (and pay for) a toilet afterward. I didn’t know there were in-between places. We found a “snack restaurant” and could buy sandwiches and sit at an outdoor table; when I asked the waiter if he had any other kind of meat besides ham then he informed me huffily: “This is not a restaurant, madam.” It has become one of our favorite lines to repeat to each other for a good laugh, along with “This is a church. Do not behave indecently.” along with a sign Gabriana spotted in Verona that said “NO SALES ASSISTANCE,” which seems to really spell out the customer service vibe in many stores here.

Another one of our favorites was a sign on the front door of a store we saw (that I had seen on the last trip) said “We open some time.” It happened to be open and we went into a store filled with what looked like Burning Man costumes with huge suit jackets painted with crazy designs and fit for black light. I could not picture anyone from Venice wearing any of the merchandise! Even during carnival!

As we were sitting and having our lunch we noticed a young father and his baby at a table nearby. His wife was also at the table, along with each of their mothers. We couldn’t take our eyes off the father and his baby; he was holding him and kissing him and walking with him and singing to him. It was really dear to see. So, of course, we stopped by on our way out and told him how much we enjoyed watching him with his baby. Diane and I couldn’t remember our fathers behaving that way and we told him. He assured us that “all dads love their babies like this! They just might not show it.” And he said how beautiful he thought his baby is. He was from Brazil and his wife was from Slovakia and their baby’s name is Charlie. I told him that I had a friend named Charlie.  Here is a picture of a dearly-loved Charlie and his doting father.

Charlie and his loving father

The happy family

When we finally found our way to Alessandro’s again, he took us to his workshop a few blocks away. He had big machines that did the cutting and pressing. It’s really a place where they cut all the leather and papers and make all the books. He said his father makes the marbleized papers at home. We saw the bookmark cutter shaped like a ferro and he asked us to each choose which color of leather we would like. Diane and I each got shiny turquoise and Gabriana got pink suede. Then he took the large poster of Venice that he created and cut all the bookmarks from it. He used the cutting machine and the mold for the bookmark. He had molds for all the shapes he cut. We each chose which bookmarks we wanted to bring home as gifts. It means so much to have seen the whole process.

I would really love to know who is reading this blog. Please make comments, however long or short. I like to get a feel for who I’m talking to. It truly feels like you are along on the trip with us and makes us want to share more!

And please also follow Gabriana’s blog, Nosy Parker, to read more about our Venetian adventures: www.nosyparkerblog.wordpress.com

The pictures were taken by Gabriana Marks, Diane Rauchwerger and me.

Burano

On Burano we had a lovely time enjoying the lace, scarves, and wonderfully colored houses and flowers in pots decorating each house. From the front, each house looked pretty small. The front doors were right on the street with all of us gawkers walking by. To offset this, each house has a flapping piece of cloth hanging over the door. This gives privacy and air. And the cloth is coordinated with the house colors–a very beautiful sight.

A two-tone blue with lovely flowers in the window

We were trying to figure out how a whole island of colorful houses could exist, each a bright, maybe even clashing color to its neighbor. There were NO pastels. Our trip mate Diane, came up with her version of the dialogue: The first person painted his house a really bright color. The next person saw it and said, That’s a good idea, but it’s not MY color. So he painted it a different color. And that is how she thinks it started.

A neighborhood

Another wild neighborhood

We saw one rebel house. It was pure white, with no flowers in front and no hanging flap. A white house seemed so weird in that setting. The other thing we noticed was that some of the two-tone houses were painted with tape put down first to make clean lines. But there were many that seemed to be painted freehand. It just added to the atmosphere! It seemed almost whimsical to us, but when I talked to people on my last visit to Burano, they took it very seriously.

I would really love to know who is reading this blog. Please make comments, however long or short. I like to get a feel for who I’m talking to. It truly feels like you are along on the trip with us and makes us want to share more!

And please also follow Gabriana’s blog, Nosy Parker, to read more about our Venetian adventures: http://www.nosyparkerblog.wordpress.com

All the pictures were taken by my tripmate Diane Rauchwerger.

 

Another Venice… plus Murano

One day Elisa came and got us and we all made our way to the San Marco vaporetto stop. When I say “made our way,” I mean Elisa took us every which way on all the back roads, the ones Venetians use, to avoid the crowds and get to the vaporetto. I exclaimed to her that we were going all the back roads, and she corrected me and said that this WAS the way! It was fun to be let in on how Venetians deal with all the crowds.

