Travelling Fletchers

​We decided to take full advantage of a lazy morning, enjoying the luxury of not needing to rush anywhere. However, the quiet was suddenly broken by a rather startling knock at the front door. We weren’t expecting anyone at all, least of all the dustman who had come by to collect the rubbish! It is one of those unique Venetian quirks you don’t think about until someone is at your door in a city with no bin lorries.

Once we were up and moving, we had a much more leisurely day. We headed for the water and took a boat over to Murano and Burano. In Murano, we took some time to watch the glass blowing – a fascinating process that has stayed largely unchanged for centuries. After the demonstration, we spent a while just wandering the streets.

It seemed as though every shopfront was filled with beads of glass for sale, all of them glistening in the bright sun. It made the whole island feel like it was sparkling, a very different energy to the busy centre of Venice.

From Murano, we took the water bus over to Burano, choosing to get off at the first of the two optional stops. It was a quieter way to arrive, allowing us to walk through a peaceful vineyard that felt worlds away from the busy canals. When we finally appeared on the other side of the vines, we were greeted by the most beautiful coloured streets.

The sun was shining brightly as we walked, and the houses seemed to shine right back at us. It’s hard to describe the vibrancy of the colours until you’re standing right in the middle of them; every turn felt like a new part of the rainbow. While we wandered, we saw plenty of the island’s famous lace displayed in the shop windows – intricate, white patterns sitting against those vivid backdrops.

​After a full day of island hopping, we made our way back toward our apartment in Castello. Instead of taking the water bus all the way, we chose to walk back through the Giardini. It was a lovely, peaceful contrast to the narrow, stony streets of the centre. Walking under the canopy of trees with the water on one side and the quiet park on the other felt like seeing a hidden side of Venice. It’s a much wider, greener space than you expect to find here, and it provided a very calm end to a day that had been so full of bright colours and sparkling glass. By the time we reached our “green house,” we were ready to put our feet up—grateful for the quiet of Castello after the busy sights of the day.