Murano and Burano

Zach is really keen to go to see a glass blowing demonstration, so what better place in the world than Murano?

Remember those Italian expectations vs reality? We arrived early for our boat tour to see glass blowing on Murano and lacemaking on Burano.  The tour guide tells us we just have to walk 10mins to the boat as it couldn’t dock at the normal location today.  30 mins later and 5000 steps we are at the port getting on some rickety boat with 2 other tour groups.  It takes us to Saint Marco where we offload onto another boat, and meet a lovely couple from Scotland having a long weekend.

There is no breeze and it's 30 degrees.  We are hanging over the side of the boat to stop sweating but Gareth has announced that he never knew eyelids could sweat.  Very uncomfortable and now being told we have less time on Murano we pile into the glass blowing demo.  The master is amazing.  He smashes out a drinking glass and a horse in no time flat.  We walk through the over priced gift shop and make our way further down where we find much more reasonably priced trinkets.  I really want this piece that depicts an underwater scene but its $3200 NZD plus shipping and insurance.  Having watched how these things are made, I wouldn’t ever question their price, but I have to question whether having Murano glass is actually worth it to me or if I would be happy having the same thing but not from the famous island?  I guess my question is answered by $3200 still in our account as we board the boat for Burano.

Our tour guide is shit.  We can’t hear her as she explains things and complains that there are so many of us.  WTAF?  Her instructions are “go down the square and turn left and find the place called something we can’t hear.  We eat our free Burano biscuit and try to find this lacemaking place that she doesn’t direct anyone to.  The demo is approx 3 mins long.  It's a lady doing her job, ignoring everyone making lace, as another lady talks for 3 mins - and that's it.  At least the island of Burano is as beautiful as all the images you see.  I just wish we had longer than 40 mins. The kids confirm that the gelato on Burano is top quality so at least they are happy.

We board the boat and admire all the vessels who do not seem to have any rules around speed (and no one seems to care) and make our way back to Venice.  Our mission is to find some artwork and we are successful close to Saint Marks before Gareth expires. After not being really opinionated about any of the art work, when I decide on a medium sized piece, he swoops in and says he wants the biggest canvas instead. So now we have some gorgeous artwork that has to poke out of his backpack as it can't fit in anyone's suitcase.

Kaia says she is hangry so we find a fruit shop and get bananas to starve off the gremlin about to take hold and make our way back through the labyrinth of streets home.  Highlight for Zach - the supercars coming through the roundabout while waiting for the bus…….

Our last day in Venice is about life admin and chilling out.  It has rained every night we have been here, like the rain washes away all the dirt from this place and starts fresh the next day.  The kids are pool bound and I'm packing.  We are pretty good at it now, including the train station navigation.

As we down our espresso's at the cafe takeaway area like real Europeans do (no such thing as a takeaway cup since Lisbon) I am left with that uncomfortable feeling that Venice is under threat from mass over tourism and climate change, and knowing this I still bought the whanau here. And I specifically say to Zach and Kaia that when they are my age they may not get the opportunity to come back here. I've tried to justify our trip to Venice so many ways, but I know that my time here contributes to change and not in a good way.