Glass Art Display on Murano

You wouldn’t believe the numbers of people strolling on all the roads with stores or leading to famous places in Venice. We emerge from our quiet little “alley” and immediately have to merge with the crowd; I have never seen so many people on the street before. Picture the crowd leaving a sporting event and streaming back to their cars. This is what it is like, but crowded onto narrow little streets filled with people, strollers, umbrellas, etc.

We have taken to noticing the small roads that lead off the main streets. There we have found another Venice: Restaurants that serve wonderful food for a fraction of the cost, stores and bars that cater to natives, and room to breathe as you are walking. The bars here don’t just serve alcohol.  They serve food too, and people of all ages eat at them.

I had been thinking that I needed a belt, but hadn’t been searching. We looked into a window and saw a shoemaker working on something in the back of the shop. He had an odd assortment of things that he made, besides being the local shoemaker. There were shelves of the shoes he was working on, which I noticed as he led me back through the shop to a mirror to see my belt. His only mirror was the one in his “toilette.” Clearly it was not a retail shop. He gave us his card, which only had a Venetian address: the sestiere (district) and number. When we looked like  we wanted more, he took the card back and stamped more information on the back.  Still no street name though, which he hand wrote on the back of the card so we could find his shop again.

We found his shop on our way home from an island trip to Murano. We arrived  early one afternoon and called Mattio, the glassblower we met on a boat outside our window. He had just bought the boat docked in front of our apartment. When we found out that he was a glassblower, we asked if we could come and visit his glass furnace in Murano. When we called, he said they were finished for the day. They work from 7 am to 2, but they were already cleaning up then. He invited us back the next day.

We set our alarms and left the apartment around 9 am. We were lucky to get a boat right away. We called and Mattio sent one of the workers to get us and we wound around to the furnace on a back street. It was fascinating to see all the steps involved. It is a family operation. He and his brother Marco, blow glass and make the small pieces. Their father, Davide, makes fantastic large museum pieces. Their mother blows glass too and does other odd jobs and bookkeeping, including wrapping pieces for shipping. There were others there too, including an American woman named Shelley who is collaborating with Davide on a large piece. She and her husband are staying in an apartment on the premises. We will keep in touch with her through Facebook.

Here are some pictures from our glassworks visit:

Mattio showing us one of his father’s creations and explaining the process with his hands

Marco with his glass

Here is the American woman, Shelley, who is collaborating with Davide

Davide, Gabriana, Mattio, Giuditta, Diane

Mattio told us about how he ended up there. He and his brother had wanted to get as far away as they could from the family business. They had helped as children, but each made different plans for a future. Mattio went to law school and his brother  studied languages and traveled all over the world. At one point, Mattio dropped out of law school because he wasn’t interested and returned temporarily to the family business. Then he really got into it and now is very happy. His brother was needed at one time and he was between trips. He also came temporarily, but is there and is very happy.

They called their father “Davide” out of respect as the glass master and owner of the business. When we told Davide how much we loved his work, he hugged his son and said that HE was his best work. Then he hugged me too. It was very nice.

While we were on Murano the first day, we walked around and saw all the shops. We found one where the guy was using glass rods and a torch to make small glass pieces in the shop. He and his brother own shops next door to each other. We met Bernardino first and got some things from him. Then he told us about his brother next door, Giorgio, who was using the glass rods and offered to demonstrate for us. Gabriana asked him if he could make a figure that looked like Abby. He got out the appropriate colored rods and 15 minutes later, we had a tiny figure of Abby!

Here is the final product of glass Abby!

On the second day we were on Murano we went to the glass museum. We loved the pieces from the first and second centuries. There were tiny pitchers and vases. After seeing various glass methods, we couldn’t figure out how these pieces were made.

This is getting long, but I have to share two funny signs we saw. One was in the window of a dress shop: “Cheaply Fashion & Chic” and the other was in a church: “This is a church. Do not behave indecently.” That last one gave us a lots of giggles and we wondered what had happened to make them spell out that rule!

Giorgio and a necklace of his that I chose

I would really love to know who is reading this blog. Please make comments, however long or short. I like to get a feel for who I’m talking to. It truly feels like you are along on the trip with us and makes us want to share more!

And please also follow Gabriana’s blog, Nosy Parker, to read more about our Venetian adventures: www.nosyparkerblog.blogspot.com.  All the  pictures were taken by my daughter, Gabriana.